Work Begins at Athens

Lord Elgin's artists arrived in Athens in August 1800. Aside from offering the usual gifts to those who had authority in the Ottoman Empire, they settled for lodgings and were ready for a long-term stay while under the protection of the British Consul Logotheti. During that period, Athens was still a small town and was inhabited people from different cultures and religions. Back then, Athens contained only about thirteen hundred houses which were mostly seen on the eastern and northern slopes of the Acropolis. Initially, the town is surrounded by a wall that was ten feet high. This wall had been built in 1778 after the area was attacked by the Muslim Albanians. This chapter focuses on describing the situation of Athens during this period.

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