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Acropolis.gr

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PIRAEUS WEBCAM

>DELPHI

[The Temple of Apollo][The Treasury of the Athenians]
[The Altar of the Chians][The Stoa of the Athenians]
[The Theatre of the sanctuary][The Castalia spring]
[The Tholos]
[The Polygonal wall][The Gymnasium]
[THEBES][HAERONIA]

During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was worshipped in the small settlement of Delphi.
The development of the sanctuary and oracle though, began in the 8th century B.C. with the establishment of the cult of Apollo.
Under the protection and administration of the Amphictyony, the sanctuary continued to be autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a result, increased its Panhellenic religious and political influence.
The Pythian Games were re-organized, the sanctuary was enlarged and it was enriched with nice buildings, statues, and other offerings. In the 3rd century B.C. it came under the domination of the Aetolians and later, in 191 B.C., was conquered by the Romans.
During the Roman occupation the site was sometimes plundered but was also favored by some of the emperors. 
With the spread of Christianity, the sanctuary lost its religious meaning and was permanently closed down with a decree of emperor Theodosius the Great.
The ruins of Delphi were uncovered by the systematic excavations of the French
Archaeological School, which began in 1893.
The village of Kastri, which had occupied the area of the sanctuary since medieval times, was moved to its present position. After the removal of huge quantities of earth that had been accumulated with the landslides, the remains of two sanctuaries, dedicated to Apollo and Athena Pronaea, were finally uncovered.
The excavations revealed more than five thousands inscriptions of all kinds, statues, several miniature objects, architectural decorative pieces, all exquisite works of art, representing the major cities of Greek antiquity.
Outside the area of the Sanctuary, the Stadium, the Gymnasium, the settlement of Delphi and its cemeteries have also been excavated. The only monument that could be fully reconstructed from its own building material was the Treasury of the Athenians, which was restored in 1903-1906 by the French excavators, at the expense of the Municipality of Athens.
In 1959, the restoration of the altar of the Chians was completed by the Greek Archaeological Service.
The gradual reconstruction of parts of the Tholos and the Apollo Temple since 1938, has resulted in major changes in the overall appearance of the ancient remains; the Tholos has been rebuilt up to the marble sima at the base of the roof, while of the Temple have been restored the north crepis, the north wall, the columns on the east side, and the ramp of the entrance.
The numerous finds from the sanctuary are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
Some of the most important monuments of the site are:
The Temple of Apollo. The visible ruins belong to the last temple, dated to the 4th century B.C., which was peripteral, in Doric order. It was erected exactly on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th century B.C. Inside was the "adyton", the centre of the Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia.
The monument was partly restored during 1938-1941.
The Treasury of the Athenians. Small building in Doric order, with two columns in antis, and rich relief decoration. It was built by the Athenians at the end of the 6th century B.C. in order to house their offerings to Apollo.
After its restoration, in 1903-1906, it is the best preserved building on the site.
The Altar of the Chians. The large altar of the sanctuary, in front of the temple
of Apollo, was paid for and erected by the people of Chios, in the 5th century B.C., according to an inscription cut on the cornice. The monument was made of black marble, except for the base and cornice which were of white marble, resulting in an impressive color contrast. The altar was restored in 1920.
The Stoa of the Athenians. The Stoa, built in the Ionic order, has seven fluted columns, each made from a single stone. According to an inscription cut on the stylobate, it was erected by the Athenians, after 478 B.C., to house the trophies taken in their naval victories over the Persians.
The Theatre of the sanctuary. It was originally built in the 4th century B.C. but the ruins we see today date from the Roman Imperial period. The cavea had 35 rows of stone benches; the foundations of the skene are preserved on the paved orchestra. The theatre was used mostly for the theatrical performances during the great festivals of the sanctuary.
The Stadium was constructed in the 5th century B.C. and was remodeled in the 2nd century A.D. at the expense of Herodes Atticus. Then were added the stone seats and the arched monumental entrance. It was in this Stadium that the Panhellenic Pythian Games took place.
The Castalia spring. The sacred spring of Delphi lies in the ravine of the Phaedriades. The preserved remains of two monumental fountains that received the water from the spring date to the Archaic period and the Roman era.
The later one is cut in the rock and has niches cut high in the cliff, which probably held the offerings to the Nymph Castalia.
The Tholos. Circular building in Doric order, built in ca. 380 B.C. Its function remains unknown but It must have been an important building, judging from the multi-colored stone, the fine workmanship and the high-standard relief decoration. The monument was partly reconstructed in 1938.
The Polygonal wall. Retaining wall, built after the destruction of the old temple of Apollo in 548 B.C., to support the terrace on which the new temple was to be erected. The masonry is polygonal and the curved joints of the stones fit perfectly in place. A large number of inscriptions, mostly manumissions, are carved on the stones of the wall.
The Gymnasium was a complex of buildings used by the youths of Delphi for their education and practice. It was constructed in two levels: on the upper was a Stoa and a free open space used for running practice, and on the lower was the Palaestra, the pool and the baths (thermal). Hop in on top of this page

THEBES
[Kadmos][Ismenios]

Several rescue excavations and less systematic work in the area of ancient Thebes yielded an abundance of evidence for the city's history and art. However
continuous occupation and the presence of a thriving modern town over the ancient remains rendered impossible a full investigation of the site.
Occupation began in Neolithic times (Pyri) and the settlement was already strong in Early Helladic (3000 - 2000 B.C.) and Middle Helladic period (2000 - 1680 B.C.). The city reached its highest point of splendor and power in Mycenaean period (1600-1100 B.C.).
Thebes was a considerable settlement in geometric and archaic times and during the classical period gained "the hegemony" over the rest of Greece (371-362 B.C.). After the battle of Haeronia (338 B.C.) and its complete destruction by the Macedons (335 B.C.).
Thebes never regained its former glory and power. In the years before 1900 only sporadic excavations took place in the area of Thebes.
Between 1906 and 1929 A. Keramopoulos excavated remains of the Mycenaean palace and of fortifications on the Kadmeia as well as several mycenaean chamber tombs and the foundations of the Temple of Apollo Ismenios. N. Platon and E. Touloupa (1963-1965) and later other members of the Greek Archaeological Service revealed some important parts of Mycenaean administrative center on the citadel as well as the foundations of ancient and medieval buildings investigated in the Lower town. 
Quite recently (1993-95) a conspicuous number of clay tablets (c.250) were found in the area of the so-called "Armoury".
Restoration work at Thebes began, for the first time in 1994 with the consolidation and restoration of the monumental chamber tomb of the "Sons of King Oedipus" in the hills of Kastellia. Works continue and will be completed in the few next years.Hop in on top of this page
The most important monuments of Thebes are:
The mycenaean palace "of Kadmos" (14th-13th c. B.C.).
One of the most important mycenaean administrative centers (palaces) of Mainland Greece laysin about the center of the Kadmeia citadel. Its various wall painted annexes and "departments" covered a great part of the natural hill of Thebes. Parts of the palace were excavated by A. Keramopoullos (1906-1929) and later (1963-1995) by archaeologists of the 9th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. Hop in on top of this page
Particularly important are the archives in Linear script B, the inscribed stirrup-jars, the "Room of the Treasure" and the "Armoury".
The Temple of Apollo Ismenios, belongs to one most important cult of Thebes (the other was the cult of Demeter Thesmophoros). It is situated on the pine-covered hill between the cemetery (Aghios Loukas) and the Electran Gates. The temple was excavated by A. Keramopoullos.
Its remains belongs in a temple with dimensions 21,60X9,30 m and columns respectively 12X6, built perhaps after the battle of Leuktra (371 B.C.).
Before the 4th B.C. temple, there, in the same place a geometric and late an archaic one. From the latter parts of its terracotta superstructure were found.
The Gates of Kadmeia. From the seven mythological gates of Thebes, whose names (often more than seven) are known from the tradition, only the entrance between the two circular towers of the Electran Gates are preserved today. In the place of Proitides and Homoloides Gates were preserved sections of the Mycenaean wall (excavations 1915 and 1984). Hop in on top of this page
The other gates are hypothetically located with the help of the natural exits from the city.
The towers of the Electran Gates were excavated by A. Keramopoullos (1908) and were dated in the time of the city's rebuilding by Kassander (315 B.C.).

HAERONIA
(or Chaironeia)
[The Lion of Haeronia][The Castle of Levadeia]

The area was first settled in the Prehistoric Period (site "Magoula Balomenou"). It was subject to Orchomenos up to the end of the 5th century B.C.: it then formed one of the 11 Boeotian districts until 338 B.C. In the Roman era it was granted status of freedom. The grave of the Thebans was excavated in 1879 and the Magoula Balomenou in 1902-4 by G.Soteriadis.
The most important monuments are:
The Lion of Chaironeia, marble funerary monument (5,5 m. high) which marked the communal grave of the Sacred Band of Thebans that was crushed (338 B.C.) in the battle with Philip B/ of Macedonian. It was discovered in 1818 in pieces and was restored on a plinth 3 m. high.
Ancient theater, curved at the rock. The Acropolis with fortification walls of the Hellenistic period and ancient theatre with its cavea hewn in the rock. The finds from the excavations at Haeronia are exhibited in the local museum.

THE CASTLE OF LEVADEIA

The construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century but most of what is now seen dates from the Catalan occupation of the city, lasting from 1309 until 1380. In 1458 it was captured by the Turks and remained under their control until the liberation of Levadeia. 
The castle lies on the naturally fortified hill of Aghios Elias, overlooking the modern town of Levadeia. The long curtain wall runs steeply down, ending at a substantial tower to the east. It is built of rubble stones and only the gateways are built of finely cut ashlar blocks.A small church inside the castle was much later built on the site of an ancient temple of Zeus
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