Macon (CA 132) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 192 text:

Do ou remember the bright mornina; the twill suinmits of Skyrus came into vie v? It :is the l)irilipl.ice of Theseus, who carried out the union ol many Attic-communities into a sini le state and extended the territory of Atiica to the Isthmus of Corinth. It was here that Arhillcs. legendary hero of the Trojan Wars, was placed by his mother among the maidens of Kiinj; Ly- (oincdi ' s so that the sinister warning of the Oracle at Delphi might not come to pass. It was here that Ulysses released him from his bondage to join the armies of Menelaus before the walls of Troy. The magnificenf acropolis We strained our e es as we scanned the plains of Troy at the entrance to the Dardenelles, in hope that we might see the ruins of ancient Troy that lay about Si , miles off our starboard bow. Here on this very beach, after ten long years of fruitless siege, the Greeks left their Tro- jan Horse. Thinking it to be an offering. to the gods, the Trojans rolled it into the city and cele- brated the lifting of the siege. Then, in the quiet- ness of the night, while Troy lay in stupor, the Greeks stole forth from the belly of the horse, swimg wide the city gates to the fleet that had returned, and Troy was sacked and burned.

Page 191 text:

Kiir liiui [;I()i ii)Lis (Li s ve ihixailed our •a ihiougli ihc oolden ishuuK (il ilic loiiiini ami Ac ' cin Sens cinoiue to Istimli ' il. Risine; like gokkii migt ets liDiii the Ijlue Mcdilei laiicrni tlicse i les seenud to last a spell upon us . . . akin, perhaps, to the Siren ' s song heaul 1) I ' lx.s.sfs antl his noble band. There was Coifii. and lliiiiii. the home ol I ' h sses ivlien he liegan his aihenturous od s- se thai iiu hided liie W ' .iis ol Troy. Ihe t.iU A hile dills ol (. ' (; »• Ddiikiiln. I.iinlh reniinisteiu ol the thalk ilills ol I)o ei. biouglit to mind liie .iiuient legend ol the l.eui .iili.ni I.e.ip. ihe .iii(ieiil (.leek ( 111 e lor lo esic kness. From these ( I ills on ihe a c ( I .r hii . Siij)l)liii. the supreme poetess ol the Greeks, being enainomed b ' PIiiK ii. and linding her lo e scorneil. hurkxl hersell inio the sea aller writing: If dfulh iceif ii In, on. llic all-lntu-awirj, ( ' iiih iciilild hd.-c ( Iki.uii il tiillic) llidit lift ' . When on s.iw ihe Peloponnessiaii IViiiiisul.i it w.is noi dilli- (iill to eiuision I ' .iiis ol o emiiarkiiig li om these shoies with the be.nililiil Ikleii. wile ol [enel.lus, King ol Spait.i. elen. • liosf lnMut I. nine In il a ihoiis.ind ships liom Ciiei i.ni shoies to iv.ii on iio . pio idi(l Homer with ihe m.iteiial loi his epi(s di.it li.i e iiispiifd us lor t eiu -se en (enturies. { ' ..in ou loiget l i li) . liie liiiv isle in the C.ychidrs? It was heie that l.elo ga e biilh to Ajfolh,. god ol light, ol the Miises, of be.iiilv .Mid ol he.iling and his twin Artemis, goddess ol (h.isiii . ihe piotei tiess ol ouiig m.iideiis. In ihe Till ( en I in beloi c ( In isi this is], Old w.is the leligious ceiitei ol .ill Ionia. K ei loui e.iis tin- Alheni.nis sent ,i deleg.ition to be.ii gilts .iiul s.ki dices. K en (,i] il.il punishment w.is sus])eiuled in Alliens uniil the deleg.ition retuined lioiii Delos. It w.is this iistom th.il e. lined Suiales sexei.il mole d.i s ol liie.

Page 193 text:

Truly, this was a land ol legend and of histoiy. All about us tlie phantoms ol ages Past crowded into the Present. There were times when our ship ot steel almost seemed to become a Grecian galley as we lelt oursehes a part ot some mysterious magic. ATHENS Atlii )i . another u ' t ol jjaradox, trownetl our Argciin atlventiire. it was a giay Aud laiiiy moining in Phaeleron Bay on the seiond ol Apiil. I ' irtieiis -was only a fuel stop but the t-aptain helped us make the most ol it. Three luuuhed siioui; we iiowded ashore into waiting busses to go to Atluns, goldiii tit ol a gokien age. It was no disappnintiiieiu. 1 he iii,igi( was not gone. You lelt as il ou weie ni anoiliei age when sou asceniletl the steps to the A(iopo|is. Da zliuL; be oiul cnn poor jioweis to dcs(iilie. il w.is .j|i c as notliing iiianiman- ou h,ni ever seen (ouUI Ij -. l-. en in its ])iestiu si.uc ol p.ulial Itiin as .1 lesull ol tiirliau (aniiou.ide selling oil a [iiikish powdei iiiat;.i ine in lliS7, it is still L;nainess pel sonil ieil. The gieai gate a ■ liie l ' ij lc(i -- thiough which lan the S.uied Wa to llie I ' m lliriiini : ihe !■ i r, li llicuii) ill vvhiili si, Hues ol (.i(( k maidens act as sup|ioiiing (ohimiis to the i . lol ol ilie em losed poi i h: I he niiiiiaHn e temple ol i lon. lei oiisirui ted in llic I ' hh ienUir , a lilittciint; gem; all (.l.issical C.ieek .11 its best - about l. )(i H,C:. In the (,nl,lri, .l;u- nj I ' rtiilr.. Do ou leineiiibel llie iiilnais leelilii; ol leluclaiuc v ilhiii ou as We l(;ll AiIkiis to letiiiii 10 ihe ship ' - It was alinosi as il ihe i ' leseiil had losi iis 1 liaiin .... lost it 10 the golden m.iL;i( ol centuries past whose tintist is still ali c in the iials ol cjur age. PALACE GUARD