The Old Streets of Athens
In the older parts of Athens, the streets are narrow and often dirty. Strong odors rise into the air, making it difficult for visitors to enjoy walking there. The homes of peasants and the surrounding areas are not well-kept. Modern Greek peasants, and often their families, are not known for tidiness, so the streets around their houses can look unattractive to the eye and unpleasant to the senses. This part of Athens shows the challenges of modern urban life in contrast with the city’s glorious ancient past.
Theaters and Entertainment
Athens has three theaters. One of them is especially impressive—a stately marble building designed in a classical style. It stages original plays in Greek, encouraging native writers and preserving the tradition of Greek drama. For a short time each winter, an opera company from Italy visits Athens, performing for two or three weeks. Beyond this, however, music is not a central part of life in the city, and Athens lacks the strong musical culture found in some European capitals Athenian Society and Social Classes.
Modern art is also rare in Athens. Visitors looking for paintings or new artistic movements may be disappointed. Instead, the city’s cultural pride is found in its museum. To the average visitor, the museum may not seem especially attractive, as it is filled with broken statues, fragments of pottery, old bronzes, and tablets with half-erased inscriptions. Yet, for archaeologists, these fragments are priceless treasures. Each piece holds mysteries of the past, sparking endless curiosity, study, and debate.
The Spirit of Classic Greece
Despite the challenges of modern life, the classic spirit is still alive in Athens. Even the naming of the streets reflects this. Most streets are named after gods, philosophers, poets, and heroes of the golden age of Greece. For example, the Boulevard of the University and the Boulevard of the Academy are the broadest and most elegant avenues in the residential part of the city. The main business street is named after Mercury, the messenger god.
Other streets carry the names of Solon, Aesculapius, Hippocrates, Aristotle, Thucydides, Pericles, Sophocles, Menander, Venus, Pan, Hebe, Apollo, Jupiter, Theseus, Philip, Constantine, and even many of the holy apostles. These names serve as daily reminders of Greece’s ancient cultural heritage Guided Round Tours Turkey.
Classic Names in Daily Life
The love of classical tradition is also seen in the names of hotels, shops, and even children. One of the main hotels is called the Minerva, and shops are often named after heroes, gods, or philosophers. Parents frequently choose classical names for their children, so in Athens it is common to meet men called Hermes, Alcibiades, or Homer. The city directory of Athens reads almost like the roll call of Agamemnon’s army in Homer’s Iliad. Names such as Achilles, Ajax, Menelaus, Miltiades, Leonidas, and Themistocles are part of daily life, keeping alive the spirit of Greece’s heroic past.
