powered by FreeFind	Delos 400 pictures     14 minutes HQ video View of the Site The bare and windy island of Delos is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Delos was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Being their birthplace made Delos the religious heart of the Cyclades, and one of the greatest sanctuaries in Greece. Agora of the Compitalaists The ancient port leads directly to the late-Hellenistic agora of "Compitalaists" or "Hemaists"; these were two powerful guilds of Italic merchants that dedicated numerous works of art there. Dated from 130 B.C. are the remains of a small circular monopteral temple with a rectangular enclosure and conical roof with false scales, a rectangular temple on a tall plinth dedicated to Hermes and Maia by the Hermaists, and a small, Ionic prostyle tetrastyle temple in the northeast corner of the square dedicated by the Compitalaists to Lars Compitales, the tutelary deities of crossroads and borders. This marks the beginning of the sacred way. Stoa of the Attalids Doric stoa of the Attalids of Pergamum built around the mid-3rd century B.C. to house commercial workshops. Agora Tetragona A porticoed square with one or two floors and workshops that lies behind the portico of the Attalids, and was constructed in the 3rd -2nd centuries B.C. on the south side of the Archaic and Classical agora, before heading towards the heart of the sanctuary. Minoa Fountain The monumental pool of the Minoa Fountain is still fed by the spring. A flight of steps with a porticoed entrance (6th - 5th centuries B.C.) descends to the pool with a depth of 4 meters, so that water could be drawn even when the level was very low. Letoon The marble temple dedicated to Leto was built around 540 B.C. The honeycomb decoration of the outer bench was an Archaic Apollonian theme from Delphi. Lion Terrace The Lion Terrace, an avenue monumentalized by the Naxians with a row of at least nine statues of roaring lions squatting on their haunches. They were made from Naxos marble around 550 B.C. and appear to be guarding the sacred place similar to the long avenues that led the faithful to the temples in Egyptian sanctuaries. It is probable that there was an Egyptian influence given the visits made by merchants from the Cyclades to the trading center of Naukratis in the Nile delta. House of the Poseidoniasts of Berytos The structure was built between 90-120 B.C., on an orthogonal plan. The Poseidoniasts were an association of merchants, ship owners and hoteliers from what is now Beirut in Lebanon, who were accommodated there under the protection of Poseidon, Astarte-Aphrodite, Rome and a forth deity. Passing through the narrow corridor, you reach a rectangular court with four altars and, on the west side, a Phoenician type domestic sanctuary with four shrines that used to contain cult statues. On the east side of the court stood the accommodations with rooms arranged around a Doric peristyle with a central water tank that was originally covered. A triple gateway leads into the west courtyard that used to be a meeting place, while the south side was lined with shops and storerooms, one of which produced the sculptural group of Aphrodite and Pan. Lake House and Gymnasion The complex is dating from the 3rd-2nd centuries B.C. This is one of the most elegant residences on Delos. Three entrances lead to the atrium surrounded by nice colonnade of the Ionic order. Granite Gymnasion Built in the 2nd century B.C., with a peristyle courtyard and xystos with a portico on the north side. In the middle there is a cistern, and around there are porticoes and facilities. Shrine of Dionysus The Shrine of Dionysus can be recognized by its pillars, each topped by an enormous erect phallus. The one on right was dedicated by Karytios to commemorate a courageous victory around 300 B.C. and is decorated with delicate relief of Dionysiac motifs. House of Cleopatra and Dioscurides The house of Cleopatra and Dioscurides, contains copies in the Doric peristyle of the original statues (137 B.C.) now in the museum. Theater A fine theater lies in a dramatic position and can hold 6,000 spectators in its slightly curved cavea. The lower section of the cavea, with 26 rows of seats, is divided by eight stairways. Few remains of the decorated scenery can be seen in the orchestra but there is a huge tank that holds the eight supporting arches of the lost covering. House of the Masks The very large house of the masks, that is similar in design to the Roman house on Rhodes, features magnificent Dionysiac mosaics in the four banquet rooms that overlook the raised wing of the peristyle. Past a threshold on the left, in which dolphins are seen facing one another, there is an emblem of a large amphora, a palm and a bird. A small room decorated with a mosaic of a dancing Silenus follows, than a larger room with a mosaic of cubes in perspective and masks of the new comedy linked by shoots of ivy, and finally a room depicting the triumph of Dionysus. Inn The rectangular marble portal, known as the Inn (hospice), has a water tank capable of holding 27,000 liters of water. There are several rooms arranged along corridors. House of the Dolphins The house is another memorable example of a peristyle Hellenistic house. Its floor mosaics include the one in the central courtyard that shows Eroses bearing symbols of divinity as they ride pairs of Dolphins; this was the work of the mosaic artist Asklepiades of Arados (Phoenicia), who also produced the floor decoration in the vestibule with the magical-religious sign of the Phoenician goddess Tanit whom the unknown house owner clearly worshipped. Back to Greece Index