Arch of Hadrian
Marty and I stood in front of the Arch of Hadrian in Athens, with the modern city stretching out behind it. The steady rhythm of everyday life continues around a structure that has stood here for nearly 2000 years.
The arch was built in 131AD to honor the Roman Emperor Hadrian, during a time when Athens was under Roman rule. It was constructed as a ceremonial gateway, marking a division within the city. One side represented the older, classical Athens associated with Thesus, while the other reflected the new section of the city that Hadrian helped develop and expand.
What makes this monument particularly interesting is that its purpose is clearly stated on the structure itself. Inscriptions on either side define the transition: one side identified the city of Theseus, and the other the city of Hadiran. It is a rare example of a monument that explicitly documents how a city understood itself at a specific moment in history.
What struck me is not just the age of the arch, but its placement within the present-day city. Unlike ruins that are set apart or preserved in isolation, this structure exists directly within the flow of modern Athens. Here, history and modern life continue to exist side by side.
Read More From Nancy
Panathenaic Stadium
Visiting the Olympic arena in Athens and sitting in the marble seats once reserved for royalty, was a special experience where we physically felt part of history. This site in Athens is the Panathenaic, meaning beautiful marble. This extraordinary venue is the only stadium ever built entirely of marble. This site was originally laid out in the 4th […]
Greece: The Ancient Land with a Modern Fight for Freedom
I grew up reading the Greek myths and stories of the gods to my children, but my knowledge of Greece didn’t travel much further than that. Of course, I knew that our own founding fathers studied Greek and Roman history to help shape American democracy but that’s where my understanding began and ended. What struck […]
Worry Beads
While visiting Greece this year, we drove to Nafplio, a town that was built for wandering with its narrow cobblestone streets. This romantic seaport town in the Peloponnese, was part of Greece’s first modern capital. Among its charms, we discovered a shop filled with strands of komboloi or Greek worry beads. These beads are not […]
