Areopagus: Quiz

Category: Areopagus, Quizes
Date 01.30.10 Author: TimWoodroof
  1. Which Greek god was the Areopagus named after?
    1. The god of music and reason
    2. The god of war
    3. The god of fire and forge
    4. The god of wine and revel
  2. What ancient site was in clear view from the Areopagus?
    1. The Arch of Hadrian
    2. The Temple of Olympian Zeus
    3. The agora
    4. The Theater of Dionysus
  3. Who served on the Areopagus Council?
    1. Past archons of Athens
    2. Victorious generals
    3. Influential philosophers
    4. Successful merchants
  4. How did Phryne, the famous courtesan, finally prove her innocence on charges of blasphemy to the Areopagus Council?
    1. She dropped her robe and showed her flawless physical beauty
    2. She hired the best available speaker to make her case
    3. She bribed the jury
    4. She proved nothing. In fact, she was found guilty.
  5. Who was the man tried at the Areopagus for matricide?
    1. Agamemnon
    2. Oedipus
    3. Pericles
    4. Orestes
  6. What made the wise men of the Areopagus Council finally stop listening to the Apostle Paul?
    1. The claim of one god–monotheism
    2. The story of a crucified god
    3. The claim of resurrection
    4. The demand to sell all and give to the poor
  7. What Persian king pitched his command tent on the Areopagus?
    1. Xerxes
    2. Darius
    3. Cyrus
    4. Artaxerxes
  8. What kind of trials were reserved for the Areopagus Council?
    1. Financial—concerning the revenues of the city
    2. Capital—involving the death penalty
    3. Ostracism—trials resulting in exile and confiscation of property
    4. None of the above
  9. What famous building sits atop the Areopagus?
    1. The Temple of Athena Nike
    2. The Temple of Olympian Zeus
    3. The Bouleuterion
    4. There are no ruins on the Areopagus
  10. In our own day, what Greek institution bears the name “Areopagus”?
    1. The Greek Parliament
    2. The Greek police force
    3. The Greek supreme court
    4. The foreign service of Greece


1) b
Ares. The god of war and violence was not a popular deity with the ancient Greeks. No Greek cities took Ares as its patron god, for instance. The fact that this place is named after Ares is due to a myth that places Ares on top of this hill, defending himself against charges of murder. According to the story, a son of Poseidon attempted to rape a daughter of Ares. Ares killed the brute and Poseidon demanded that he stand trial for it. So the Olympian gods gathered here to listen to Ares’ defense. This first murder trial resulted in Ares’ acquittal. And, forever after, the hill bore Ares’ name and served as the site where capital trials were heard in Athens.

2) c
The agora stretches out below the Areopagus, to the north. In fact, tiered seating allowed members of the Areopagus Council to look out over the agora as they listened to speakers and adjudicated at trials. Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, and the Theater of Dionysus are all hidden from view by the bulk of the Acropolis.

3) a
Each year, Athenians elected a slate of “archons” (or rulers) who oversaw the political, financial, logistical, and judicial business of the city. As archons finished their year of service, their record was carefully examined for any hint of impropriety. If such was found, they were brought to trial. If, on the other hand, they had ruled well and honestly, they were inducted to the Areopagus Council for life.

4) a
According to the ancient sources that recount this trial, Phryne’s trial was going badly. She was about to be found guilty of blabbing the Eleusian Mysteries. Some accounts tell us that Phryne’s advocate, in a desperate attempt to sway the jury, disrobed her and won the jury with the sight of her magnificent body. Other accounts indicate that Phryne took this measure herself. In their defense, it should be noted that ancients often saw physical beauty and perfection as a sign of the gods’ blessing and favor. How could someone so favored by the gods do something so offensive to them?

5) d
Orestes. Agamemnon (his father) was king of Mycenae and the leader of the Greek forces fighting the Trojans. Finally, after ten long years, Agamemnon and the Greeks prevailed and the weary king returned home. In his absence, however, his wife (Clytemnestra) had taken a lover and determined to be rid of her inconvenient husband. According to legend, Clytemnestra killed Agamemnon as he was bathing, washing away the dirt of the road. Orestes revenged himself by killing his mother and her insignificant other.

6) c
There were several ideas in Paul’s speech that could have given offense to members of the Council: the idea of one God; the rejection of idolatry (which Paul calls “ignorance”). But they took it all remarkably well … until Paul mentioned resurrection from the dead. At that point, some sneered and others procrastinated (“We want to hear you again on this subject”). But it was resurrection which brought Paul’s Areopagus speech to a screeching halt.

7) a
Xerxes was the king who led the Persian forces during the invasion of Greece in 480 b.c. His father, Darius, had attempted a smaller campaign ten years prior (490 b.c., at Marathon). His son, Artaxerxes, inherited the throne later. All four of these kings, by the way, are mentioned in the Bible. At no other point does Greek and Biblical history so overlap.

8 ) b
The Areopagus heard capital trials primarily—those involving the death penalty. Accusations of murder, treason, or blasphemy were the particular spheres of Areopagus responsibility.

9) d
There are no ruins presently standing on the Areopagus. There is evidence of a Thesseon that stood on the eastern end of the Areopagus. And in ancient times, a series of tiered wooden seats faced out over the agora—the Council sat and heard cases while overlooking their city. It is said that you can still see the cuts in the Areopagus rock that held the posts for these tiers. I’ve never been able to make them out myself, but …

10) c
Today, the Supreme Court of Greece is called the Areopagus, an interesting nod to ancient times.

The Monument of the Eponymous Heroes areopagus-from-acropolis-entrance Agora from Hephaesteon Hephaesteon by night Stoa of Attalos areopagus-from-acropolis areopagus-panorama01 areopagos02 Statute of Hadrian
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New Acropolis Museum: Quiz

Category: New Acropolis Museum, Quizes
Date 01.24.10 Author: TimWoodroof
  1. What artifacts are displayed at the New Acropolis Museum?
    1. Classical artifacts from all over Greece
    2. Artifacts excavated on or near the Acropolis
    3. Only artifacts related to the world-famous Parthenon
    4. Only “new” artifacts related to the Acropolis and discovered in the last 25 years
  2. Which of the following collections is not on display at the New Acropolis Museum?
    1. Artifacts excavated on the slopes of the Acropolis
    2. Remains of archaic temples like the Hekatompedon
    3. Mycenaean artifacts discovered by Heinrich Schliemann
    4. Sculptures that adorned the Parthenon
  3. Which was the first temple to grace the top of the Acropolis?
    1. The Archaic Temple
    2. The Hekatompedon
    3. The Erechtheon
    4. The Temple of Athena Polias
  4. Which temple marked the most sacred spot on the Acropolis?
    1. The Erectheon
    2. The Parthenon
    3. The Temple of Athena Nike
    4. The Temple of Olympian Zeus
  5. An archaic statue on display at the New Acropolis Museum is named “Moschophoros.” What does that name signify?
    1. A general term for statues of young maidens
    2. The Calf-bearer
    3. A nickname for the god Apollo
    4. The winner of an Olympic contest
  6. The exquisite “Sandalbinder”—the epitome of Classical sculpture—differs from the Archaic style primarily:
    1. in its natural, spontaneous pose
    2. in the “ordinariness” of its subject matter
    3. in the utter realism of its representation
    4. All of the above
  7. The “Parthenon” is a Greek word for:
    1. The messenger god Parthenias
    2. The house of the virgin
    3. The holy of holies
    4. Victory
  8. Who was the British noble who carted off so many of the Parthenon sculptures 200 years ago?
    1. Sir Julian Devries
    2. Earl Mountbatten
    3. King Henry VIII
    4. Lord Elgin
  9. The subject of the entire Parthenon frieze reliefs was:
    1. The Panathenaic Procession
    2. The Gigantomachy—god’s vs Titans
    3. The Amazonomachy—Greeks vs Amazons
    4. The Trojan War
  10. The pediment sculptures of the Parthenon portrayed:
    1. The Athenian victory at Marathon
    2. The labors of Herakles
    3. Scenes from the life of Athena
    4. The first kings of Athens


1) b
The purpose of the New Acropolis Museum is to house all of the artifacts discovered on the top or around the slopes of the Acropolis itself. Because the old museum was so small and inadequate, many of the Acropolis artifacts were housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens or kept in museums around the world—most notably, the British Museum in London. With this new, spacious, and majestic museum, the Greek authorities are unifying all the Acropolis artifacts in this one place and requesting that all foreign governments now holding such artifacts repatriate them.

2) c
The Mycenaean Collection is on display at the National Archaeological Museum at another location in Athens. It is one of the richest and most spectacular archaeological collections in the world. However, since these finds were excavated at Mycenae on the Peloponnese, they do not fall within the purview of the New Acropolis Museum.

3) d
The Temple of Athena Polias (Athena of the city) was the earliest temple we know of. Built soon after the decline of the Mycenaean settlement of the Acropolis, in the 8th Century b.c., this temple was small and made of wood rather than stone. The bronze acroterion representing a gorgon (on display at the New Acropolis Museum) is the only artifact that remains of this temple.

4) a
The Erechtheon was the spiritual center of the Acropolis. The Parthenon, while imposing and ornate, essentially served as the city treasury. Athens kept its gold, silver, and jewels there. But the Erechtheon housed the modest, olive-wood statue of Athena that was Athens’ holiest relic. Like the first temple on the Acropolis (the Temple of Athena Polias) and the temple that succeeded it (the Archaic Temple—eventually destroyed by the Persians), the Erechtheon (the last of the series of temples to occupy this sacred spot) not only give shelter to the cult statue but also commemorated the tombs of Athens’ first kings and watched over the sacred olive tree that Athena gave Athens in her contest with Poseidon.

5) b
The Calf-bearer. The statue depicts a young man carrying a calf on his shoulders, probably on the way to sacrifice. This beautiful statue is a prime example of Archaic sculpture. It is highly stylized and not intended to be a realistic representation. The beard is blocky. The proportions aren’t quite right. There is a standard pose (full frontal posture, left leg slightly forward) and that intriguing Attic (or Archaic) Smile so commonly portrayed on statues of this period.

6) d
The Sandalbinder, from the parapet surrounding the Temple of Athena Nike, depicts Nike bending to adjust her sandal—whether to remove her shoes before entering the temple or replacing them on her way out. It is a simple act, unremarkable. The sculptor has caught the goddess doing something very human. She isn’t slaying a giant. She isn’t flying above the earth. She is fiddling with her shoes. And yet, she is beautiful. Her garment drapes and clings. Her body, though twisted, is balanced. Her posture borders on the awkward but, in the end, epitomizes grace. Nike adjusts her sandals—the most ordinary of tasks—and manages to be a goddess as she does so. This is Classical Sculpture at its essence. Nothing formulaic or stiff. Nothing symbolic or posed. Nothing even very heroic. Natural. Realistic. Human. Graceful. Spontaneous. Beautiful.

7) b
Parthenon means “house of the Virgin.” The goddess Athena was revered for several qualities: her martial skills, her wisdom, and her sexual purity. She was never paired sexually with god or mortal (as were so many of the other gods). Rather, as the champion of reason and peace, she is also seen as the enforcer of sexual modesty and temperance.

8 ) d
Lord Elgin is the Englishman Greeks love to hate. While Greece was languishing under foreign occupation (the Ottomans), Lord Elgin was made Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1779-1803). While in that role, he proceeded to cart off as many of Athens’ treasures—particularly the statuary of the Parthenon—as he could get his hands on. His claimed motive was to preserve the artifacts from the shocking disregard shown by the Ottomans. In his defense, it should be remembered that the Ottomans had used the Parthenon and Propylaia as storage sheds for supplies of gunpowder. The Parthenon stores had blown up in 1687 and destroyed much of the central sections of the building. The so-called “Elgin Marbles” now reside in the British Museum in London and are the objects of intense international debate as Greece pressures the British to repatriate these important artifacts.

9) a
The Parthenon frieze reliefs (running around the entire perimeter of the temple’s cella, at ceiling level) tell one long story—a procession of people and animals moving up to the Acropolis during the Panathenaia: the holiest day of Athens’ year. On this day, the entire city turns out to walk the Sacred Way, singing, bringing sacrificial offerings, and led by a young girl who carries the new robe she and her friends have woven to dress the statue of the goddess. 115 blocks of stone, with almost 400 distinct figures, are used to tell the tale. This series of carvings has been called, “the most perfect creation of classical sculpture.”

10) c
The pediment sculptures (that filled the triangular space under the roof at each end of the Parthenon) tell the story of the contest between Athena and Poseidon (for patronage of the city) and the birth of Athena (who lept, fully grown, from the forehead of Zeus). Since the Parthenon was intended to honor Athena (the “virgin goddess”), it was only appropriate that she star in the major sculpture groupings that adorned the temple.

Acropolis (from the northwest) Acropolis aglow! Acropolis (from the Hephaestion) erechtheon-west-facade02 Parthenon (west facade) Parthenon (east facade) Erechtheon and the North Wall02 Pinakotheke (the dining room of the Propylaia) Caryatids Acropolis from Areopagus
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New Acropolis Museum: What Will I See

Category: New Acropolis Museum
Date 08.27.09 Author: TimWoodroof

South Gallery, from East endThe New Acropolis Museum is divided into four main collections.

First (on between the ground floor and first floor) are artifacts excavated from the slopes of the Acropolis.

  • Lots of pottery—vases and cups and plates … some beautifully painted and showing brides and grooms, priests, processions, and sacrificial offerings … some more utilitarian and intended for everyday usage.
  • Artifacts from the Theater of Dionysus and the Aesclepion and the Sanctuary of the Nymphs.

Next, on the first floor, are remains from most of the Acropolis structures (i.e., the Erectheon and Propylaia and Temple of Athena Nike), with scale models and displays of statues and frieze reliefs associated with the temples (e.g., the Caryatids).

 Also on the first floor is a vast collection of “stand alone” statuary recovered from the top of the Acropolis itself—young maidens (korai) and boys (kouroi) from the Archaic Period; the Kritios Boy (a wonderful example of an early Classical development); and an array of statues from the 5th Century b.c. to the 5th Century a.d.

Finally, on the top floor of the museum, is an awe-inspiring view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon and a jaWest Pediment, centerw-dropping recreation of the Parthenon columns and cella, hung with the sculptures (the metopes and friezes) that decorated the original Parthenon. This display puts the Parthenon sculptures at eye-level and allows you to hear the stories of the birth of Athena, the battle of the Amazons, and the Trojan War all over again.

When you grow weary, there is a café on the second floor with views of the Acropolis. Grab an espresso, kick up your feet, and pinch yourself: you are in Athens, in the shadow of the Parthenon, surrounded by world-famous artifacts. Could it get any better?

Crition Boy Propylaia approach East Pediment of Parthenon--Model erechtheon-west-facade02 Top Floor--North Gallery Erechtheon and the North Wall02 Caryatid detail erechtheon-north-porch-detail04 Erechtheon and the North Wall03 Sandalbinder
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Acropolis – Why Go?

Category: Acropolis, Random
Date 07.15.09 Author: SarahRossey

The Acropolis is the symbol we all associate with the city of Athens and with Greece. This “high city” holds within itself all the classic Greek themes: stories of artistic revolution, financial investment, political upheaval, war and personal betrayal. Tourism is the number one money-maker for Athens and the Acropolis is THE SITE, the one pParthenon South Facadelace people think of when speaking of Athens. So bring your camera! The Parthenon, Erechtheon, Propylaia and Temple to Athena Nike are the picture-perfect subjects of the photos everyone at home will want to see.

For all the hype, you will certainly not be disappointed. The Acropolis has its world-class reputation for good reasons. You will walk up the crowded steps, just as the ancients did, and stand among massive ruins. You will feel pride surge through you as you admire what we humans are capable of accomplishing. (And perhaps – depending on your perspective – feel a little humility about how little we have done since!). The geometric principles, the architectural sophistication, and the incredibly detailed artistic decorations are astounding even when just reading about them in a book. But actually standing in front of these temples, marveling at the audacity and skill of the ancients, will bring you to something approaching awe. Your physical presence adds a human element to decaying ruins that mere facts and pictures cannot convey.

After braving the masses and the elements, you will come away with pictures and memories to treasure forever.

Propylaia (from the west02) erechtheon Acropolis from Areopagus Acropolis (from the Hephaestion) Erechtheon and the North Wall02 Acropolis (from the agora) Acropolis map02 Erechtheon by night Erechtheon and the North Wall03 erechtheon-north-porch-detail04
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