The Site
As you land, the Sacred Harbour is on your left, the Commercial Harbour on your right and straight ahead is the Agora of the Competialists . Competialists were Roman merchants or freed slaves who worshipped the Lares Competales, the guardian spirits of crossroads; offerings to Hermes would once have been placed in the middle of the agora, their position now marked by a round and a square base. The Sacred Way leads north from the far left corner; it used to be lined with statues and the grandiose monuments of rival kings. Along it you reach three marble steps which lead into the Sanctuary of Apollo ; much was lavished on the god, but the forest of offerings has been plundered over the years. On your left is the Stoa of the Naxians, while against the north wall of the House of the Naxians, to the right, a huge statue of Apollo stood in ancient times. In 417 BC the Athenian general Nikias led a procession of priests across a bridge of boats from Rheneia to dedicate a bronze palm tree; when it was later blown over in a gale it took the statue with it. Three Temples of Apollo stand in a row to the right along the Sacred Way: the Delian Temple, that of the Athenians and the Porinos Naos, the earliest of them, dating from the sixth century BC. To the east towards the museum you pass the Sanctuary of Dionysos , with its marble phalluses on tall pillars. The best finds from the site are in Athens, but the museum still justifies a visit, if only to see the famous lions , their lean bodies masterfully executed by Naxians in the seventh century BC (of the original nine, three have disappeared and one adorns the Arsenale in Venice). To the north stands a wall that marks the site of the Sacred Lake where Leto gave birth, clinging to a palm tree, guarded by excellent reproductions of the lions. On the other side of the lake is the City Wall, built in 69 BC - too late to protect the treasures. Set out in the other direction from the Agora of the Competialists and you enter the residential area, known as the Theatre Quarter . Many of the walls and roads remain, but there is none of the domestic detail that brings such sites to life. Some colour is added by the mosaics: one in the House of the Trident , and better ones in the House of the Masks , most notably a vigorous portrayal of Dionysos riding on a panther's back. The theatre itself seated 5500 spectators, and, though much ravaged, offers some fine views. Behind the theatre, a path leads past the Sanctuaries of the Foreign Gods and up Mount Kynthos for more panoramic sightseeing.
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