Delos, Greece - Birthplace of Twin Gods

5/18/2012
Leto was pursued by the jealous goddess, Hera, while seeking a birthplace for her children, the children of the father of the Gods, Zeus.  The island of Delos holds an important place in Greek mythology as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

As our ferry from Mykonos approached the dock, we could see some small houses on the island.

 The island was very rocky.

 This must have been the beach front property complete with boat docks.

 I am pretty excited to see what was on the island, the ruins, the old stories.

 Our ferry docked and we entered the island archaeological site through a very pretty rock ticket area.

 This is the first view as we stand in the main area of the "city".  This is the "Agora of the Competialists" as we look out over the Sanctuary of Apollo.

 Perhaps a map will make this a little easier...  The blue arrows show our general path as we toured.

The Agora is an open yard, surrounded by shops, small temples and altars.  Here were the stores of the merchants of the association of Roman citizens and liberalized slaves, who worshiped at the "crossroads", the Lares Competales.  The market also served others traders, Hermaists, and Apolloniasts. (wikimapia.org)

In the center of the Agora is a round shrine that sits on a square base. where offerings were placed.  This building was dedicated to Hermes, the god of commerce.

 The walkways were well built and sturdy after all of the traffic that has passed this way.

 We then walked down the "Sacred Way" a processional road , paved in marble, leading to the sacred precinct of Apollo. This would have been where a fair amount of the island's pomp and circumstance took place. (Source: Wikimapia.org) The walkway is lined with marble bases that once supported statues and monuments donated by by kings and generals. (Source)

 On our right we could see bits and pieces of the decor from the "Southern Stoa".  This area was built by the kings of Pergamon, in Asia Minor, in the early 3rd century BC. It was a commercial area with many shops.  (Source: Wikimapia.org)

 A close-up of one of the pillars.

 Some very detailed engraved writing.

 Some of the stone was carved with incredible precision.  I'm not sure what this is, but I saw a description on this website that comments on a granite base with a cylindrical hole in the middle that was the base for a bronze palm tree. Seems to fit the description.

More to come as we tour this fascinating island.

UNESCO Brief Background: According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeochristian era. The archaeological site is exceptionally extensive and rich and conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port.  See more information on the UNESCO website.