Delphi Archaeological Museum
The Museum of Delphi is considered among the three most important museums in Greece, together with the ones of the Acropolis of Athens and in Heraklion, Crete. What makes a visit to the Greek Museums in general, this one in particular, an unforgettable experience, is the fact that they usually exist on the very archaeological site(s), thus putting the exhibits in the surroundings in which they were initially established, in close relevance to their cultural and/or religious role.
The Delphi Museum first opened its doors tο the public in 1903; in the more than 100 years that have elapsed since then, it has been recognized as one of the most important museums in Greece. It has undergone many renovations during this time and four different exhibitions, each reflecting the scientific concepts and artistic standards as they evolved through the 20th century. The quality of the exhibits, though, has always been the main advantage of this Museum.
According to Rosina Colonia, (Delphi Ephorate of Antiquities) “… the Delphi exhibits speak for themselves: they have the power to command respect and captivate the visitor, inviting him or her to admire them, and leaving this visitor with the memory of their charm and the enigma surrounding them. Even though the exhibits on display today constitute no more than a small but representative part of the dedications seen by Pausanias at Delphi, and an even smaller part of the many more that inundated the sanctuary during the years of its heyday, they indisputably continue to delight people with their wealth, variety and beauty. …Delphi has been included in archaeology textbooks, it has adorned art books; some of the Delphi finds, such as the Treasury of the Siphnians, are landmarks in the history of ancient Hellenic art, while others, even though more than one hundred years have elapsed since they came to light, continue to be a focal point of scholarly discussions even today, owing to unanswered questions regarding their identity and interpretation. But above all, they still chaim the broad public who flock, like ancient pilgrims, to admire the monuments of Delphi”. (Quotation ©: John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation)
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx (Hall V)In about 560 BC, preceding the construction of the luxurious Siphnian treasury, another rich island of the Cyclades, Naxos, sends a grandiose offering to Apollo of Delphi: the statue of the mythical Sphinx, whose the colossal size, imposing outlook and location in the sanctuary (near the rock of Sibylla and in the foreground of the polygonal retaining wall of the temple) commemorates the political and artistic supremacy of Naxos in the Archaic era. The daemonic creature with the female face and the enigmatic smile, the body of a lion and the wings of a bird, was supposed to be warding off the evil (apotropaic symbol). It was seated on the capital of a very tall Ionic column, regarded as the oldest element in the Ionic order at Delphi. In total, the Naxian dedication reached 12.50m in height. Its colossal size and the height from which it was guarding over the Delphian landscape must have had a strong influence to the pilgrims of Archaic times.
Carved in a huge block of Naxian marble the Sphinx combines the solid and firm structure with a tendency for decoration in rendering the hair, breast and wings, which reduces the impression of massive volume. As we learn from an inscription of the 4th c. BC incised on the column base, the priests of Apollo honored the people of Naxos with the privilege of promanteia, that is, priority in receiving an oracle.
The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx |
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx |
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx |
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx |
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx
credit: Smaro Mendrinou |
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The Golden Age of Delphi: The Sphinx
credit: Smaro Mendrinou |
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