DELPHI ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

This museum (Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Δελφών/Archaiologiko Mousio Delfon) is the richest in Greece, along with the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. However, it only presents finds from a very limited area, that of the ancient sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. But the site enjoyed such an aura that Greek cities amassed here some of the finest works of art of all antiquity. And so, despite destruction, fire, landslides and the test of time, French and Greek archaeologists have, since the ^19th century, unearthed one of mankind's great treasures. The 1980s museography, though a little dated, continues to showcase this exceptional heritage, with explanations in French. A complete visit takes around 2 hours. Our advice in summer: visit the archaeological site as soon as it opens and then enjoy the coolness of the museum during the hottest hours. In winter, do the opposite to keep warm in the morning and enjoy the mid-day sun outside. The museum has a café, store and fountains at the entrance.

Origins of Delphi. The first three rooms retrace the origins of the sanctuary from the ^2nd millennium BC onwards. In Room 1, in addition to some fine bronze griffin heads, a terracotta statue of a Mycenaean divinity seated on a three-legged chair is particularly noteworthy: it foreshadows what would become, from the ^8th century BC onwards, the symbol of the Delphic Pythia: the tripod. In Room 2, a small kouros, a 15 cm-high "young man" sculpted in Crete around 620 B.C., foreshadows the first two large kouroi sculpted in Greece around 580 B.C., presented in the next room: the brothers Cleobis and Biton from Argos, sturdy wrestlers 1.97 m tall, whose stocky physique contrasts with their fine, almond-shaped eyes and feminine hair.

Archaic period. Rooms 4 and 5 bear witness to the development of Greek art in the Archaic period. Among the objects discovered along the Sacred Way is the exceptional "Apollonian trilogy" from the ^6th century BC: chryselephantine statues (gold and ivory) of Apollo, his twin Artemis and their mother Leto. Works of this type have almost all disappeared. But here we can admire the work of the artists, probably from the island of Samos: gold hair and jewels, including the magnificent engraved Gorgon of Artemis, ivory facial expressions (except that of Leto, ravaged by flames). The Corfu Bull (c. 480 B.C.) is also very impressive, with its 2.5 m-long body in silver leaf and its head and hooves in gold. The Cyclades are next in the spotlight, with the beautiful friezes from the Sifnos treasure (c. 525 BC) featuring superb battle scenes (Trojan War, confrontation between the gods and the Giants) and Delphi's most famous marble sculpture: the Naxos Sphinx (560 BC). Standing 2.20 m tall, this winged creature with a lioness's body and a woman's face was installed at the top of the Naxian column (10 m high), along the "polygonal wall". On the base of the statue, an inscription was added in the ^4th century B.C. It renews the promantia granted to the citizens of Naxos: the privilege of consulting the Pythia as a matter of priority.

Temple and treasures. Rooms 6 to 10 showcase the most beautiful sculpted decorations ever discovered at Delphi. Despite the Edict of Thessalonica in 392, which led to the destruction of polytheistic places of worship, many elements of the sanctuary have been preserved. The frieze depicting the Trojan War (c. 330 B.C.) has survived from the last version of Apollo's temple, with some of its pigments still intact. As the combatants clash, on the right sit the gods in favor of the Greeks: Athena, Hera and Demeter. On the left stand those who support the Trojans: Ares (shield in hand), Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo (with feminine features and turned towards his sister) and Zeus (who has lost his head). Part of the decoration of the previous^5th-century temple was also found on site, including a lion devouring its prey and an unusual representation of Niké (divinity of Victory) on her knees on the ground. Rooms 7 and 8 are devoted to the Athenian Treasure (c. 490 BC), with the bas-reliefs of the almost complete outer frieze: Amazonomachia (Greek battle against the Amazons), the exploits of Theseus and the labors of Heracles. The same building also yielded the Delphic Hymns: two of the oldest known musical scores in the world. These are texts engraved in 138 and 128 BC, in which the words are accompanied by precise indications for the melodies. Rooms 9 and 10 showcase finds from the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, in particular eleven Paros marble fragments from the Massaliotes treasure frieze (c. 510 BC): scenes from the Gigantomachy (Zeus and the gods fighting the Giants) and the Amazonomachy, including a fine warrior's head.

Statues and sculptures. Rooms 11 and 12 feature works sculpted between the classical and Roman periods. The most impressive is the column known as the "Dancers of Delphi" (c. 330 BC), which supported the Omphalos stone in the Temple of Apollo. Full of grace, the three 1.95 m-tall female figures are suspended above large acanthus leaves, dressed in a chiton (short tunic) with strikingly realistic folds, and holding in one arm the calathos (basket) in which sat the symbol of the center of the world. The Omphalos has been placed beside it. This is one of the many versions of the "navel" that existed at Delphi. It takes the form of an ogive covered with woolen netting. It evokes the birth of Zeus: the god deceived his father Cronos, who wanted to swallow him with a stone swaddled like a newborn baby. Of particular note from the Roman period is the nude of Antinous (c. 130 AD). This young Greek lover of Emperor Hadrian was deified after drowning in the Nile. He is depicted here with perfect forms, in the style of ancient Greek statues.

The Aurige of Delphi. The most formidable bronze work of the Greco-Roman world stands majestically alone in room 13. This 1.82 m-high chariot driver was part of a set created for Polyzalos, king of the Greek city of Gela in Sicily, to celebrate his victory in the chariot race at the Pythian Games in Delphi in 478 or 474 B.C. It was unearthed by archaeologists from the École française d'Athènes in 1896, between the temple of Apollo and the theater. Two things make this sculpture exceptional. Firstly, most bronze statues have been melted down over the centuries. The Aurige de Delphes is one of only five surviving large bronzes from the Classical period, along with the god of Artemision and the Livadestra Poseidon on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Secondly, it is the oldest bronze depicting a clothed figure. The folds of the xystis (long tunic) required meticulous work on the part of the anonymous artist who created this work. But the realism is there, with the victory band and the straps tied under the armpits to prevent the xystis from catching the wind during the race. It should be noted that the left hand is absent, as are the glass beads in place of the eyes, and that the reins held with the right hand are a reconstruction. It should also be remembered that although the charioteer won the race, it was Polyzalos, as owner of the carriage, who was awarded the title of champion. The same was true of all equestrian events in ancient Greece. A subtle evocation also presents, on the basis of scattered elements, what the complete work must have looked like: the charioteer standing on the platform of the two-wheeled chariot, the four horses and a young groom stationed in front of them.