Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-06-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Woman found dead in her car

[02] Tour of the permanent collections of the New Acropolis Museum continues

[03] Alavanos resignation rejected

[04] ASE opening: Decline

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Woman found dead in her car

According to police, the car's doors were locked and the policemen had to break the windshield.

The keys of the car were missing.

Police is investigating the incident.

[02] Tour of the permanent collections of the New Acropolis Museum continues

OTHER MONUMENTS OF THE CLASSICAL ACROPOLIS

The main monuments that constitute the Classical Acropolis are the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. The Propylaia, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, were built in 437-432 BC, following designs by the architect Mnesikles, in order to replace the earlier gateway. In 427-423 BC, the Temple of Athena Nike was built, perhaps by the architect Kallikrates, on the bastion southwest of the Propylaia, to replace an earlier small temple on the same site. The Erechtheion is the last of the Periclean buildings. Construction began during the Peace of Nicias (421-415 BC) and ended after 410 BC.

The Propylaia

In the Propylaia stood works of art made by great sculptors, like the statue of the Hermes Propylaios by Alkamenes.

The building consisted of a central section flanked by two wings. The main building featured five openings. The central opening was the widest to accommodate the passing of the Panathenaic procession and sacrificial animals.

The north wing had an anteroom and a spacious hall known as the Pinakotheke. This was probably a recreation area with paintings on the walls and couches with tables, where visitors could rest. The south wing had to be reduced due to the Temple of Athena Nike.

The Temple of Athena Nike

The Temple of Athena Nike is an exquisitely proportioned temple in the Ionic order, with four monolithic columns at the east and west fronts.

As the epithet Nike (victory) implies, here Athena was worshipped as the goddess who stands by the Athenians in time of war. The Temple housed a wooden cult statue of the Goddess, who held a helmet in one hand, symbol of war, and a branch of pomegranate tree in the other, symbol of peace. The temple had sculptures on the pediments and the frieze. Only a few fragments of the pediment sculptures are preserved. The east frieze represents the Olympian Gods and the other three sides of the frieze picture battle scenes.

The Erechtheion

The area around the Erechtheion was considered the most sacred of the Acropolis. The Erechtheion was a complex marble building in the Ionic order, an exceptional artwork. The eastern part of the Temple was dedicated to Athena, whilst the western part was dedicated to local hero Boutes, Hephaistos and other gods and heroes. Thus, the Erechtheion was a temple with multiple functions, housing older and newer cults, and the site of the 'Sacred Tokens', the marks made by Poseidon's trident and the olive tree of Athena.

A building inscription of the Erechtheion refers to the Caryatids simply as Korai (maidens), while the name Caryatids was assigned at a later time. The second Korai from the western section was removed by Lord Elgin in 1801 and is today located in the British Museum.

OTHER COLLECTIONS

The Other Collections of the Acropolis Museum include the Sanctuary of Artemis Vravronia, the votives of the Classical and Hellenistic Periods and the votives of the Roman Period.

The Sanctuary of Artemis Vravronia

Artemis Brauronia (Vravronia) was the goddess protecting expectant mothers and women in confinement. Her main sanctuary was located in Brauron, in Attica. The sanctuary on the Acropolis was founded at the time of the tyrant Peisistratos, who originated from Brauron (modern-day Vravronas). The cella housed the wooden statue (xoanon) of the Goddess, similar to the one in her Brauron temple. According to Pausanias, a second statue of Artemis, carved by Praxiteles, was added in 346 BC. The colossal head of that statue is on display in the Museum.

The Votives of the Classical & Hellenistic Periods

Exquisite sculptures of the Classical Period are mostly made out of copper. Most of the votives on the Acropolis of the Classical Period and of subsequent periods have disappeared. Several sculptures are identified with original works that were found on the Rock of the Acropolis. Amongst them stands the statue of Prokne and Itys, a work attributed to the famous sculptor Alkamenes. Other statues have survived in a fragmentary state, like the statue of Io or Kallisto, another work by Alkamenes, or the fragment of the statue of the so-called Aphrodite-Sosandra by Kalamis. Another exquisite work is the portrait of Alexander, possibly ascribed to the sculptor Leochares.

The Votives of the Roman Period

Throughout the Roman period, the Acropolis retained the appearance it had in its heyday. It also preserved most of its dedications, unlike other Greek cities and sanctuaries, whose artistic treasures were plundered and transferred to Italy, mostly in order to adorn public buildings. At the same time, a series of new dedications were added to the earlier ones. These were portraits of emperors, generals and other officials, portraits of philosophers, orators and priests, as well as images of individuals who benefited the city or distinguished themselves in athletic and other contests.

Caption: ANA-MPA/ Caryatids illuminated by spotlights in the Erechtheion on the Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece. The second Caryatide from the western section was removed by Lord Elgin in 1801 and is today located in the British Museum.

[03] Alavanos resignation rejected

Alavanos made a surprise announcement to members of SYRIZA and of the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) when he revealed his intention to resign in the afternoon, both from the Parliamentary group's presidency and as an MP.

Pressure was exerted on Alavanos during the Secretariat's meeting not to insist on his decision and for discussion on SYRIZA's course in the wake of the recent lacklustre results in the Euro-elections.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos.

[04] ASE opening: Decline

Individual sector indices were moving mostly downward, with the biggest losses in Telecoms, down 1.19 percent; Personal & Household Goods, down 0.66 percent; and Chemicals, down 1.64 percent.

The biggest gains were in Helath, up 3.69 percent; Travel & Recreation, up 1.45 percent; and Banks, up 1.15 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.26 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was down 0.41 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.30 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 55 were up, 33 were down, and 13 were unchanged.

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The murder of a counter-terrorism police officer by the Revolutionaries Sect urban guerrilla group and Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA parliamentary alliance) leader Alekos Alavanos' resignation from the alliance's helm and from his seat in parliament dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Terrorism returns more savage - They assassinated a 41-year-old policeman".

APOGEVMATINI: "Terrorists assassinate democracy - Political leadership condemns the policeman's murder in cold blood".

AVGHI: "Nobody is redundant - Alavanos' resignation made impressions".

AVRIANI: "Synaspismos party (SYN, which heads the SYRIZA alliance) in danger of splitting after Alavanos' resignation".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Murderers'....sect".

ELEFTHEROS : "Karamanlis (Costas, Prime Minister), expel the 'crime leadership' - Outcry over the third policeman's murder".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Hatred, blood and lots of questions......Policeman's cold-blooded murder with 24 bullets".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Terror messages in cold blood ".

ESTIA: "The state is collapsing - Government bears major responsibilities".

ETHNOS: "Rage and worry...Policemen at terrorists' mercy"

KATHIMERINI: "Ruthless terrorist attack against police officer".

LOGOS: "Shock over the new terroristic attack - Police investigations point at Revolutionaries Sect".

NIKI: "Inexperienced policemen serve in the Witness Protection Programme".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Alert and uprise against the EU's new anti-labour measures".

TA NEA: "Government destroyed Greek Police (ELAS) and brought back the terror - Scotland Yard's recommendations went to waste".

TO VIMA: "Concern over the new terroristic attack".

VRADYNI: "Psycho - Revolutionaries Sect's attack of unprecedented ferocity".

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