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 by Allie Tjaden '07
Athens is a city like none other I have seen, where modern meets ancient around every corner.
Thousands of years of history were illuminated as I watched traffic rush by Hadrian's Arch on a late winter evening. This sort of contrast is visible all around the city.
On a stroll through the Plaka, you can pass by the Roman agora with a gyro in hand. On a hurried walk down to the metro, you can catch a glimpse of ancient Greek pottery or frieze displayed in several stations. A statue stands proud in the middle of a square of shops and cafés, the skyline is dominated by both the Acropolis and city smog, and Mercedes taxis buzz by Kerameikos and Hadrian's Arch, as seen here.
Juxtapositions of old and new are everywhere in Athens, yet a comfortable balance exists between the two. The old does not inhibit the natural growth and advancement of the city, yet the new in no way diminishes the deep significance of the old. Hadrian's Arch, like other ancient Athenian structures, demands attention in a way that no skyscraper can. It stands proud, peaceful and antique in a bustling, modern society.
Even if it isn't consciously acknowledged by the people in the cars that drive by, its silent presence is felt.
Athenians no doubt have pride not only in what their city is, but what it was. Ancient monuments and sites speak of a glorious past that has not been forgotten.
A visit to Greece's major metropolis was an experience not only of looking back on the ancient, but appreciating the modern in light of the ancient. It was not only picturing what is missing from the 2,000-year-old originals, but enjoying the juxtaposed present state of Athens between old and new. It was invigorating and exciting to be in a city where past and present collide, yet there is no tension between the two.
They simply stand side by side and display the glory of an ancient yet modern city.
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