Running On The Ground Of Greats: The Panathenaic Stadium
By: Mason Domico ’23
The city of Athens holds approximately 3.2 million people and with all of these people, it also includes many historical sites and monuments that some may know and others may not. The Parthenon, which is built on top of the Acropolis, attracts many tourists from all across the world. The reason for this is because it was created between 447 and 432 B.C. and making the trek up to the Acropolis also offers breathtaking views and amazing pictures. But because many people may be attracted to the heart of Athens and everything it has to offer, ten minutes down the road is a stadium that held the 1896 Olympic Games. The Panathenaic Stadium was built in 330 B.C. and was restored for the 1896 Games. On our last day in Athens, we were able to have a tour guide take us through the outskirts of Athens and show us many historical monuments and sites.
Once stepping off the bus and encountering this massive stadium, I was astounded to see how the whole arena was made from marble. This is the only stadium in the world that is made completely out of marble and in 1896 it held about eighty thousand people. Just like many monuments and sites we were able to visit, I had a rough time remembering the past and how influential each one of these places was. The Panathenaic Stadium may not seem so important to anyone that drives by or lives in Greece now. When I think of a stadium I think of a place filled to the brim with people shouting and having a great time. Sort of imagining people competing with one another and having small arguments about their respective teams. But because this stadium was empty it felt as though it has lost some of its past. Most of that is forgotten when you visit the stadium. Trying to remember the past when visiting these sites is quite hard, especially because we are in a whole different era and observing the pieces from a different perspective. Even though we still try to paint an image in our head of how the past may have been, its especially hard to capture every bit and piece. Another aspect that affects our ability to remember the past is that many people are not from Greece or have a Greek background. Being a part of a certain culture or descending from a specific country, you have more ties and loyalty to that land. You are able to have more emotion for the past because your family is a part of that upbringing.
When people visit this stadium they usually are attracted to the exterior such as the marble and how high the stands are. But many people may forget how critical this place is when relating it to the Olympic Games. People may be aware of the Olympic torch and how the journey of the torch ends in the current country of the Summer Olympic games. But few may know that the Olympic torch starts at the Panathenaic Stadium which happens every four years.
The stadium was a fantastic place to visit and would recommend to anyone that is either studying abroad in Greece or happens to have a free weekend to visit Athens during their studies. The ticket for admission is only five euros and if you are also into running, you can run on the track in the stadium for free. Hopefully, this overview of the Panathenaic Stadium was helpful and someday you may find yourself running on the same ground as some famous Olympic athletes that also ran in this stadium.
