Do you know Greek alphabet? Here is the chance to practice it at Epigraphical museum
Few people know that next to the National Archaeological Museum there is the Epigraphical one, located at Tositsa street.
You start wondering from the “Red room” where the first signs are taken care with love and…rhythm. You can read how the Greek alphabet was created, after meeting the Phoenician merchants (whose name can be found at Piraeus museum…). Here the myth of Europa and Cadmus meet, either in Crete or Theba, or in both!
Moreover, there are original marble handmade of course stones with public decisions, catalogues, taxes, gravestones, laws…. everything is written here!
Of course, the museum is directly related to Greece’s art and language since Linear B plates can also be found next to digitalized inscriptions to the “Blue Room”, the most technologically advanced one. Athens was a cosmopolitan place, and it can be seen by all epigraphs around Greece’s museums (and not only them…).
As mentioned before, inside the museum there are masterpieces of present from Elefsis, Panathenaia festival, Dracon laws, around 14.000 epigraphs in total! The museum was founded in 1885. Till today, not all the parts of the translation to English is made, since the existing material is huge. Nevertheless there is a digital access to most of it and the personnel is really eager to help and explain.
Of course all the main exhibits are translated to English. So, a walk here is a must. What is missing is only a café shop to the backyard….