Ascension to Olympus
Apr. 30th, 2025 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
injunjaneHow many Mount Olympus are in the world?
Correct answer: more than one.
The Mount Olympus (or rather mountain ridge) where ancient Greek gods were supposed to live is situated in Greece near Thessaloniki. I saw it once, from a window of a fast running train, still looked beautiful (with no visible gods nearby).
However, on Cyprus there is another Mount Olympus which is much more humble, situated in Troodos mountains, and dedicated, as is the island, to one goddess - Aphrodite.
Yesterday I tried to climb the Cypriot Olympus, and on the way to collect samples for my project - which significantly slowed me down, so I didn't get to the top in those 3.5 hours left between the only bus a day going to Troodos, and the only bus back to Limassol.
They say women were forbidden to enter Aphrodite's temple built on that mountain. Which is quite weird considering that (a) the goddess is a woman (b) her domain is love, beauty, and fertility.
Although, Aphrodite was well known for her sometimes nasty and vindictive character, so maybe it was just jealousy.
Anyways, I went there, maybe I'll be punished for my insolence.
Correct answer: more than one.
The Mount Olympus (or rather mountain ridge) where ancient Greek gods were supposed to live is situated in Greece near Thessaloniki. I saw it once, from a window of a fast running train, still looked beautiful (with no visible gods nearby).
However, on Cyprus there is another Mount Olympus which is much more humble, situated in Troodos mountains, and dedicated, as is the island, to one goddess - Aphrodite.
Yesterday I tried to climb the Cypriot Olympus, and on the way to collect samples for my project - which significantly slowed me down, so I didn't get to the top in those 3.5 hours left between the only bus a day going to Troodos, and the only bus back to Limassol.
They say women were forbidden to enter Aphrodite's temple built on that mountain. Which is quite weird considering that (a) the goddess is a woman (b) her domain is love, beauty, and fertility.
Although, Aphrodite was well known for her sometimes nasty and vindictive character, so maybe it was just jealousy.
Anyways, I went there, maybe I'll be punished for my insolence.
