POV – You Wake Up as a Greek Worker in the 5th Century BC
The first light of dawn spills over the city of Athens, casting long shadows across the stone streets. You wake up on a simple straw mat, the scent of earth and sweat still clinging from yesterday’s labor. The air is cool now, but soon, the sun will blaze, and the work will begin.
Maybe you are a stonemason, carving the grand temples that will stand for centuries. The Parthenon is rising, a tribute to Athena, and your hands shape its marble columns. Dust clings to your skin as you chip away, every strike of the chisel echoing through the city.
Or perhaps you are a potter, turning clay on the wheel, crafting amphorae that will hold wine, oil, and stories of the gods. Your fingers press into the damp earth, molding form from formlessness, each curve a mark of your skill.
If you are a laborer in the agora, your day is spent hauling goods, stacking crates, and hearing the endless hum of trade and debate. Philosophers gather in the shade, speaking of democracy and virtue, but there is no time to listen—you have work to do.
The sun climbs higher, sweat beads on your brow, and your muscles ache from toil. But there is pride in this. You are part of something greater—a city of art, wisdom, and power. Your hands build what history will remember.
As dusk falls, you sit with your fellow workers, sharing bread, olives, and watered wine. The sky glows red, and the city still hums with life. Tomorrow, the work continues. But for now, under the gaze of the gods, you rest.
