The Stones Speak: Journey Through Ancient Greek Tragedy & Comedy

Famous heroes of tragedy and comedy, ideas and symbols that ancient Greece bequeathed to mankind and which defined the history of thought and art over the centuries, come to life thanks to our series of theatrical and musical performances "The Stones Speak" an educational, recreational and tourist initiative that is being realized again this year by the Hotelier Association of Athens - Attica and Argosaronikos. For three months (July, September, October), the speech of ancient Greek philosophers, poets and politicians is presented in the form of theatrical performances in three languages ​​(Greek, English and French) at three of the most important archaeological sites of Athens: the National Archaeological Museum, Hadrian's Gate and the Ancient Agora. Entrance is free for everyone. Our goal is to re-engage with our ancient cultural heritage (material and immaterial), while simultaneously enhancing tourism development through high-quality initiatives. The combination of great texts with historical spaces makes the experience of the "Stones" truly unique: beginning in July at the Archaeological Museum, the largest in Greece and one of the most important in the world, we pass to the Ancient Agora in September, the administrative, philosophical, social and economic center of ancient Athens, and finally, in October, we arrive at Hadrian's Gate, the imposing triumphal arch that was built in 131-132 AD in honor of the philhellene emperor Hadrian and constitutes an insurmountable landmark of modern Athens, a reference point for Greek and foreign visitors. The excerpts are interpreted by "Delos" drama school students, who perform with great zeal, exhibiting the touching freshness of their youthful voices. Our team focused on texts that fascinate not only those already familiar with Ancient Greek literature, but also those who first come into contact with it. Pericles' Funeral Oration by Thucydides analyzes the ethos and ideals of the ancient Athenians, in whose city democracy was born. Plato gives us one of the most poetic descriptions of the nature of Eros, while Aristotle examines the character of young people who "love excellence". Aristophanes gives life to the most resourceful women, while Sophocles creates Antigone, an eternal symbol of love and resistance. The famous Homeric hymn "To Aphrodite" celebrates the unique beauty and power of the goddess of love. Finally, the prelude to Homer’s Odyssey is sung in ancient Greek. Democracy, beauty, friendship, the collective spirit, man’s eternal search for a homeland –all precious ideas, that were first captured centuries ago and are still inspiring humanity– find in 2018 the ideal places to be heard again, as The Stones begin to Speak.  Panagiotis Arkoumaneas