Sunset at Sounion

Sunset at Sounion
Temple of Poseidon
Author: 
Jack Anderson

The thing that I wasn't expecting about Attica was enjoying those places outside Athens more than those within. Case in point; the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. Given that the sea makes up 75% of your surroundings, it is pretty obvious why this place was sacred to a god of the sea. There are two hills next to each other, and until you reach the top of either you can't see which is taller. No surprise that the temple claims the high ground. For anyone that is a fan of Lord Byron, one of the columns on the left carries his name. There's no question that he was a bit of a rogue, but being there helps you to see why he would write this:

"Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,Where nothing, save the waves and I, May hear our mutual murmers sweep; There, swan-like, let me sing and die:".

i wasn't expecting poets like Byron and Swinburne to come up so often on this trip, yet here we are. The site isn't all mysticism, though. Down on the shore, there are ship-sheds. The island in the distance would allow anyone who controls this point to shut down Euripus straight, so it makes sense that the owners (read: Athenians) would wanto have ships here. You get epithets in Greek mythology all the time, but sunset at Sounion helps you to understand why Aurora was called Rosy-Fingered.

 

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Updated:  27 January 2016/Responsible Officer:  Head of School/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications