The sights of Greece often reveal a lot about the history of the country or more specifically a region. Some of them have their own peculiarities but also legends that accompany them. As is the case with the statues in Greece which you will read about below. These are statues that are more or less known and have their own history as well as various legends that accompany their existence.
Three statues in Greece and the legends that accompany them
1. The statue in the river of Erkyna
One of the most unique and not-so-well-known statues in Greece is the statue that protrudes from the river of Erkyna in southern Livadia. The statue is believed to be the nymph Erkyna. According to the myth that accompanies it, it is said that the flow of the river began during a game of Erkyna with Persephone. Erkyna was the Nymph of the river and daughter of Trofonios, a friend of Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter, before her abduction by Pluto. The myth says that the two girls played with a goose and at some point, it left and hid in a cave. Persephone, therefore, to catch it, moved the stone that was at the entrance, and violent water overflowed. A source then sprang from the earth, the source of Erkyna. From that moment on, faithful people who sought an oracle from Trofonios came to bathe in its waters.
2. The Lion of Piraeus Statue
This is one of the most famous statues in Greece and you have probably seen it passing through Piraeus. The Lion of Piraeus has a great history and legends to accompany it. However, both its construction and its chronology have many gaps that increase speculation. The reason and the date of its construction are not fully documented. What is certain is that the original statue that was placed for years in the port of Piraeus is not what we see today but is located in Venice. The most famous legend that accompanies, it states that a pregnant Turkish woman who looked at it gave birth to a monster with a lion’s face, rabbit ears, and human legs. It is said that this monstrous creature immediately after its birth made cries similar to those of a dog. The myth states that the Turkish authorities ordered its death while they did not return its shipment and mission to France for study.
3. The Kouros of Apollo in Naxos
The statue of the Kouros of Apollo is certainly one of the most distinctive and important archaeological finds in Naxos island and Greece as a whole. It has been lying on the island for centuries with the legend saying that it was never completed to stand upright. The statue of the Kouros of Apollo is certainly unique in its kind and worth visiting when you are on the island. As for its dimensions, it is 10.45 meters high and despite the fact that it is not upright, it causes admiration and awe to the visitor. It is estimated that it was constructed in the early 6th century BC. It is also considered that as far as what it shows, it represents either the god Dionysus or the god Apollo.
