Socrates and the art of the rhetorical question?


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February 19th 2009
Published: February 19th 2009
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The Parthenon atop the AcropolisThe Parthenon atop the AcropolisThe Parthenon atop the Acropolis

This photo features the magnificent temple to Athena on a perfect winter's day.
To view the Parthenon spectacularly lit up at night is to bear witness to the glory of Ancient Greece, and the timeless temple perched atop the Acropolis is the best sight I've experienced in my life. I'm aware of course that Socrates could quickly change my mind with brilliantly constructed rhetorical questions, inevitably leading to a contradiction of my original premise. But hey, this is a democracy brother ... and I'm sticking to my guns! Athens in fact is the birthplace of democracy, where the ultimate gift was bestowed on mankind by the ancient citizens of this famous city. That is a very special gift for any country to lay claim to, and on behalf of you, I send my heartfelt thanks to the inhabitants of the Greek capital, both past and present!

It's thrilling to be back in Europe, dear reader, after flying into Athens, following on from a fascinating one-day stopover in Singapore. There's something magical about the Greek philosophy on life, and the local people have been brilliant from the moment I arrived in customs at the airport. Greeks are renowned for taking life at their own pace, but they always get there in the end. It
Statues of Erechtheion atop the AcropolisStatues of Erechtheion atop the AcropolisStatues of Erechtheion atop the Acropolis

These carvings stand the test of time, and one hopes the originals will be returned shortly from the British Museum.
was great to see the 2004 Athens Olympic Games was such a success, despite all the criticism and threats made to the organisers in the lead up to the event. There was lots of talk about being behind schedule, we’re going to take the games off you etc. The criticism kept piling up but the Greeks hosted a successful world event, just as the people of Athens did during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. After all, ancient Greece is the birthplace of the Olympics, but for one reason or another they had a little break stretching over 1,500 years. The organisers decided to give the Olympic village over to public housing after the games, and this worthy idea was copied by the Chinese at the conclusion of the Beijing Olympics last year.

There was a huge amount of money spent on the games that's left an enduring legacy for the people of Athens, and also for her lucky visitors. The infrastructure included an overdue metro system, and a lot of beautification within the city. The metro also proved to be the greatest archaeological dig undertaken in this historic city. The metro to the airport is closed for
Central AthensCentral AthensCentral Athens

The Acropolis towers over the city, and has been a monumental sight for thousands of years.
six months, so I had to make my way to Metro Acropoli with three changes, and a metro map that was all Greek to me. Trying to make sense of the Greek characters was a bit much for an English speaker but I can count, which ensured I arrived at the excellent Athens backpackers right by the Acropolis with no worries at all. The ladies on the trains were tres chic, and I could have been taking a ride in the fashion capitals of Paris or Rome.

The staff and guests at the hostel were brilliant, and I had an enjoyable four-day stay. Everyone is so amazingly open and friendly when you stay at hostels, and the first few days of an overseas trip always takes me by surprise. However, before long it becomes the most natural thing in the world. I recommend the walking tour organised through the hostel, our guide was an animated Greek girl who made the stories from Greek mythology really come to life. We learnt of the rivalry between the gods Poseidon and Athena for naming rights to the city, and in the end the pitch by Athena was perfectly suited to the Greek
A stern looking Presidential guardA stern looking Presidential guardA stern looking Presidential guard

He managed to stay as still as a statue despite the distraction of us pesky tourists.
psyche to win the day. Peace, prosperity and plentiful olive trees seems to be a sure fire winner for the Athenians!

She also gave an animated description of the recent riots triggered when the police shot dead a fifteen year old boy in the streets of Athens. Although it sounds like a contradiction in terms, the anarchists in Athens are well organised and really gave the police a lot of trouble. However, the situation is now back under control and peace has been restored in this wonderful city. We went around the base of the Acropolis, to the ancient markets of the Agora, visited museums and Syntagma square to view the Parliament building. Then we visited the Panathinaiko stadium which hosted the 1896 Olympic Games, and we finished a very entertaining walking tour at the temple of Olympian Deus and Hadrian’s Arch.

Of course we took the opportunity to climb up the Acropolis, and view the mighty Parthenon separate to the tour. The magnificent temple to Athena dominates the skyline of Athens, and the beautiful city branches out in all directions with stunning views on display from the summit. A twelve euro ticket gives four days to explore the various ancient sights, and there are a dozen tabs on the ticket. By all the Gods on Mount Olympus I reckon the ticket provides value for money, and includes entrance fees to several museums that house archaeological finds from as far back as 10,000 BC. Athens is a truly astonishing travel destination, and I've had a brilliant time in the birthplace of democracy. It’s time to get moving though, and tonight I’m jumping on a ferry to the historic island of Rhodes, and I'm excited by the prospect of exploring the glorious old town in a temperate Mediterranean climate. An introduction to the Greek way of life leads to the inevitable conclusion, basically all of you should be here now!


Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber." Plato


As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now

Tom

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Views from Acropolis hillViews from Acropolis hill
Views from Acropolis hill

The city of Athens is a beautiful sight when perched up on the hill.


20th February 2009

Happy travels Tom!
20th February 2009

Citizen of the World
Yiassou Tom!!! I was so pleased to read this. I haven't travelled abroad much, but I reckon your comments on Greece and its people are spot on. It's been some while since I was last there, and many say its people are gradually succumbing to the regimented utilitarianism that is the modern western psyche. That may be so on the surface, but I'd say they've seen so many epochs come and go over the millenia, that they unconsciously regard this as just another, and are in truth anchored to the same sense of wonder and enchantment with the world that produced the Acropolis. (Granted, I may be somewhat biased in saying this). I remember being lost in central Athens one day, trying to find some place or other, and crossing a busy 4 lane street. When halfway across, I turned my head right to look for oncoming traffic, and there came into view a long, dead-straight stretch of road disappearing into the middle-distance. Further on still, amid all the chaos of cars, telegraph lines, traffic lights and street signs, it stood silently, imposingly, on elevated ground: the Parthenon. Symbol of history itself from another age, incongruously surrounded by all this modernity. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I couldn't resist, and took a photo of it right then and there, standing in the middle of the busy street. I still have the photo, and it's captured the sense of it. So I know what you're talking about Tom, and I'm so pleased to hear you've felt it too. But this must be just one of many for you. It seems there'a almost nowhere you haven't been now. A line by Socrates himself springs to mind: "I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world" (Socrates, from Plutarch, Of Banishment). Hats off to you mate. And happy travelling! Till next time, take care, Arg.
25th February 2009

Greeks are Freaks
Ayabi Mou, (my love) Kalo Taxidi (Happy Holidays) Onira Klika (Sweet Dreams) Yiasou (l8rs) lol

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