The Tour of Greek mythology traces in Athens
Athens, Greece
Greeking.me
Stops
10Distance
3.00kmDuration
1h30minAudio
Human VoiceDescription
An engaging self-guided audio walking tour about Greek mythology in downtown Athens with credible & original stories. Take your tour now & enjoy it instantly on your smartphone device.
Greek Mythology Traces is an entertaining journey through downtown Athens with the accompaniment of glorious Greek myths. Follow a carefully designed route through Athenian landmarks, explore some of the most magnificent parts of the city and dive into the captivating reality of ancient times as you read riveting stories about the gods and heroes of ancient Athens.
The tour begins at the Temple of Olympian Zeus where you learn about the difficult childhood of the supreme god and his struggles against his own father and the Titans. Zeus and his siblings (Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Hestia and Demeter) fought against the dominant Titans for the right to rule the world in a struggle that raged for ten years. Next stop is the Monument of Lysicrates, honoring Dionysus, the god associated with the vine, winemaking, ritual madness, religious ecstasy and theatre. During one of his journeys he was captured by a group of Tyrrhenian pirates who wanted to sell him as a slave. His miraculous escape is narrated on the monument’s marble surface.
The cave of Aglauros and the Erechtheion are both associated with Athena and her early days as patron-goddess of Athens. The Areopagus Hill, on the other hand, is the site of the first murder trials in the Greek world. Ares, the god of war, sought vengeance for the rape of his daughter; Daedalus was charged with the murder of his nephew, whom he pushed off the Acropolis because he was envious of the young boy’s skill with his hands. The Temple of Hephaestus honors the god of fire and brings to mind his difficult relationships with both his mother and his wife. Finally, the Statue of Theseus commemorates one of the main heroes in Greek mythology who was especially admired in Athens as the founder of the city. The Athenians took advantage of every opportunity to associate themselves with Theseus and project themselves as the descendants of the great king.
Highlights
1. Temple of Olympian Zeus
The size of the Temple of Olympian Zeus is staggering but appropriate for the mightiest god, who almost became a meal for his father before winning a titanic battle to establish his rule over gods and mortals.
2. The Nymphs’ Hill
The hill was home to feminine spirits of nature that helped women get pregnant. The Observatory did not change the spiritual essence of the Hill, as Athenians offered milk and honey to the Nymphs until fairly recently.
3. Statue of King Theseus
Theseus was the quintessential Athenian hero. His labours inspire art since antiquity. The mistaken belief that the nearby temple was dedicated to Theseus formed the basis for the naming of the neighbourhood (Theseion).
Featured stories
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The rock that saved Zeus
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Rhea was distressed by her husband's cruel actions and was determined to save her latest child, little Zeus. As soon as she gave birth to him, she delivered the infant to the Nymphs of Mount Ida on Crete and charged them with protecting him. To her husband she gave a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. The unsuspecting Cronus swallowed the stone without hesitation.
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Feminine spirits of nature
The Nymphs’ Hill
The Nymphs consist of a special group of deities in the Greek pantheon. Their cult dates back to prehistoric times. Exclusively female, they incarnate the elements of nature and are symbols of fertility and prosperity. They are not immortal like other gods, but they are imbued with a semi–divine essence that allows them to live a great number of years as they feed on ambrosia. Found in groups in the countryside, they accompany greater gods such as Hermes, Apollo and Artemis. They are usually presented to sing and dance around lakes and rivers or in forests and mountains. -
The return to Athens
Statue of King Theseus
Years passed and Theseus became a vigorous adolescent. His mother revealed to him the truth about his father and he decided to meet him after he retrieved the sword and the sandals. His mother advised him to take a ship to Athens but he disobeyed her request. He preferred to walk and killed the criminals lurking on his way, imitating the Labours of Hercules, whom he had idolized.
Greeking.me
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Details
| Address | Temple of Olympian Zeus |
|---|---|
| Starting point | 43 Leof. Vasilisis Amalias, Athina (Metro Station Acropolis) |
| Finishing point | Ag. Asomaton and Adrianou, Athina |
| Areas | Temple of Olympian Zeus, Plaka, Areopagus Hill, Pnyx, Ancient Agora |
| Opening hours | Anytime |
| Recommended visiting hours | 9:00-11:00 |
Why take a self-guided tour?
This is a self-guided tour based on the award-winning storytelling concept developed by Clio Muse and the fascinating narratives prepared by our handpicked destination experts.
You can enjoy each multilingual tour by using your smartphone or tablet at your own pace even if you are offline. The interactive map on your screen will guide you step-by-step as you explore all points of interest along your route. Each stop comes with a selection of our signature stories allowing you to tailor the tour experience to your personal interests and schedule.
After downloading Clio Muse app, you can access this tour and activate it any moment you wish and also repeat it any time. To best enjoy our multimedia self-guided tour (comprising maps, video, audio and text) we recommend the use of headphones.
This tour is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
To take this self-guided tour, you will need to download Clio Muse app on your iOS or Android device.
