Finding treasures
Quote of the week
I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.
Alexander the Great
Hello,
We have reached the Peloponnese region and have been waiting for cooler weather. We have spent over a week on different, nice campings with access to sea, pool and restaurants, lying around in the hammocks with a good book and just relaxing. However, before we reached this state we did a couple of classical visits in the north of Greece.
Dion
Dion is a village close to Mount Olympus. Mostly famous for the Macedonian sanctuary of Zeus and the adjacent ancient city. A large altar was set up here for the worship of Zeus and his daughters, the Muses, back in the very ancient times. Dion was therefore seen as a “sacred place” for the ancient Macedonians. Here kings made sacrifices to celebrate the new year, which according to the Macedonian calendar happened at the end of September. In the spring, rites to celebrate the army and victories were held.
Philip II and Alexander the Great celebrated their victories here and the latter made big sacrifices before entering on his campaign to Asia in 334 BC. Dion was well known for its fortifications and splendid monuments. The city was destroyed by invaders in 219 BC, but was immediately rebuilt. It fell to the Romans in 169 BC, and was given a new way of life when Octavian founded a colony here. Its final heydays occurred in the 4th and 5th centuries AD as a seat of a bishopric. As with so many other cities it finally fell to earthquakes and floods.
It is well excavated and you can take a walk through the streets, surrounded by buildings on either side. We walked down to the villa of Dionysus, once a rich Roman’s home. On the other side of the street is a Roman bath, or therme, well preserved, where some of the mosaic floors are still visible. It seems they connected the bath with an Odeon, where they held concerts, theatres, public speeches and other events. In other words a sort of cultural centre for the population.
In a separat building is the museum with finds from the site. What was most amazing though is the special building they have built for the mosaic floor from Dionysos’ villa. Almost the whole floor has survived.
The Royal Tombs of Aegae (Vergina)
Sometimes you come to a place which totally surprise you. We had read that this is the burial place of Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. In front of us is a huge hill, like an old burial ground. You enter the hill by a long path way and come into an underground museum. Everything is dark and the only lights are on the exhibits. It is an amazing feeling and gives the visitor a totally different experience.
In 1977 excavations found a burial mound concealing the tombs of the Macedonian kings, of which two had not been disturbed. They were identified as the tomb of Philip II, and of Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great and Roxana. Another burial cluster contained the tombs of the Temenids, an ancient Macedonian royal house. These burial grounds, including the impressive gates for the royal tombs are exhibited in the museum, together with the amazing finds from the graves.
Aegae was the ancient capital of Macedon. In October 336 BC, Philip II was assassinated here by his body guard, while attending the wedding of one of his daughters. There are other buildings to see in the complex, for example a palace and the theatre where Philip was assassinated, but we did not have time for further explorations.
Next week we have overcome the heat, got a little bit of rain and lower temperatures. Perfect for visiting Olympia, the temple at Bassae and Nestor’s palace.
I'm always shocked when I see how much beauty has survived through wars, demolition, and just the ravages of time. That floor -- oh my! What a fascinating place and such a key role this area played in our civilization's progression.