Cape Sounion

Cape Sounion (April 03,2007. Sunny)

Cape Sounion is a half-day trip out of Anthens. It took us 45min driving alonge the coastal suburbs of Athens. The temple stands on a steep rocky headland rises 60 metre above the sea at the southern tip of Attica peninsula . With sheer cliffs and its magnificent view of the Aegean Sea, and its direct relationship with the sea --it's the last piece of land seen by ships departing from Athens and the first they espy on returning from their voyage, no doubt Cape Sounion is the ideal location for worship the god of the sea - Poseidon. (internet pic)Sounion was first referred to as a sacred place in Homer's epics Odyssey (iii. 278). On the homeward voyage from Tory, Phrontis, son of Onetoris, died by struck by the arrows of the god Apollo, and was burried here. Cape Sounion also used to be a fortress in ancient time. it was fortified in 412 B.C. during the Peloponnesian War, in order to control and secure the ships carrying cereals to Athens. Except the sanctuary of Poseidon occupies the south-east end of the fortress, we still can see the ruins of the wall around the cape, and the ruins of the shipsheds at the north-west edge of the cape. Inside the fortress, excavations have brought to light part of a central street, remains of houses, and water cisterns.

The Temple of Poseidon was built in the 5th Century BC of Doric style(and still others claim that it was built much earlier), made of poros, with an external colonnade of 6 x 13 columns, and an internal one which supported the roof. Its construction was interrupted by the Persian invasion and the temple remained unfinished. The later temple, the one we see today, was also Doric, with 6 x 13 columns, made of Agrileza marble, but without an internal colonnade.

About 500 metre to the NE of it, the sanctuary of Athena (Ionic style) was established there.

Lord Byron carved his name on the column of the temple when he first visit Greece, on his Grand Tour of Europe in 1810, before he acquired fame as a poet. (internet pic)

West Bay of the cape is a heaven for ships The delicate indigo blue velvet-like Aegean Sea How many fantasies you have had of this romantic place? me? a lot...:)Heard a lot of sunset at Cape Sounion is gorgeous, but we had to back to ship before 5:00pm :(. Here goes a picture found from internet.It is said that there is a certain moment at sunset time in a certain day each year you can see the gold statue of Athena on Athens Acropolis from the temple of Poseidon at Sounion...daisy agrees so...Copyright © amastroller. All rights reserved.