Delos, Greece

The Terrace of the Lions, created in around 600BC, was also dedicated to Apollo. The monument originally comprised nine to twelve snarling marble lions, facing towards what is known as the Sacred Lake of Delos. 

There were an unprecedented number of sanctuaries dedicated to foreign religions. One such example, the Doric Temple of Isis, was built on a hill, at the beginning of the Roman period in the 2^nd century BC, to venerate the familiar trinity of Isis, Sarapis, and Anubis.

The Feast of the Delians was celebrated in May and took place every four years, up until 316 BC. It included gymnastic, equestrian and musical competitions, Archaic Age dances, theatrical productions and banquets, and it was one of the major events in the Greek world.

The Roman period of Delos began in around 167 BC when it was declared by the Romans to be a free port. Despite measuring only five kilometres from north to south and around one kilometre from east to west, it became the centre of commercial activity of the eastern Mediterranean.

Rich merchants, bankers and ship-owners from all over the world settled on Delos, drawing to the island many builders, artists and craftsmen, who built for them luxurious houses that were richly decorated with frescoes and mosaic floors. 

The House of Dionysus was a luxurious private house named for the floor mosaic depicting Dionysus riding a panther. The tesserae materials – glass, faience, terracotta and natural stone – were fashioned into 1 mm² pieces, allowing for sharp detail and an elaborate colour scheme.

In each of the four corners of the mosaic is an image of Cupid riding a dolphin. This piece of work bears the name of its artist, which is quite unusual considering that mosaics were usually left unsigned.

The archaeological site of Delos provides an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that presents the image of an extremely important cosmopolitan Mediterranean port that began to prosper from 314 BC, reaching outstanding levels during the 2^nd and 1^st centuries BC. 

Delos had considerable influence on the development of architecture and monumental arts during the Greco-Roman period and, as one of the first Greek sites to catch the attention of archaeologists, has played an important role in furthering our knowledge of ancient Greek art.