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RE: Wonders of the Ancient World: Temple of Artemis
Could you not add a photo of what it looks like now? It would certainly bring to life the poignancy of what we have lost - and it could also stand as emblem of what we, these generations, are going to lose, for those who inherit Greece will not care about our history.
Going off in another direction: the man sitting at the bottom left corner, he made me wonder, is there an ancient Greek word for 'hawker'?
How sad that I lived in Greece for ten years, and yet I hardly know anything of all the beauty I've seen since leaving.
Here is the site today;
I agree, it is quite sad to see so many who have stopped caring about their past, especially one so influential and outsanding as that of Greace. That is partially why I started this page, as a way to introduce people to the magnificence of the history of civilization.
Also, Im not sure I can answer your other question. I dont speak Greek, and I am not familiar with the term "hawker".
In the olden days, it was the person who trained and bred hawks. Nowadays it is used as follows: A seller of shoddy goods, or, a person who sets up a mini shop on the pavement (this is how it works in South Africa). In Greece they have periptera (kiosks) so there is little need for hawkers :)
Thanks for taking the trouble to satisfy my curiosity.
Would you mind if I narrate a little anecdote?
I lived in Athens, an area called Politia, at the foot of Mt Parnitha (famous for its marble). I would now and then walk past the last row of houses and climb among rocks, thyme bushes and so on, looking for a comfortable rock to sit on and read or sketch.
One day I came across the remains of a tiny Greek church (they don't call them chapels in Greece).
I was amazed to find the one side wall and the back wall, with the altar, still existed, and there were icons painted on the walls. Obviously they were weathered.
I mentioned it to a priest and he explained that once a piece of land has been consecrated and had a church on it, it is not permitted for that piece of land to be used for anything else, which is why the church still stands. I think he missed the point I was making, that there are pieces of art from a long time ago, that should be preserved.
Maybe one day I'll write about a cave mini-church with a big group of saints in it, lying strewn in the feeding trough of a manger, that I discovered. It actually won me a 3rd place award in a local photography competition.
I think we'll be seeing each other, as I am following you and hopefully will see when you post something else of interest.
Thats really awesome! Ive been to Athens as well for a few days, spent the whole time in the museums and at the acropolis. The part about the art work reminded me of another find at Ephesus, just a few minutes from the site of the temple, I got to see some beautiful mosaics that were off limits to visitors. When I find the pictures again I will post about it. Thanks again for taking an interest, it means alot for someone just starting out!