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
Milford Sound
In 2018, while we were in New Zealand teaching on the North Island, we carved out time to cross to the South Island for a holiday. One destination was Milford Sound, set deep within the UNESCO World Heritage region known as Te Wahipounamu. Reaching it felt like an expedition in itself. The drive carried us through […]
“Hell”
On the island of Grand Cayman, there is a place literally called “Hell.” Hell is a small area of jagged, black limestone formations in West Bay, Grand Cayman. This is iron shore, sharp, craggy coral limestone that has been shaped over centuries by salt, wind and erosion. The formations are dark, uneven and twisted into […]
Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto
The Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto, confronts history. Standing in the heart of the Warsaw Jewish ghetto, this monument carries a weight that is impossible to ignore. Unveiled in 1948, the monument commemorates the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, one of the most extraordinary acts of resistance during the Holocaust. In April of 1943, as the remaining […]
