DELOS – a visit to the theatre

Hopefully everyone is now refreshed and are ready to head for The Theatre. I hope everyone is suitably dressed for such an occasion – maybe we will be treated to some of the great Greek dramas, maybe some comedy – maybe some wonderful music – who knows?

Turning left we work our way back past the phallus monuments, arriving at the South Stoa which together with the Oblique Stoa and L- Shaped Stoa of the Agora of the Delians created the sides of a court known as the Agora of the Delians. Also referred to as the Little Stoa.

This 66m long portico, originally supported by 28 Doric columns, was built in the 3rd century BC, lining the route to the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Walking up through the ruins we pass the House of Cleopatra (gasp) and her husband who were citizens of Delos. It is not, however, the house of the famed Egyptian queen and Mark Anthony and it is hard to take any photos as we are on the wrong side and everything seems to be gated off.  Nevertheless here are some of the items of interest along the way – – lots of buildings with no names and pieces just seemed to be placed in some of the rooms to keep them out of the way –

Most of the walkways are just dirt and mud but every now and again there is a paved section –

We have arrived at the House of Dionysus.  It stands out from afar with huge marble columns that extend over the walls.  The most famous part of the house is the super emblem in the centre of the mosaic floor in the courtyard (below right), which is one of the most exquisite creations of Hellenistic mosaic decoration. The original is in the Delos Museum – remember?

This mosaic depicts the god Dionysus as a winged spirit riding on a tiger. Dionysus was the god of wine and theatre in ancient Greek religion and myth. Wine played an important role in Greek culture – definitely a plus – and the cult of Dionysus was the main religious focus for its consumption.  This mosaic was used as an interior floor decoration; made of small, flat, roughly square pieces of stone or glass of different colours and is dated from the late 2nd century BC.

The Temple of Isis is a Doric temple which is built on a small hill above the Museum.  It was built in the 2nd century BC and contains a statue of the goddess Isis.  This is the closest we get and we also do not get to see much of the House of the Trident.

Barriers and ropes hide the interior.  We have reached The Theatre.

Today, covered almost completely by its scattered pieces which lay under thick vegetation and the debris accumulated over the years, it is hard to imagine the glory of what it once was.  The ancient theatre of Delos was one of a few ancient Greek theatres completely built in marble. It had a capacity of 6.500 people.

Its construction started around 314 BC and ended around 70 years later, in 250 BC. It was abandoned in 88 BC, after the Mithridates plundered the island.

Some exciting information is that restoration of the audience area will be soon started. Although it will not be completely restored (something which would look rather odd in the vast ruin site of Delos), the theatre will be protected against the ravages of time – only 584 of the 4.000 marble pieces of the theatre remain unidentified.

The actual restoration work will include moving and labelling the architectonic pieces in the area, protection of the rock surfaces to make it easier for rainwater to flow away and the protection of containment walls. The operation will cost around 1.5 million euros, according to the Greek press. No new marble will be used in the project.

One of the worst parts of being on an organised tour is that I am constantly looking at my watch. I would love to stay here longer but there are things to see – like the House of The Dolphins.  Since watching Boy on a Dolphin (I have mentioned this movie before) this was also on my must see list.

The House of the Dolphins contains a peristyle floor mosaic design that is unusual for Delos, with a circle enclosed by a square outline. In each corner of the square are pairs of dolphins ridden by tiny winged figures bearing the emblems of various Greek deities, namely the thrysus – a wand or staff of giant fennel, covered with ivy vines and leaves; a caduceus – one with two serpents twined round it, carried by the messenger god Hermes or Mercury; a trident and one object that is missing due to damage.

The circle contains a central rosette design surrounded by floral garlands and gryffins. The mosaic, signed by a certain Asclepades of Arados is one of only two examples from Delos that bears a signature of the original artist.

There is so much more to see – the House of the Masks for one but time is running out and I have to be making my way back down the hill to the wharf as the ferry will not wait.  We are all back at the assigned time and now for the voyage back to Mykonos.  I am sad to go – but maybe I will be able to return one day.  The weather has improved but it is still cloudy but it doesn’t stop me taking more photos – it looks to be late in the afternoon but it is only about 1.30pm.

I think it would be magical to cruise around the islands on the above ship.  Maybe not on days like today but blue skies, calm seas and being lazy – would suit me down to the ground.

The last photos as I say farewell – there was so much left unseen with so much history left unsaid.

As we near the entrance to Mykonos harbour- the famous windmills come into view.

The windmills are the first thing seen when coming into the harbour as they stand on a hill overlooking the area. Most windmills face towards the North where the island’s climate sources its strongest winds over the largest part of the year.

There are currently 16 windmills on Mykonos of which seven are positioned on the landmark hill in Chora. Most of them were built by the Venetians in the 16th century, but their construction continued into the early 20th century. They were primarily used to mill wheat. They were an important source of income for the inhabitants. Their use gradually declined until they ceased production in the middle of the 20th century. The architecture of each of them is similar, all have a round shape, white colour and a pointed roof and very small windows.

I am glad I got to see them from the ferry as the thought of trudging around them in this weather leaves me unmoved.  Walking back through the town, I get the usual fridge magnet and as nothing really catches my eye – it is so, so touristy, I try to find transport back to my hotel.  I spy a taxi place – so after telling him where I want to go he tells me EUR 15 – obviously cheaper to leave than arrive and we are soon on our way.

Relaxing back at the hotel, the weather has not improved so no swim but a nice hot shower and watching a bit of TV (major groan) until time for dinner.  I venture forth and look at all the seafood restaurants around here and it was like mortgaging the house to buy a fish meal.

Dinner ordered from the hotel and dining on the terrace might be the go. a Grilled Chicken Baguette and a Pina Colada Smoothie arrives courtesy of room service and I plan to eat outside but, of course, as soon as I get organised a gale springs up and back inside for some room dining takes place.

Once dinner is finished it is time to pack for my journey to Naxos tomorrow.  Hopefully the seas will not be rough – the sun will be shining – and the gods will be happy.