Despite its small size, the book is particularly rich,
informative and could also interest adult readers. Delphi is a very complex
archaeological site, and this booklet helps all visitors.
A sketch map of southern Greece shows Delphi and other
towns or places of interest. For Thebes, De Castro and Weinstein give us
background information and a small sketch drawing of Oedipus and the sphinx,
perhaps preparing us for the colossal statue of the Sphinx from Naxos in the
Archaeological Museum of Delphi at the end of the book. De Castro continues
with scene-setting by presenting a bird’s eye view of the road to Delphi below
Parnassos and the Phaidriades.
Mythology is needed to explain Delphi further. The
Omphalos marks the centre of the world, where Zeus’ eagles met. In fleeing
Apollo’s pursuit, Daphne became a Laurel tree. According to ancient Greek
belief, we are told, the gods had turned some people into trees (in Daphne’s case,
her father, the river god Peneus transformed her to protect her from Apollo),
plants, and flowers.
Background information about Apollo is presented in a
humorous manner. Firstly, we have Apollo’s police-like identity card, with his
genealogy, multiple epithets, favourite musical instruments, weapons, plants,
and animals. Secondly, we read about Leto’s and Apollo’s journey to Delphi and
the slaying of the Python. The mythological narrative is recounted
succinctly.
The following pages expand on divination and what it
means for mortals. The Greeks and international visitors to Delphi appear to
have found it hard to determine the god’s will. Themistokles was smart,
realising that the “wooden walls” referred to ships. De Castro explains the
step-by-step process of receiving prophesies, and the fun illustrations here
help enormously to visualise the different steps. In the end, however, we read
that we cannot ascertain how Pythia came up with prophecies.
Children learn about archaeological excavations and
the re-discovery of Delphi in recent times. No mention is made of the
substantial involvement of French archaeologists. Yet, the illustration showing
an archaeologist unearthing a male statue takes cues from real events,
specifically the excavation of a statue of Antinoos by the Temple of Apollo in
1893*. Indeed, the head of this statue is shown at the end of the book. De
Castro’s presentation of the “archaeological site” is simple and easy to
follow. The main buildings, such as the Temple of Apollo and the Siphnian
Treasury, are marked, and we are reminded that what we see today is a mosaic of
remains from different periods. A focus on the theatre and the stadium are most
welcome, as these are major landmarks and potentially familiar to children from
other sites in Greece. There is a brief reference to mythology for the stadium,
as Zeus started the Pythian Games to honour Python.
Having wandered around the site (and the landscape), children enter the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. In the museum, statues speak. Thus, Kleobis and Biton, two iconic images of Archaic art, tell their story, which is partly mythological and factual. Children pick up some general knowledge too, as the statues clarify what kouroi and korai stand for. The Charioteer’s self-introduction includes information about materials and craftsmanship, prompting children to look closely at the statue’s surface. The Sphinx from Naxos explains her monstrosity, and how she is a mixture of a woman, bird, lion, and eagle. She defines herself as a “mythical creature”. By contrast, Antinoos refers to Hadrian's historical figure: "I am Antinoos, the favourite friend of Roman Emperor Hadrian" (my translation).
Children are asked to observe details of famous museum
exhibits. De Castro and Weinstein are to be praised for making children look at
artefacts of different materials (metal, clay, stone), think about the objects’
function (e.g., a hydria for water), and learn about mythology (e.g., a golden
plaque showing the Gorgon).
The last page, showing the family car, informs us about places of interest near Delphi, including a Byzantine monastery which is yet another place of historical significance.
* See historicaltimes.tumblr.com (accessed: August 3, 2018).
