The Rambling Writer Explores More Greek Islands, Part 37: Delos Temple Quarter

Thor and I are back to continue our tour of the sacred island of Delos, moving onto the temple quarter and Sanctuary of Apollo.

NOTE: Since our recent trip to Greece to research more settings for my novel-in-progress, THE ARIADNE DISCONNECT, Thor and I knew we had to return to this magical region. My first entry in this new blog series posted here on Saturday, 10/20/2018. It gives an overview of our rambles from Athens to seven islands in the Dodecanese and Cyclades groups, ending our ferry-hopping pilgrimage on the anciently sacred island of Delos.

As we saw in the residential and Theater Quarter a couple weeks ago, the extensive ruins spreading over the island, still mostly unexcavated, make it confusing to sort out for the casual visitor. We were glad that we’d signed up for the boat trip and tour with our archaeologist guide Ariadne, as she could explain the highlights. In this shot of part of the temple quarter near the harbor, you can see the tangle:

We regrouped at the Agora, or open gathering place. Even on this isolated small island, inhabited now only by archaeologists and staff, there were roaming cats beloved of the Greeks. Maybe they feel an affinity with the ancient guardian lions of the island (top photo). Can you spot the second cat?

We passed structures known as the Exedra and Propylea:

We then headed along the Stoa (or Portico) of King Philip:

Inscriptions can still be seen on come of the marble structures of the Stoa:

Leading toward and just south of the Sanctuary of Apollo, another grand structure was the Oikos, or gathering hall, of the Naxians.

Towering over all the halls and temples was a giant kouros statue of Apollo to guard his sacred island. The kouros style, as I’ve described in earlier blog posts, was severe, with a fixed pose, and influenced by Egyptian style.

Here is one of the original hands, in the Delos museum. For a change, Thor’s six-and-a-half-foot height and giant hands look puny in comparison!

This is the remaining base of the statue:

Finally we reached the site of Apollo’s temple. Still a lot of puzzle pieces to reassemble:

The famous lions carved of Naxian marble were installed around the 7th century B.C. to guard the sacred precincts. Originally there may have been nineteen, and now five remain. In 1999, the originals were removed to the Delos museum for preservation, and those on site are excellent replicas:

Here are the actual lions inside the museum:

The Sanctuary of Apollo is near the site of the Sacred Lake (now drained for health reasons). Our guide Ariadne, with the greenery of the lake site behind her, explained the mythology:

It seems that lord of the Olympians Zeus once again strayed from his marriage to Hera, and had an affair with a daughter of Titans named Leto.

When jealous Hera found out that Leto was pregnant by Zeus, Hera pursued her viciously to get revenge. Leto could find nowhere for refuge as the time came to bear her child — twins, as it turned out. Finally she came to the barren island of Delos, where a palm tree sheltered her beside the sacred lake. She gave birth first to Artemis, who became the goddess of wilderness, the hunt, and childbirth. Then came Apollo, god of poetry, music, and reason (and also of pestilences, in the combo attributes those Olympians were known for). Apollo took dominance as the special deity of the island, though some say that Artemis held the favor of many worshippers here.

Here, Artemis on the hunt is ready to spear a deer:

And Apollo is stomping on Gaul’s shields. The Greeks and Romans regarded the Gauls as savages, so since Apollo was the god of reason among other attributes, this statue symbolized the triumph of Civilization over Barbarity. (All three statues are displayed in the Delos museum.)

Presiding over the ghosts of the ancient worshippers, beside the Sacred Lake where the wind whispers of former glory, the remnants of a lovely temple endure:

Next week: We’ll visit the Sanctuary of Dionysos and climb the “mountain” to view more temples and enjoy 360-degree vistas of the islands and sea.

*****

You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Cafe is available in print and ebook: The Ariadne Connection.  It’s a near-future thriller set in the Greek islands. “Technology triggers a deadly new plague. Can a healer find the cure?”  The novel has received the Chanticleer Global Thriller Grand Prize and the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Sara has recently returned from another research trip in Greece and is back at work on the sequel, The Ariadne Disconnect. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com