Writers Craft Description: A Day at the Acropolis

The Mediterranean day was hot and humid as I followed the trail up to my destination. There was a constant buzzing of conversation as I ascended the hill, a pilgrim amongst thousands traversing a road well traveled for millennia. I was on a tour of Athens and had at last come to the landmark I desired most to see: the Acropolis, the ancient Greek city district located high above the rest of Athens. The Acropolis was home to many buildings essential to the ancient citizens of Athens; most notably the great temple of Pallas Athena, the Parthenon.

Finally arriving at the top of the path I had a sharp intake of breath as I gazed upon the wondrous sight before me. The Parthenon rose over the rock strewn plateau strong and proud, putting to shame the fallen columns and scattered rubble of the ruins around me. The building was immense, held up on each side by rows of Doric columns forty feet high and easily wider than I am tall. I had seen pictures of the temple before, but nothing could have prepared me for the epic scale of the place.

Weary from the long walk and awed by the size of the pagan temple, I crossed to a fallen column and sat down to drink in my surroundings. The ground around me was dusty and the colour of a sandy beach. Tourists were chattering around the site and the clicking of camera’s often found its way to my ears. There were some stray dogs scattered around the acropolis, enjoying the attention that the tourists and citizens gave them. In Greece stray dogs abound, but they are widely considered public pets by the populace. One such dog approached me hopefully and lay down at my feet; I simply smiled to myself and scratched behind his ears. Thoroughly relaxed, I began to examine my thoughts and feelings of having come to this ancient place. I felt an overwhelming sensation of tranquility having at last completed my journey and I felt connected to the antiquity of this place. I quickly found myself daydreaming of what it must have been like to dwell in ancient times, and to have come here for the purpose of worship rather than tourism. For the first time in my life I thought to myself: ‘Perhaps I was born too late’