Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Athens, Greece
Posted by: jiggs11
N 37° 58.524 E 023° 44.169
34S E 740329 N 4206618
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated to all Greeks who died during times of war.
Waymark Code: WMX1CQ
Location: Greece
Date Posted: 11/12/2017
Views: 15
Commissioned in 1930 by the Greek government, the tomb was completed and dedicated in 1932. It is situated in the front of the present-day Greek Parliament building in downtown Athens.
The Tomb features a raised-relief sculpture by Greek artist Folkion Rok.
From Wikipedia:
"The sculpture represents the naked male figure of a dead warrior lying on the ground. He holds a circular shield in his left hand and wears an Ancient Greek-style helmet. The representation of the body gives the impression that the Unknown Soldier is ready to arise at any moment."
The monument is in a u-shape around the raised grave. On the wings of the wall are inscribed the names of battles Greeks were in involved in from the First and Second Balkan Wars to World Wars I, II and later engagements such as Korea and Cyprus.
The Tomb is available for viewing at anytime. However, the Greek Army maintains a vigilance at the site. There are hourly Changing of the Guard ceremonies.
Type of Memorial: Non-Specific Memorial
Wars mentioned (Multi-war only): First Balkan War
Second Balkan War
World War I
Greco-Turkish War
World War II
Korea
Cyprus
In Honor Of: Greeks who died in conflict.
Marker Text: To the left and right of the sculpture are phrases from the works of Thucydides. To the left, "ΜΙΑ ΚΛΙΝΗ ΚΕΝΗ ΦΕΡΕΤΑΙ ΕΣΤΡΩΜΕΝΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΦΑΝΩΝ" ("There's one bed made, but, still, empty: the bed of the unidentified soldiers"); to the right, "ΑΝΔΡΩΝ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΩΝ ΠΑΣΑ ΓΗ ΤΑΦΟΣ" ("The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men"). Both quotes are from History of the Peloponnesian War. Over the main sculpture in smaller writing, one reads "ΕΙΣ ΑΦΑΝΗ ΣΤΡΑΤΙΩΤΗ" ("To an unknown soldier").
Date of dedication: 1932
Who Put it Here?: Greek Government
Description of Memorial: The tomb is in front of a limestone wall. There is an art-deco style relief sculpture on the wall behind it.
On the walls are inscribed the names of battles Greeks were involved in during the "modern era", from the Balkan Wars to Cyprus
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Visit Instructions:
Visited Logs must contain, at least, a picture of the monument and your GPSr. Preferably YOU at the monument with your GPSr, but we understand that some people are camera-shy.
It is suggested you please include something about your visit here, as well.