Delphi

According to tradition, Delphi was the geographical centre of the world, the omphalos (navel).




Dias (Zeus in Latin) released two golden eagles in different directions. At the point where the two birds met, which was Delphi, Dias threw a stone.

The actual stone, which was probably a meteorite, sat in the heart of the Temple of Apollo and was flanked by a pair of golden eagles. The one shown, is a Hellenistic or Roman replica and was found in front of the temple.






The sanctuary of Apollo extends over a series of terraces in the foothills of  Mount Parnassus, between two enormous rocks, called the Phaidriades. For many centuries this was the religious and spiritual centre of the ancient Greek world and had been sacred since at least the Bronze Age.

According to legend, the shrine was originally guarded by the she-dragon Python. Apollo, the son of Dias, came from his home atop Mount Olympus to Mount Parnassus to slay the great serpent Python. Python, fleeing from the peak sought safety in the sanctuary of the Earth Mother at Delphi. Apollo relentlessly pursued Python and claimed the site. Peering through the veils of legend and myth we may therefore discern at Delphi is the story of an ancient goddess site being later taken over by a culture whose primary deity was a male god.

The evocative ancient site and the breathtaking mountain scenery surrounding it are inextricably linked and are both awe-inspiring. One can understand why the ancients chose that particular site as a religious and spiritual centre - there is something about the place that makes you understand why for so many centuries it was deemed to be sacred.

 

We parked near the museum and started making our way towards the Temple of Apollo

 

on our right and far below the mountain we could see the Temple of Athena Pronea. The sanctuary is the first mark of Delphi visible to people coming from Athens. This sanctuary was particularly important, as people coming to ask for an oracle would first offer a sacrifice at the Athena Pronea, who was considered the guardian of Pythia.

 

Even though we were planning to visit this site, by the time we had finished with the main site of Delphi and the museum it was getting late, so this visit will have to wait for another time.

 

 

 

The Roman Agora is on the first, lower terrace

 





this intricate, brick wall is well preserved

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Roman Agora, continuing up the slope almost to the temple itself, are a large number of treasuries. These were built by the various Greek city states to commemorate victories and to thank the oracle for her advice which was thought to have contributed to those victories. They were called treasuries because they held the offerings made to Apollo.

 

 

the treasury of the Sicyonians

 



 

of the Boeotians

leading up to the largest treasury, that of the Athenians

 

which has now been restored, originally built to commemorate the Athenians' victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC

 



 

 

After quite a steep climb we reached the Temple of Apollo, god of music, harmony and light which occupied the most important and prominent position in the Delphic Sanctuary, dated to the 4th century BC.  In the inner Hestia (hearth) of the temple, an eternal flame burned.

 

 

 

According to the prevailing theory, the famous oracle operated inside the temple. Apollo spoke through his oracle. The sibyl or priestess of the oracle was known as the Pythia: she had to be an older woman of blameless life chosen from among the peasants in the area. She sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. It has been speculated that a gas high in ethylene, known to produce violent trances, came out of this opening. Intoxicated by the vapours, the Pythia would fall into a trance, allowing Apollo to possess her spirit. In this state she prophesised. The Pythia would utter inarticulate cries, which were then turned into equivocal oracles by the priest. People consulted the Delphic oracle on everything from important matters of public policy to personal affairs.

We got a much better view of the Temple as we climbed higher

 

 

and reached the theatre which hosted the musical and dramatic contests of the Pythian Games and other religious festivals. The Pythian Games which happened every four years were precursors of the modern Olympics. The victors were presented with a laurel crown which was ceremonially cut from a tree by a boy.

 

 

 

Around Athens

We pretended we were tourists last week when friends were visiting and we showed them around.

We started outside the Acropolis Metro station which is by the Acropolis Museum, and this is the back of the modernist building.

another view of the side of the building. I could not take any photographs of the front as I was facing the sun which was very strong that day

A view of the Acropolis from the Irodou Attikou Avenue. Hardly any scaffolding from this side, phew!

One of the few remaining Art Nouveau buildings in Athens. The authorities wanted to demolish it so that there would be a straight view of the Acropolis from the Museum - typical shortsightedness of the Greek government, but there was too much opposition to the plan, so it was shelved

the entrance to the building - the graffitti is sheer vandalism.

We continued walking up the Avenue until we got to the Irodou Attikou Roman theatre, which is where we saw the performance of Mikis Theodorakis' Canto General last summer

and this is what the theatre looks like as seen from the Acropolis.

Limited visibility due to the smog created by the wood and other materials that people are burning in order to keep warm



 

A good view of the Iphaistion, also called Thesion, which is in the middle of the Ancient Agora and is one of the most well preserved temples - it was dedicated to Iphaistos, the god of fire.



About to enter the Propylae which is the entrance to the Acropolis on the west side. This building was the work of the architect Mnesikles and was erected in 437-432 BC. It consists of a central building and two wings. The north wing had frescos on its walls and is therefore known as the Pinakotheke.



The Erechtheion, built between 421 and 406 BC and the architect may have been Mnesikles. The sculptor and mason was Phidias. On the north side there is a porch with six Ionic columns while on the south is the 'Porch of the Maidens' with six draped female figures, the Karyates acting as supporting figures. The temple was dedidated to Athena and Poseidon. Within the foundations lived the sacred snake of the temple which represented the spirit of Cecrops and whose well-being was thought essential for the safety of the city. It was fed honey cakes by the priestesses of Athena. The snake's occasional refusal to eat the cakes was thought a disastrous omen.

In 1801 one of the Karyates was removed by Lord Elgin in order to decorate his Scottish mansion and later sold to the British Museum along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon. Athenian legend had it that at night the remaining five Karyates could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Elgin attempted to remove a second Karyate; when technical difficulties arose he tried to have it sawn to pieces. The statue was smashed and its fragments were left behind. It was later reconstructed haphazardly with cement and iron rods. In 1979 the original five Karyates were removed to the Acropolis Museum and replaced in situ by exact replicas.

Lycabettus Hill in the distance

 



zooming in

The remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the distance. A colossal ruined temple, its construction began in the 6th century BC, it was meant to be the biggest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the 2nd century AD during the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian. During the Roman period it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues of the ancient world. The temple fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD.

The Parthenon dedicated to Athena whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC. It is the most important building of classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the Doric order. In 1806 Lord Elgin removed some of the sculptures with Ottoman permission. These sculptures, now known as the Elgin Marbles were later sold to the British Museum.

One more photograph of the Parthenon that I have downloaded from the internet - there is so much scaffolding at the moment that I could not take a further satisfactory photograph

Moving along around the Parthenon on the south slope of the Acropolis we can see the Theatre of Dionysus below as well as the Acropolis Museum in the distance.

We then walked down the hill and came to the Roman Forum, located near the Ancient Agora. The Ancient Agora, in the centre of the ancient city, is a large open area surrounded by buildings of various functions. It was utilised for commerce, political, religious and military activity. Meetings were held four times a month to enact legislation, to hear embassies, and deal with defence. The Winds Monument is on the right. This is an octagonal monument built with Pendelic marble featuring a combination of sundials, a water clock and wind vane. Below the frieze featuring the eight wind deities there are eight sundials. 

 We then walked through the flea market

and on to Adrianou Street which is full of restaurants, cafes and bars. It was a sunny day so everyone was sitting outside.

 We chose Kuzina as the place to have lunch

but, like everyone else, we sat outside where we could have a distant view of the Acropolis

 zooming in

 one more view of the Acropolis from Monastiraki Square seen as we were heading home.