South Slope of the Acropolis

Today, we visited the south slope of the Acropolis. On the way there, however, we checked out the Lysikrates Monument in Plaka. It was a commemoration monument for Lysikrates' performance in a music competition in 334 BC. It's notable, though, because it's the first Greek monument to use external Corinthian columns, which ironically was the favorite of the Romans. When we arrived at the south slope, we went to the Theatre of Dionysus, the first theater in the western world. Here, ancient Athenians would have been captivated by the masterpieces written by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. Then, we proceeded up the slope to see the Thrasybullus Monument, which was built in front of an entrance to a cave. Currently, restoration is being made, and thanks to our professor, we had exclusive access inside the cave. Then, we went to the Asklepeion, a healing sanctuary established after the plague ravished Athens during the Peloponnesian War. We also had special access to the cave behind this one, which was later turned into a Christian shrine during the Byzantine Empire. It was lined with icons of Jesus. Finally, we saw the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, which we already had been inside to see an opera. Afterwards, we grabbed lunch and I had Pastitsio, a casserole having egg, minced meat, noodles and cheese. It was very good. Then, I retired to my apartment to finish reading for our evening lecture. Afterwards, since we have the weekend off, I hopped on a ferry at 10 pm heading southbound to Heraklio, Crete to check out the Minoan sites and the excellent Cretan beaches. My ETA is 6 AM on Saturday. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to make the 8 hour trek with me, so I'm traveling all alone. However, I actually enjoy my independence, so I'm not worried. Here's to a great weekend!