Happy birthday to us.
That's right.
Who Smarted turned five years old this month.
How exciting.
That's not all.
Who Smarted also reached 25 million downloads.
And that's because of you, our Smarty Pants listeners.
And to celebrate, we want to give you a gift.
What is this gift, you're wondering?
I'm glad you asked.
If you love Who Smarted, I'm sure you've heard us mention our Who Smarted Plus subscription.
You know the one that gives you a brand new bonus episode every week, plus every episode of Who Smarted, trusty trivia and SmartyQ's ad-free.
Not to mention subscribers, directly support Who Smarted so we can keep making the show for many more years to come.
And to show our appreciation to you, we're offering a 50% discount on our annual subscription.
We've never done this before.
Instead of 3999 for a full year of smarting, you can subscribe to Who Smarted Plus for just 1998, a year.
That's right.
Who Smarted Plus is half off.
Quick quiz, smarty pants.
Is $19.98 a year the same as A, $1.67 a month, B, $0.38 a week, or C, a nickel a day?
Did you say all of the above?
You're right.
Just think of all the time you'll save not listening to ads while enjoying subscriber-only special episodes.
That's got to be worth at least five cents a day, right.
Of course, an offer this good can't last forever.
So you must subscribe by November 15th to lock in your 50% off Who Smarted Plus subscription.
Again, that's 50 off our Who Smarted Plus subscription just 1998 for the entire year by November 15th.
To join the celebration, go to our website, whosmarted.com and click birthday subscribe.
This offer is free Only available directly through our website at whosmarted.com.
Don't worry, you can play your subscription on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcast platform.
But to get the special birthday price you have to go to whosmartedcom and click birthday subscribe in the top menu.
But remember, you only have until November 15th.
So sign up at whosmarted.com today.
And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Hey, smarty pants.
Trusty narrator here.
By the sound of my labored breathing, you could probably guess I'm in the process of doing something a little strenuous.
No, not polishing off a triple cheese pepperoni pizza with extra garlic.
That was yesterday.
Today, I'm climbing to the top of a massive historic hill located in Athens, Greece.
In fact, The name of this hilltop crest means a high point in the city.
And they tell me the view is worth the climb.
Although, I do wish I didn't eat so much pizza yesterday.
So, what famous hill do you think I'm referring to, smarty pants?
Is it the Metropolis, the Megalopolis, or the Acropolis?
If you said the Acropolis, you're right.
And just to be clear, the Acropolis is the name of the hill here in Athens Greece, and the term Acropolis can refer to both the hill and the ancient structures on it.
Say, are you a tour guide from the United States?
Who, me?
Uh, not really.
I'm more of a narrator than a tour guide.
Although, I guess tour guide could fit under the duties I perform for the Who Smarted podcast.
No way.
Did you just say who smarted?
Way indeed.
I should have recognized your voice.
I play your episodes for my third class all the time.
Mostly during break time.
Or if we finish our lesson early.
No way.
Way indeed.
My name's Tara, by the way.
Nice to meet you, Tara.
What brings you to Greece, other than that giant cruise ship I see in the harbor?
Like I said, I'm a teacher as well as just being a huge history buff.
I've always wanted to come here to see and photograph one of the most important historical places in Western civilization.
That's great.
And I'm sure you know why I'm here.
It's to teach the Smarty Pants all about the Acropolis.
Say, would you and the Smarty Pants mind if I tagged along?
I promise not to get in the way.
Are you kidding?
It's always fun to smart with other people and share the fun facts you've learned.
In fact, since you're a teacher...
And History Buff.
Maybe you can play tour guide and help us answer some questions we have about the Acropolis.
Um, you sure you don't want to get a local tour guide?
I did, but they're all on their lunch break and I've got to be in ancient China for an episode on cardboard later.
Oh, in that case, I will do my best.
Plus, I have this handy guidebook in case there's anything I'm not sure of.
Perfect, because we want to know, when was the Acropolis constructed?
Which structures are still standing?
What role did Greek gods and goddesses play in its creation?
And is it true Athens is considered to be the birthplace of democracy?
Get ready for a whiff of science and a whole lot of history on... Who Smarted?
Who Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun.
Looks like we have only another 200 feet or approximately 60 meters till we reach the top.
Great.
How tall is this hill anyway?
According to the guidebook, The Acropolis is 490 feet or 150 meters above sea level.
So we only have a little less than halfway to go.
Uh-huh.
Oh boy, usually you say only when you're almost there.
Sorry, I'm not a real tour guide.
That's okay.
I'm just really regretting eating so much pizza yesterday.
Wow, there sure are a lot of people here.
According to the guidebook...
About 7 million people visit the Acropolis each year.
After all, the structures are some of the most famous ancient ruins in the world.
That's right.
Just how far back are we talking?
When was the Acropolis of Athens constructed?
Smarty Pants, see if you can guess.
Was it A, the 3rd century BCE, B, the 4th century BCE, or C, the 5th century BCE?
If you said it was C, the 5th century BCE, you're right.
And just to clarify, the 5th century encompasses 500 to 401 BCE.
According to the guidebook, in the middle of the 5th century BCE, the people of Athens, now known as Athenians, were feeling pretty empowered after their military victory over the Persians.
They decided to build something special to elevate their stature, so to speak.
I see.
And was there any one particular person credited with wanting to build the Acropolis?
There sure was.
His name was Pericles.
Hey, I've heard of Pericles.
Wasn't he a prominent politician or statesman at the time?
He sure was, in addition to being a highly respected general.
Sounds like he commanded a lot of admiration from the Athenians.
Absolutely.
More than any other, in fact.
That's why they trusted him to tap the city's treasury in order to fund the construction of multiple buildings.
Buildings?
As in more than one?
That's right, trustee.
The structures that make up the Acropolis complex included religious temples and sanctuaries.
A political and civic center used for important meetings and to host distinguished guests.
A royal residence for the city's kings and other high-status individuals.
A military stronghold.
And today, as a tourist attraction.
The most well-known of those buildings being the majestic, rectangular-shaped Parthenon.
Speaking of the Parthenon, it looks like we're only 20 feet away.
I can just barely see the top of... Oh my, what's that swirly puff of white smoke just ahead?
You see it near those olive trees?
Yes, I see it.
I sure hope nothing's on fire.
Wait, is that a person emerging from the smoke?
It looks like a woman.
Don't be afraid, travelers.
Come closer.
I won't bite.
Um, ladies first, Tara.
Hold on, hold on.
She looks very familiar.
Yes, founder.
Why, she is none other than the Greek goddess Athena.
Smartypants, have you ever heard of the Greek goddess Athena?
The answer is... C, the mighty Zeus.
Yes, Zeus, the king of the gods, is my father.
And my mother is Metis, a goddess of wisdom, skill, and craft.
Thanks to them, I am one of the wisest, most courageous, creative and resourceful of all the Olympian gods.
That's what I love about this podcast.
You never know who's going to show up.
Tell me about it.
Athena, those are some amazing qualities.
I gotta ask, do you greet all visitors to the Acropolis this way?
No.
Of the seven million who visited this year, you're the only two I've made my presence known to.
Oh, and nobody else here can see me.
Ah, well, it won't be the first time people thought I was talking to myself.
Anyway, do you mind if we ask you some questions?
Not at all.
Just hurry.
I can't stay long.
Plus, you've almost reached the top.
Athena?
I have a question, if I may.
Yes, Tara?
How was it you were chosen to be the patron goddess of Athens?
According to some mythology I've read, wasn't Poseidon also considered?
Poseidon?
As in the Greek god of the seas?
Yes, that Poseidon.
And you must be referring to the memorable competition that he and I had to determine which of the two of us would protect this sacred city, which at the time was known as Kekropia.
Yes, that's exactly what I was referring to.
So wait, you and Poseidon competed against each other?
How?
Was it like the Olympics?
Was it a debate?
Was it a pizza-eating contest?
I'm just saying, I'd have a pretty good shot at winning that.
It was a competition unlike any other competition or contest you could ever imagine.
And it only consisted of one event.
Wow.
Well, smarty pants, we'll find out what this contest was and who won right after this quick break and a word from our sponsor.
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Now back to Who Smarted?
When we left off, Greek goddess Athena was telling us about how she and Greek god Poseidon squared off in a competition to see who would be the great protector of ancient Greece.
But unlike the Olympics, it was just one event.
So what was it?
Yeah, what was it?
Well, first you have to understand.
The reason we were having a contest or a competition was because the townspeople of Athens couldn't make up their minds as to which of us would protect their city.
As you may recall, the Greeks were the first to create a democracy.
Ah, smarty pants, do you know what a democracy is?
Instead of a quiz, I'll just tell you.
A democracy is a form of government where the citizens play an active role in how they are to be governed.
And they do that by voting for candidates and electing individuals to represent them in government.
Only according to the legend, the townspeople couldn't decide who to vote for.
So it was decided that a competition would be held.
One event.
Winner take all.
And that was...
Which of us would give the residents of the city the best gift that all the citizens could use?
Oh, a gift-giving contest.
Hmm, gotta say, I didn't see that coming.
Did you, Smarty Pants?
But I guess it would be unfair if it was swimming.
Besides, that's kind of cool.
And the winner of this contest would be awarded as the protector and namesake of the city.
That's right.
So what happened?
Poseidon went first and immediately slammed his trident into the ground.
Smarty pants, in case you didn't know, a trident is a large, three-pronged, pitchfork-like tool that Poseidon held as he ruled the seas.
Anyway, please continue.
What happened next?
It produced a geyser of water that flowed from the cavernous hole, causing a stream to be formed.
I see.
And did the townspeople like this watery gift produced by Poseidon, god of the seas?
They might have, but there was one big problem.
Smarty Pants, can you guess what was wrong with the stream that Poseidon created for the people of ancient Greece?
Was it A, made of blood?
Ew.
B, filled with sharks?
Or C, salty like the ocean?
The answer is... It was salty.
Instead of crystal clear fresh water to be used for drinking.
It was as salty as the surrounding sea.
I could see why they weren't too psyched with his gift, but you still had to beat it.
So what did you come up with?
What did I, the most creative of all gods and goddesses, present as a gift to the townspeople?
You ask
Why, let's see if you smarty ones can guess.
Smarty pants, but please, go on.
Did I present them with a...
If you said C, an olive tree, you're right.
An olive tree was a way more practical and useful gift for the townspeople to share in.
Don't you agree?
For sure.
An olive tree not only provides olives to eat, but also a steady supply of olive oil to be used for cooking, soaps and even fuel.
I would have preferred an olive garden, but an olive tree is pretty cool too.
Not to mention, the tree would provide shade and the branches could be made into tools or be used for building.
You really are the goddess of creativity and resourcefulness.
Please, please, you're making me blush.
Okay, a little more.
No, that truly is an amazingly thoughtful gift, which is why you not only won the competition, but the city of Athens was named for you Athena.
You know it.
Ah, here we are at the Propylaia, or entrance to the Acropolis.
It was the last of these remaining structures to be built, and I do believe this is what you've come to see.
Oh, wow.
This is incredible.
Incredible doesn't begin to describe this view.
Yup.
Gets them every time.
I must say, so much of the Acropolis was created in praise of you, Athena.
Like the Temple of Athena Nike, built around 420 BCE.
And of course there's the majestic Parthenon, which started construction around 447 BCE, when the Greek Empire's prosperity was at its peak.
And on the north side, they even built a shrine to house a statue of you.
Called the Erechtheion.
Wow.
What an honor.
Who knows, Tara?
Maybe one day your students will build a shrine for you.
Or the smarty pants may build one for you, trusty.
Ha ha.
Maybe.
What do you say, Athena?
Athena?
Athena?
Oh, well... goddesses have places to be.
Yep.
So does your guidebook have any good places to eat?
All that climbing got me hungry.
A big shout out to Nathan from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Thanks so much for smarting with us and for all your fun comments on Spotify.
I'm so happy you love listening, laughing, and learning with Who Smarted?
And maybe one day I'll take you up on your offer to come to New Zealand.
Thanks.
This episode, The Acropolis, was written by Dave Dionysus Davis and voiced by Laura Athena Rondanella and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Heracles Hahn.
Our associate producer is Max Kronos Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Yanni Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Demos Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
