Just a short day trip away from Athens is Sounion, home to the Temple of Poseidon which sits atop a slight hill surrounded by the Aegean Sea. Legend has it that it was at this spot that King Aegeus committed suicide by jumping into the sea which now bears his name.

While this makes for an interesting story, I was more intrigued by the numerous names carved onto the Temple of Poseidon. Somewhere among all of the names was Lord Byron’s. Supposedly carved by him in the early 1800s.

No one is entirely sure if Lord Byron was actually responsible for the carving, but nonetheless, it became my quest to find his name. Unfortunately, the guard ropes were deterrent enough and I wasn’t able to get too close.

Instead, I took pictures of the columns in hopes of being able to zoom in close enough to find his name. I couldn’t. I made four trips around the Temple. Stopping at the different pillars. Straining my eyes. Zooming my camera. Nothing.

I left Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon never having found Lord Byron. But somewhere on the base of a pillar is his signature graffiti.