Apollo Was Here: Delos & Delphi

In the throes of labor, the Titaness Leto searched desperately for a place to bear Apollo and Artemis. Zeus was the father of the twins and his (justifiably) vengeful wife Hera had vowed to curse any piece of land that allowed Leto to give birth. As an extra bit of enforcement, Hera sent the serpent/dragon Python in pursuit of Leto. (Where was Zeus during all of this? That’s what I’d like to know. Apparently he sent the North Wind to help her along, but really, that seems like a pretty feeble gesture under the circumstances.) Continue reading

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 99

According to legend the island of Delos, pictured above, was the birthplace of the twin Olympian gods Apollo and Artemis, making it a sacred place. In antiquity it was a major religious, political and trading center. The Cyclades island group is so-named because it encircles and protects Delos. That a group of islands should be named based on their position in relation to Delos, is one indication of its importance. Today, the island’s only permanent inhabitants are the toppled remains of an illustrious past, and those remains are some of the best we have from Classical antiquity. Modern visitors to the island come on short excursions from neighboring islands. The 6th-century BCE lions lining the Sacred Way once numbered 12. What we see in the open air today are replicas, with the remaining originals protected from the elements in the nearby museum.

Can you name that county? 
See below for answers.

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