A Greek American couple was hospitalized Tuesday morning after a knife-wielding man attacked them near the entrance to the Acropolis, Greece's most visited archaeological landmark.
Police said the assailant, described only as a 60-year-old Greek man, attacked the pair on a pedestrian walkway close to an entrance of the Acropolis and near the doorway of the adjacent Acropolis Museum, which sits at the base of the hill.
According to police, the 53-year-old man sustained a severe arm wound that required responders to apply a tourniquet, while his 48-year-old companion suffered a less severe leg injury. Both victims were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, and police said neither wound was considered life-threatening.
The man accused of carrying out the assault was taken into custody at the scene and was expected to face a prosecutor later Tuesday to be formally charged, police said. In keeping with Greek legal restrictions on identifying suspects, authorities released no further personal details about the alleged assailant.
Police said it remains unclear what drove the attack, though they indicated the man appeared to be dealing with mental health issues. Greek media outlets reported that the suspect had reportedly been menacing passersby with a blade at random before a bystander alerted police.
Despite the violence, the Acropolis and its surrounding attractions remained open and operating normally. The stabbing happened just after 8 a.m. local time, right as the site opened for the day—a popular window for visitors hoping to beat the region's punishing midday sun during the summer months.
The assault coincided with Greece's first heat wave of the season, with forecasters predicting highs of 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in Athens and up to 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) elsewhere in the country.
The Acropolis is home to the roughly 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple along with several other ancient monuments, drawing enormous crowds of international visitors each year. Roughly 4.6 million people toured the site last year alone.
Violent street attacks are rare in Greece. In April, authorities arrested an 89-year-old man who allegedly opened fire with a shotgun in a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens. At least four people were wounded in the incident that was reportedly over social security grievances.