Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Greece 2023: Delphi IV

(Editor's Note:  Apparently if I use a Incognito window, whatever is interfering with the ability to upload pictures does not create issues - so we are back in business!)

Beyond just the ruins of Delphi, there is a museum where they have many of the statues and carvings that have be found on the site.

A carving that might have been under the roof of a temple (Metope) or lower down.  Note the lion laying waste to some poor soul.


The Sphinx of Naxos.  Dating from around 500 B.C., this stood on a 12.5 m column near the Temple of Apollo.


A meeting of...someone?  Nothing I can remember, but do note the chariot race.


From the Myth of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux):


The Calydonian Boar:


I believe this was Theseus and the Minotaur:



The Omphalos, literally the Navel of The Earth.  In Greek mythology, Zeus set two eagles to fly around the world and they met at Delphi.


Inscription from the the Roman Era.  I am tickled that the word "Macedon" is clearly legible.


The Charioteer of Delphi.  This bronze statue was part of a larger piece consisting the Charioteer, his chariot and four horses, and possibly four grooms.  It was cast in the 470's B.C., likely to commemorate a victory in a chariot race by the tyrant Polyzalus of Sicily.  It was buried in a rockslide in 373 B.C., thus preserving the piece instead of it being melted down at a later date.



Imagine if more of these works had survived.


The craftsmanship and detail belie the fact these were they were produced long ago, in a "primitive" society.

6 comments:

  1. Nylon128:06 AM

    Those last three photos, the level of detail in that casting, impressive TB.

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    1. Nylon12, and the reason we have this is only because of a historical fluke. Imagine the artistry that we will never see. I feel like we would be hard pressed to reach this level of detail using the tools they used in the modern day.

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  2. I use Chrome and have not had a single issue loading pictures on any of my posts that I've written this past week.

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    1. Ed, it has to be some setting I have, but it was consistent with both Brave and Chrome. In this case, going into Incognito mode - in either browser - resolves the problem. And, it uploads like it used to as an individual picture, not as a bland single line.

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  3. I can't imagine having the patience to produce such beautiful works, but I'm glad someone did because they are a fascinating peek into how people lived in the past, how they styled their hair and clothing. The garment on the bronze statue, for example. The way the fabric drapes, and the way the sleeves are gathered and set in; not primitive at all.

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    1. Leigh, it is present in all the remaining artwork we have, sculpture and casting and pottery. While these were a people that had a limited technology, I agree with you they were far from primitive; most people today could not live and thrive (let alone create art) in that world.

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