From the beginning Delos was sacred. It is in the centre of the Cyclades and myth says that it was the birth place of both Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis.
It was the highlight of the trip. The entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is unihabited. Only 20 % of the island has been excavated and archeaological teams from the French School of Athens are currently working on site.
We spent most of the day at Delos and saw only a part of it. Our guide took us through the ancient Agora (market) that included a meat shop with a marble draining board, other produce shops that had deep pits that were an ancient form of refrigeration, and a directional sign for the brothel (in the brick wall a marble male genetalia pointing in the direction).
We saw the Temple for Apollo and then one for Artemis. She pointed out the House of Dionysus and the floor mosaic of the god riding a panther. Close by is the House of Dolphins. We walked past one of the few statues still standing; Hermes, the god of liars, thieves, and merchents. Interesting combination.
By the time of the Persian invasions of 478BC, Delos became the meeting place of the Delian League, a group of Greek city-states that banded together to fight the Persian Empire. It gradually became a centre point for peoples from all over the Eastern Mediterranean. On a hill overlooking the sight Karen and I came upon a Temple for Isis (Egyptian Goddess), stumbled across a floor mosaic of Tanit (lunar Goddess of Phoenicia, a cult that found its way to Carthage [ modern day Libya ]), and found the theatre where Baal was venerated by people from the Levant (they identified him with Poseidon).
Our guide left us to our own wandering, in sight of the famous terrance of the Naxian lions. What is seen today are reproductions; the original lions are in the Archaeological Museum on Delos. The original number varies between 9 and 16, depending on the authority, but there are only 5 original left. A sixth lion was taken by the Ventians in the 17th century and is on display at the arsenal of Venice.
The lions are roaring and face the sacred lake, where Apollo was born. We climbed the hills afterwards and among the sights was a sheep peeking around the corner of broken wall. Clearly there are inhabitents on the island. We managed to make it to the museum, saw the real lions and a great statue of Artemis killing a deer, before we had to get on the boat.
Delos is worth the visit. Make sure you have a guide, sunscreen, good walking shoes, and water!
It was the highlight of the trip. The entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is unihabited. Only 20 % of the island has been excavated and archeaological teams from the French School of Athens are currently working on site.
We spent most of the day at Delos and saw only a part of it. Our guide took us through the ancient Agora (market) that included a meat shop with a marble draining board, other produce shops that had deep pits that were an ancient form of refrigeration, and a directional sign for the brothel (in the brick wall a marble male genetalia pointing in the direction).
We saw the Temple for Apollo and then one for Artemis. She pointed out the House of Dionysus and the floor mosaic of the god riding a panther. Close by is the House of Dolphins. We walked past one of the few statues still standing; Hermes, the god of liars, thieves, and merchents. Interesting combination.
By the time of the Persian invasions of 478BC, Delos became the meeting place of the Delian League, a group of Greek city-states that banded together to fight the Persian Empire. It gradually became a centre point for peoples from all over the Eastern Mediterranean. On a hill overlooking the sight Karen and I came upon a Temple for Isis (Egyptian Goddess), stumbled across a floor mosaic of Tanit (lunar Goddess of Phoenicia, a cult that found its way to Carthage [ modern day Libya ]), and found the theatre where Baal was venerated by people from the Levant (they identified him with Poseidon).
Our guide left us to our own wandering, in sight of the famous terrance of the Naxian lions. What is seen today are reproductions; the original lions are in the Archaeological Museum on Delos. The original number varies between 9 and 16, depending on the authority, but there are only 5 original left. A sixth lion was taken by the Ventians in the 17th century and is on display at the arsenal of Venice.
The lions are roaring and face the sacred lake, where Apollo was born. We climbed the hills afterwards and among the sights was a sheep peeking around the corner of broken wall. Clearly there are inhabitents on the island. We managed to make it to the museum, saw the real lions and a great statue of Artemis killing a deer, before we had to get on the boat.
Delos is worth the visit. Make sure you have a guide, sunscreen, good walking shoes, and water!
Pictures:
Top: Panarama Virw of the extent of the Delos excavations. Only 20% of the island has been excavated.
Middle: Lions of Delphi. These are terra cotta replicas; the remaining original lions are in the Delos Archaelogical Museum, found on the island.
Bottom: Delos ruins among the wild grass.
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