 |
| Porch of the Carytids (Camp 2004) |
stopped for coffee
at an open-air cafe
and talked of this and that,
then up the hill
to the Acropolis,
a long walk on old stones
with an early morning crowd,
all marveling
at tumbled stones
and those still standing stones,
arachaic columns,
stylized friezes,
and the Kore,
their calm facades
looking out
from their own temple
over the city
and time, long past.
 |
| Kore (Camp 2004) |
each Kore retrieved,
fixed anew in her own space,
mysterious,
linked to the cult of spring,
once holding flowers or a bird,
followers of Persephone,
down into the Underworld as
the seasons turn again
and again,
 |
| Kore (Camp 2004) |
Read more of the Acropolis HERE and the Porch of the Caryatids HERE.
 |
| Column with Lotus (Camp 2004) |
From a little research, the maidens shown on the Porch of the Caryatids are linked to the goddess Artemis and a spring festival where they would dance like "living plants", but their finely stylized hair is echoed by the Kore.
So perhaps the Caryatids is a specific name for when the female sculptures are used to support the building as pillars, for in the article about the Acropolis, the Kore are linked to Persephone. But the academics still argue about this.
Read what others have written for the A to Z Challenge HERE.
I love old monuments but have never been to Greece. So many legends and mythology to take in.
ReplyDeleteWhat I admired especially about the Kore was their individuality and their serenity, as if they knew a secret. Their enigmatic smiles suggest to me a kind of female strength that is very hard won in a modern world. Maybe it was hard won then. Thank you, Sally, for visiting!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to visit Greece and the Mediterranean. It seems like such a beautiful place! So many historical sites and interesting things to see.
ReplyDelete