THE SPHINX OF NAXOS
Sphinx of the Naxians
The Sphinx of Naxos, Νάξος, also Sphinx of the Naxians, stood on a tall Ionic column next the famous Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the religious center of the ancient Greek world. It served as a guardian within the sanctuary, erected near the sacred Halos (“threshing floor”), where, according to tradition, the god Apollo killed the serpent Python.
Offering from Naxos
The first fragments of a sphinx were excavated from the sanctuary of the Temple of Apollo in 1860. The remainder was found in 1893. It was originally set up on a stele around 560 BC as a votive offering to the Temple of Apollo by Naxos, one of the richest Cycladic islands at the time. The overall height of the statue, the column and its base topped 12.5 meters.
The statue of this mythical creature stood on a towering Ionic column, which may have been the oldest Ionic construction project in the site of the Oracle of Delphi. Her statue had been set up close to the Halos, the most sacred spot of Delphi, where Apollo had presumably killed the python. According to tradition and its mythological representation, the Sphinx had the face of a woman bearing an enigmatic smile, prey bird wings, and the body of a lioness. It was carved from a large piece of Naxian marble. The solid construction combined elements that gave the statue a character of motion and vitality, such are the details that depict the hair, chest, and wings.
It is also notable because it is an early example of carving in-the-round, as opposed to relief carving that was common during that time.
The monument was made entirely of marble and reached 12.45 meters in height. The monument created awe to the visitors and constituted a typical example of Naxian sculpture in its peak period, i.e., in the sixth century B.C.
The Greek sphinx, a lion with the face of a human female, was considered as having ferocious strength, and was thought of as a guardian, often flanking the entrances to temples.
Sphinxes' depictions are generally associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples.
The Sphinx of Naxians, found near Apollo temple of Delphi, now in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
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The sphinx, now on display in the Delphi Archaeological Museum, sits on its haunches with forelegs fully extended atop an early example of an Ionic capital. Over two meters tall, it has the head of a woman, the body of a lioness, and the wings of a large bird of prey. The feathers on the wings and chest are extensively detailed, while the face, bearing large triangular eyes and the enigmatic “Archaic smile,” points ahead. Carved from a large piece of Naxian marble and dating to 560 BC, it is one of the earliest examples of a carving in-the-round.
The Naxian Sphinx on its 12.5 meters long Ionic column (reconstruction).
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Ionic achitectural order. (WP). The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. The Ionic capital is characterized by the use of volutes. The Ionic columns normally stand on a base which separates the shaft of the column from the stylobate or platform while the cap is usually enriched with egg-and-dart.
The ancient architect and architectural historian Marcus Vitruvius Pollio associates the Ionic with feminine proportions, the Doric representing the masculine.
The combined height of the statue and the column would have reached a staggering 12.5 meters, evoking fear and awe among the pilgrims arriving at the sanctuary. It was dedicated by the islanders of Naxos, described by Herodotus as the richest of all Greek islands at the time, and served as a reminder of their power and influence.
A 10m long column made of sólido marble and a 2.2m high statue must weigh a lot; and transporting it 412 km (Naxos tô Delphi) by ship by sea and then on land is today a Herculean task. Imagine this being done in 500 BC! This show us how rich were the people of Naxos.
Naxos (Greek: Νάξος, pronounced [ˈnaksos]) is a Greek island and the largest and richest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of the archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best abrasives available.
Sphinxes were often associated with grave monuments or religious temples and frequently appear in Greek mythology and literature, most famously the cycle of Theban legends involving the House of Oedipus. They were regarded as malevolent and mysterious in almost equal measure.
Reconstruction of the temple of Apollo, Delphi.
Location of Sphinx and column.
The most famous Oracle of the ancient world was located at Delphi in Mainland Greece. The Oracle of Delphi was dedicated to Apollo, god of Light and Harmony.
For over 1,000 years, pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean travelled to Delphi to receive the prophecies of Apollo through the words of the priestess. It was such a renowned religious site that all the “Great Powers” of the times would erect a monument to demonstrate their wealth and power to all visitors.
During the 6th Century BC, Naxos was one of the most prosperous Greek islands due to its strategic location in the center of Aegean Sea combined with island’s natural resources, such as water, farm land, marble quarries, emery mines and more. Thanks to the abundance of marble in the Cyclades, Naxians soon developed excellent skills in carving marble into works of art which were eventually displayed at the most famous sanctuaries of the ancient world. And, the Oracle of Delphi was included in the list.
Apollo’s temple at Delphi.
The Oracle of Delphi required some necessary operational procedures to facilitate process of delivering prophecies. Whenever Pythia, head priestess was scheduled to chew the laurel leaves, inhale the hallucinogenic vapors coming from deep fissures in the earth and begin murmuring words, petitioners should wait in line for order of admission. In continuation, her words would take the form of prophecies with the help of the male priests of the sanctuary.
However, there was always a way to get a higher place in the line…perhaps by offering a major gift to the oracle? Oh yes, and this is the case with the massive Naxian Sphinx statue.
On the base there was an inscription dated to 328-327 B.C., renewing the promanteia for the Naxians:
ΔΕΛΦΟΙ ΑΠΕΔΩΚΑΝ ΝΑΞΙΟΙΣ ΤΑΝ ΠΡΟΜΑΝΤΗΙΑΝ ΚΑΤΤΑ ΑΡΧΑΙΑ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΟΣ ΘΕΟΛΥΤΟΥ ΒΟΥΛΕΥΟΝΤΟΣ ΕΠΙΓΕΝΕΟΣ
Delphi accorded the Naxians the right of Promanteia as before, at the time of archon Theolytos and Epigenes the Bouleutes
The representatives of Naxos wanted to get privilege of “promanteia”, which means to become eligible to consult the Oracle first whenever they needed to do so. Therefore, their offering to Apollo’s sanctuary was a 2 meter statue of a Sphinx standing majestically on a 10 meter Ionic column. The Naxian Sphinx was placed close to the “rock of the Sibyl” at a clearly visible spot along the Sacred Way, the marble road which led the pilgrims to Apollo’s temple. The selection of this prominent location symbolized the political, financial and artistic superiority of Naxos island in the Archaic period.
Some others sphinx
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