Day 2: Delphi, Greece

 August 30, 2024

Day 2 Delphi, Greece. Today’s adventure was again a trip out of the city to the UNESCO site of Delphi. Another day of exploring Ancient Greek mythology.

The Archaeological Museum of Delphi presents the history of the famous Delphic sanctuary and the most prominent Oracle of the ancient Greek world. The collection of the museum presents some of the most important works of ancient Greek art, covering the period from the 2nd millennium BC, before the foundation of the Sanctuary, until Late Antiquity, when a small Christian community was established in Delphi.

The Sphinx of Naxos, also Sphinx of the Naxians, now in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, is a 2.22 meter tall marble statue of a sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a woman, the chest and wings composed of the impressive feathers of a prey bird turned upward, and the body of a lioness. The Sphinx stood on a 10 meter column that culminated in one of the first Ionic capitals, and was erected next to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, the religious center of Ancient Greece, in 560 BCE.

The Greek sphinx, a lion with the face of a human female, was considered as having ferocious strength, and was thought of as a guardian, often flanking the entrances to temples.[1] Sphinxes' depictions are generally associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples.

Found at Delphi, this chryselephantine image of Apollo, gold and ivory, archaic style, is dated c. 560 BC. Such statues were striking not only for their exquisite beauty and workmanship but also for advertising the high rank and wealth of those who could afford to have such pieces created. The artistry involved skills in ivory carving, carpentry, sculpture and jewel making as well as constant maintenance. Some scholars attribute this ex-voto to the fabled king Croesus of Lydia, but this is uncertain.

The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the ‘navel of the world’. Blending harmoniously with the superb landscape and charged with sacred meaning, Delphi in the 6th century B.C. was indeed the religious centre and symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world.

I find the ‘navel of the world’-part the most interesting aspect. According to the ancient mythology, Zeus released two eagles to opposite ends of the world to find the centre of the Earth. The two eagles met at Delphi and this is where the navel of Gaia (Mother Earth) was found. This navel in the shape of a stone carried a lot of significance for the ancient Greeks because they believed they could communicate with the gods through this stone.

Found by French excavators in 1896 near the north-west region of the temple of Apollo, the Charioteer of Delphi is one of the few original bronze statues that have passed the test of time. It remained in the same location that Pausania, the Greek travel writer of the second century B.C., found him as evident in his “Guide to Greece” work. Of course, the statue was buried, due to a rock fall avalanche, and had to be rescue. Although recovering this work in Delphi was a great achievement, scholars believe that this is only a part of a much larger work, which remains unknown even now.

The Charioteer of Delphi was created by casting several pieces of bronze, utilizing the lost wax method. In this method, the sculptor must first design and create a clay model. He must model the features in wax. Consequently, he must cover this with clay. Adding the molten bronze causes the wax to melt away and leave behind the end result.

On the way to the actual archeological site. At the foot of Mount Parnassos, within the angle formed by the twin rocks of the Phaedriades, lies the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, which had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. Delphi was regarded as the centre of the world.

Leading the way is our Viking host for Athens, Andreas, and our history guide, Stadi. Both very personable, helpful, and Stadi is amazing with her knowledge!

The history of Delphi begins in prehistory and in the myths of the ancient Greeks. In the beginning the site was sacred to Mother Earth and was guarded by the terrible serpent Python, who was later killed by Apollo. Apollo's sanctuary was built here by Cretans who arrived at Kirrha, the port of Delphi, accompanied by the god in the form of a dolphin. This myth survived in plays presented during the various Delphic festivals, such as the Septerion, the Delphinia, the Thargelia, the Theophania and, of course. the famous Pythia, which celebrated the death of Python and comprised musical and athletic competitions.

The Treasury of Athenians in Delphi, Greece: The Treasury of the Athenians is one of the most impressive buildings in the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi. The treasuries were actually buildings where the city-states used to safeguard their loots from wars and their offerings to god Apollo. Many treasuries existed around the temple, such as the Treasury of the Sifnians and the Boetians, but the most impressive treasury that survives till today is the Treasury of the Athenians. 

Note: this is a reconstruction, the only one in the site.

The Oracle of Delphi is world-famous for being the source of prophecies and wisdom in the ancient Greek world. Kings, nobles, philosophers, and common men came from all over the known world to seek answers from the Oracle. The Oracle of Delphi was located at the foot of Mount Parnassus in Greece. It was thought that the Greek God Apollo spoke through the Oracle. 

The priestess Pythia would descend from her cave high above in the mountain and proclaim the prophecy she had seen upon this rock.

The scenery from this perch high in the Parnassus is fantastic.

Our group of intrepid explorers, braving the heat and the climb. Another fantastic day.

https://www.greeka.com/photos/sterea/arachova/about/hero/arachova-about-1280.webp

On the way to and from Delphi, we passed through the beautiful mountain town of Arichova. It is one of the prettiest mountain towns I have ever seen. The road winds through the town center and the bus driver did the most admirable job of navigating that I have ever seen. Click on the link for a photo, however, as the viewpoint for taking a picture of the town was just too far away to do it justice. I borrowed the photo from the internet so I would remember it!

Day 1: First day in Athens, Greece

 August 28, 2024, after an extremely long travel day where we were delayed in Atlanta for 6 hours by airplane mechanical issues ultimately causing deboarding and reboarding a different plane, we landed in Athens, Greece, just in time to have some dinner and get these dragging bodies into bed. The adventures start tomorrow!

August 29, 2024: Athens, Greece, Day 1. Warning: super geekdom ahead! 😁

Some of my favorite studies at university a million years ago was Ancient Mythology and the books of Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Today we were able to set out and visit some of the ancient archeological treasures associated with the time. Captions below each photo. 

Corinth Canal, tidal waterway across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece, joining the Gulf of Corinth in the northwest with the Saronic Gulf in the southeast. The isthmus was first crossed by boats in 600 BCE when Periander built a ship railway, small boats being carried on wheeled cradles running in grooves. This system may have been used until the 9th century. Work on the canal began in 1882, and it opened in 1893. The canal has brought great economic benefits to the ports of Posithonía at its northwest end and Isthmía at its southeast end. A highway crossing the canal connects Athens and the Peloponnese.

The ancient open Theatre of Epidaurus dates back to the 4th century BC and is located in the lush hills of the Peloponnese, just a 30-minute drive from the Saronic Gulf. As one of the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece, it is undeniably unique for a multitude of reasons. It is argued that the Theatre of Epidaurus is the grandest and best-preserved in all of Greece. This vast theatre, which seats up to 13,000 spectators, is situated within the archeological site of the Sanctuary of Asclepius, which is dedicated to the ancient Greek god of medicine.The area was a healing ground, a place for physical and spiritual tranquility that perfectly aligns with the landscape that surrounds Epidaurus. As you climb to the top tier of the theatre to test the unrivaled auditory system, you will look out to the horizon onto a view that will take your breath away.

NOTE:  yes, I climbed all the way to the top for this photo. Al is below in the arena. He yelled up to me to ask if I could hear him and I could! The acoustics are stellar.

The Tomb of King Agamemnon in Mycenae Archaeological Site is an impressive “tholos” tomb on the Panagitsa Hill. It was constructed during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC. The lintel stone above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2m, the largest in the world.

Closeup of the entrance. The scale of this is massive. One wonders how humans placed the lintel stone over the entrance.

Interior of the tomb. When found and excavated, the side room was found with a huge store of gold buried. This led to the belief that it was the burial tomb of the kings of the time.

The Lion Gate is the popular modern name for the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae in Southern Greece. It was erected during the thirteenth century BC, around 1250 BC, in the northwestern side of the acropolis. In modern times, it was named after the relief sculpture of two lions or lionesses in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance.

                                              

Closeup of the Lion Gate. Notice the heads are missing. It’s believed the heads were pilfered at some point during raids.

The citadel of Mycenae, with its strategic position for the control of the Argolid Plain, is the kingdom of the mythical Agamemnon and the most important and richest palatial centre of the Late Bronze Age in Greece. Its name was given to one of the greatest civilizations of Greek prehistory, the Mycenaean civilization, while the myths related to its history, its rulers and their family members (such as Klytaimnestra, Ifigeneia, Elektra, Orestes) have inspired poets, writers and artists over many centuries, from the ancient to the contemporary times. Significant stages in monumental architecture are still visible in the property, such as the massive defensive walls, the corbelled tholos tombs and the Lions Gate.

Gathered for dinner, then off to bed as another full day of touring at Delphi tomorrow.

New Adventure! 23 days in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Yes, it's been a long time since anything has been written. We've been stationary in central Florida with Al working at Disney and me still working remotely. But we do need some adventure in our lives, and we chose to do a trip to the eastern Mediterranean the end of this summer. The itinerary above is the two-week cruise we did bookended between 4 nights in Athens to start and 5 nights in Tuscany/Florence, Italy, to end.

It was a fabulous trip from start to finish. I will be posting individual days and photos as fast as I can as I want to at least keep a record for myself. I'm not even sure anyone is still looking at this blog! But it'll be here for myself. If anyone out there reads it, I hope you all enjoy it!