European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 04, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I f 3sT�" a a. I ? a. A w % � ? photos for is by Steve Snyder Corinth canal. Arriving at the canal we saw several ships squeezing through the deep but narrow Channel which slices through the isthmus. Modern Corinth contains Little of interest except for ruins of the ancient City lying three Miles South. We passed but did not Stop. Historically the City is interesting because its inhabitants were heavily into pleasure with thousands of courtesans honouring the goddess of love in the Temple of aphrodite. St. Paul also spent 18 months there  established a Church. In Athens Paul received Many arguments against the new Faith he was spreading mainly from epicurean  stoic philosophers. But he was never persecuted. He found better pickings in Corinth. Heading South about 30 Miles we stopped at Mycenae a Palace fortress on a Hill overlooking the Argive Plain. Giant Walls 10 to 50 feet thick include the famous lion Gate Entrance. Uncovered by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann the Citadel was the Home of Mycenae Kings who ruled the peloponnesian from 1400 to 1200 . Among the Kings was agamemnon whose life was intertwined with legend. Agamemnon was Leader of the greeks at the siege of Troy As recorded by Homer in the Iliad. Upon agamemnon s return from the War he was supposedly assassinated by his wife clytemnestra  her Lover aegisthus. Those events were immortalized by Aeschylus  other great dramatists. While most scholars accept the existence of a historical agamemnon no one really knows How much truth lies in the literary accounts. Many visitors have commented on a strange  brooding atmosphere that supposedly pervades Mycenae but it was the architecture which impressed me. The stones in the fortification dwarfed everything. One could see the basis for the legend that one eyed giants called cyclopes built the place. Or Epidaurus ancient Greece s version of a combination spa  religious Sanctuary was the next Stop. The Sanctuary was dedicated to asclepius the god of Healing. The site contains ruins from a theater which constitute still another architectural masterpiece. Poly Clitus mastered mathematical formulas in constructing an edifice with near perfect acoustics. Actors speaking from the stage could be heard any place within the Structure. We spent the night at the Xenia hotel in a Folio. The Xenia sits on a Hill overlooking a venetian fortress in the Harbor with the Aegean simmering in the background. Because of its location Charm  exquisite hotels Nafpliotis an Ideal site for touring the Argolis Region. In the morning we headed South Down e coast of Arcadia the playground of the gods where pan pranced  nymphs created a mystique of the nature  rain fell briefly but cleared in time to reveal the land s allure. We snacked on wild cherries delicious in their unsweetened state. Passing through Sparta our bus arrived at the byzantine monastery at Tossios Loukas in mid morning. Settled on the slopes of mount Helicon the monastery contains Many mosaics  icons representing byzantine architecture at its finest. An offshoot of the roman Empire the byzantine Empire dominated Greece  the Aegean from . 395 to the 14th Century. Monastic retreats were common  Hills surrounding Tossios Loukas provide isolation. The Region also served As a Haven for greeks escaping foreign domination when the turks occupied the country for nearly 400 years from 1453 to 1830. Although the architecture was imposing notably a corinthian column  two islamic style columns inside the theotokos Church it was just another variation on medieval artefacts which dominate Europe. Leaving the monastery we stopped at Sparta for lunch. Palm Trees line the main streets belying that City s reputation As a Breeding ground for War. Ancient Sparta was a City state built. Upon a Stern Warrior code. Spartan mothers handed Shields to their sons telling them to return carrying it in Victory or on it dead. Spartans knew no Middle Way. In 480 . At thermopylae 300 spartans fought to the last Man stalling the persian invasion  contributing to the eventual greek Triumph. Sparta Defeated Athens in the 27-year peloponnesian War but left Little in the Way of a cultural legacy. But if Athens was the heart of greek civilization Sparta was its muscle. Spartans had the souls of warriors their memory survives As a Monument to courage. Departing Sparta we crossed the Central Peloponnesus in a Northwest direction. Arriving in Olympia that evening not to be confused with mount Olympus Way up North we checked in at a hotel ate dinner  took in a show featuring greek dances  Bouzouki music. In the morning we toured Olympia Birthplace of the olympic games. Olympia lies at the foot of mount Kronos  the site is in the words of Berlitz s blueprint guide at once Serene   the Sanctuary of olympian zeus stands tall on the grounds  a museum unveils Many fascinating artefacts. Emmetsberger was especially interested in olympic lore. I Humoured him wasting continued on Page 8 november 4, 1993 stripes Magazine