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A sign of approaching safe harbor for sailors who navigated towards Athens and a sign of farewell for departing ones, the temple of Poseidon has stood silently for thousands of years as a reminder of respect for mighty Poseidon and his capricious ocean. The temple's proportions are humble and serene, and yet the structure is elevated in a showmanship manner through the massive foundation that raises it so it can be easily spotted by sailors from afar. While most of the ornaments have been removed, the Doric columns impose a statement of strength, durability and serenity on the entire landscape. The aesthetics of the temple communicate a message most appropriate and welcome for those who braved the ocean in small vessels at the mercy of Poseidon's desires.
Cape Sounio has been recognized since prehistoric times as a special place of worship, and was an important sanctuary during the Greek Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. There are two sanctuaries present on the cape: the sanctuary of Poseidon and the sanctuary of Athena; two gods that were held in high esteem by the ancient Athenians. The ruins as we see them today are the result of the renovations that took place during the 5th century B.C., and replaced a succession of buildings that date back to the archaic period.
The location of cape Sounio at the tip of Attica rendered it as a location of strategic military importance, and thus it was fortified with a mighty wall and guarded constantly by a garrison which ensured that the shipping lanes to Athens remained open. It is also most likely the place that Aegeus plunged to his death after he glimpsed the dark sails of Theseus' ship approaching, thus naming the Aegean Sea after his legend.
Standing atop the cape the horizon is full of sea three quarters of the way and as the rock breaks the stepping plane abruptly towards the smashing waves below, I could not help but feel as if the whole rock was just a floating platform; A massive raft which detached itself from land and history and floated softly along the waves towards the expanse of the Aegean Sea and the depths of Historyinfo: greeklandscapes.com
