Delphi was one of my favorite sites to visit to date. The actual city of Delphi was built on the side of a mountain, and while there is some left, earthquakes pretty much demolished any of the main buildings so it made it a bit difficult to visualize how everything was set up. And of course, like every other set of ruins we have seen, a lot of it is still under the earth or road that provides access to the site. What I really enjoyed was the museum on site that didn’t have a huge collection, most of the good stuff was destroyed in an earthquake or pillaged from the city, but what it did have was awesome.
There was one interesting photography rule that still has me a bit stumped. I understand no flash photographs, the constant exposure to flashes isn’t good for the art or sculptures. The one I didn’t understand was where it said you were not allowed to take pictures of people posing next to the exhibits. There were ladies in each room enforcing these rules too and I still can’t figure that one out.
A little history lesson, and then to the pretty pictures. It was built around 1100-800 BC and incorporated the cult of Apollo. According to Plutarch, a priest of Apollo at Delphi, the oracle was discovered by chance by a shepherd. He came under a spell and began to utter prophecies and a Pythia, an anointed woman over 50 who lived in seclusion, was the one who interpreted the prophecy. On oracle day, the seventh of the month, the Pythia would prepare herself by washing in the Castalian Fountain and underwent a purification involving barley smoke and laurel leaves. She would then enter the Temple of Apollo where she drank the Castalian water, chewed laurel leaves and sank into a trace… it sounded like she just got really high. Questions were presented to her and they received strange garbled answers, which were then translated in verse by the priests. Apparently the oracles answers influenced the colonization of southern Italy and Sicily and were taken very seriously. Delphi was taken over by the Romans in 189 BC and the Roman generals plundered Delphi leaving only a few statues and things behind for the French excavators.
When you walk into the museum there are a lot of small bronze trinkets that are somewhat… unimpressive. Then you turn the corner into the first room and this is what you are faced with. I know I wasn’t supposed to take photos of people posing, but as you can see Dad isn’t posing. I got him as he was walking away, and liked this shot because you could see the vast size of the Sphinx de la colonne des Naxiens. There were two of these on columns in front of one of the treasuries.
This is one of my favorite photos. This was part of a relief located on the East piedmont of one of the treasuries. It’s of a lion attacking a naked soldier. Dad and I were amazed at the detail and thought the scene was just fun.
This was also located on the East piedmont the same treasury. I really liked the comical face on the shield of the soldier. I have seen it elsewhere in museums too and need to do some more research on the point and origin… anyone know? These scenes were apparently painted and you can still see the red in the shields of the other soldiers.
This was found in a tomb at Delphi and was the work of an Athenian vase-painter. I thought it was really pretty and well done. This is Apollo and a black bird that is probably a crow, recalling his mythical love for the beautiful Aigle-Koroni, the daughter of king Phlegyas. That’s what the plaque said anyway.
The bronze Charioteer was one of the only bronze statues preserved from the site. It was buried by the debris of an earthquake of 373 BC and that was the only reasons the Romans didn’t get their hands on it.
There were a ton of cats living at the ruins. There were water bowls and crusty bread located in front of the museum bathrooms and then at the entrance of the ruin site. This was a kitted then was essentially being the gate guard. It is free to enter museums and archeological sites on Sundays, so I suppose they employ the kittens to keep the riff raff out.
When Dad gets back to the states and gets back into his political career, this is going to be his campaign photo. Cesar Wayno.
I am not going into politics, but Mow is seriously thinking about it so we went ahead and got our statue photo taken too.
There were treasuries set up all over the town. Apparently each city had a treasury set up around the Altar of Apollo, we aren’t real sure why they are there. Something else I need to research is the purpose of the treasury. I was thinking it was like an offering to the Gods, while Dad thinks it’s like a place to keep their share in the government. If they screw up or lose a battle, the treasury is emptied and they lose… we both may be way wrong. Anyone know? This was the treasury of Athens. It was the most intact building at the site.
Dad, Mow, and I paying our respects to Apollo. This was the Altar of Apollo, the main temple at Delphi.
Location, location, location. Delphi was built on the side of a mountain, and the views were spectacular. This is the view of what is left of the Altar to Apollo where the Oracle would utter slurred prophecies.
We asked a nice German lady to take a photo of the four of us at the Altar of Apollo. Chuck, Judy, Me, and Dad, it’s a little crooked, but I like it.
Again, it’s all about location. This was the top of a column for something, just hanging out next to the walkway. I just thought it was a pretty picture.
This was a view of the theater and Delphi looking down from the walk way up to the stadium. The theater seated 5000 and had been rebuilt by the Romans when they took over. The Romans also built a stadium that was a hike up the mountain. We saw it, but it wasn’t anything special and the photo is unexciting.
The Fountain of Castalia was where the Oracle would cleanse before she went to do her thing. According to Fodor’s anyone that went to the Altar of Apollo, would cleanse here first. We couldn’t go up to the actual fountain because there are too many rocks falling around it, but there was a stream here that Dad decided to “cleanse” himself with… it was probably sewage.
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