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The Aegean Sea and its collection
of beautiful islands
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are framed by the coastlines
of mainland Greece and Turkey.
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Millions of tourists of all
nationalities come here every year.
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3,000 years ago,
it was just as popular.
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The ports of the Aegean
would have been crammed
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with families, workers,
soldiers and kings,
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travelling for trade and to fight.
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The cities of ancient Greece
were often at war with each other.
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I want to find out more about this
vast and complicated civilisation,
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to dig out the real stories
behind the myths.
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And I'm not just going
to the well-known tourist spots.
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Of course not.
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I'm headed off the beaten track.
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I'm Alice Roberts,
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and I'm travelling hundreds of miles
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through what is now
Greece and Turkey,
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looking into the flowering
of classical civilisation
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from ancient Greece to the Romans...
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Oh, my goodness! That's wonderful.
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..to discover
this region's vital role
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as the birthplace of Plato,
Socrates and Alexander the Great,
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mythology, theatre and democracy.
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I'm halfway through my adventure
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discovering
ancient Greek civilisation,
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and I'm in the middle
of the Aegean Sea,
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on the beautiful island of Paros.
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From Thessaloniki,
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I've travelled down
to Athens and Corinth
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before taking a five-hour journey
on a ferry.
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And now Paros will be my base
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as I travel to the islands around it
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to learn more about ancient Greece
in this stunning part of the world.
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Islanders here have been travelling
by boat for thousands of years.
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This morning I'm heading to Delos.
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It's virtually uninhabited...
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..but the ancient remains there
are a big draw for the tourists.
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Every day
this ferry does a round trip
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from Paros to Delos and Mykonos,
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and then back to Paros again.
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Whoo!
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So this is the sacred island
of Delos, sacred to Apollo,
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where representatives from all over
Greece came in the 5th century BCE
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to sign up to the Delian League
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to promise to Athens
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that they would form an alliance
against the Persians.
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And that also involved
paying quite...
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..paying quite a hefty tribute
to Athens as well.
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This is a central meeting place
for all of the Greeks.
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There is that sacred nature to it.
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But also it was just geographically
right in the middle,
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so everybody could come together
here.
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And they did regularly anyway.
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There were Delian Games,
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which brought people together
from all over the Aegean.
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As we know, the Greeks
really enjoyed coming together
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for festivals and games.
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Wow!
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Oh, my goodness, look at this.
It's just all there.
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Look at that.
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We are just coming in
to the ancient port of Delos,
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and the archaeology
is right up to the shoreline.
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It goes all the way up the hill
here.
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It's enormous.
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Oh, the best approach to an
archaeological site anywhere, surely.
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Although it's one of the smaller
islands in the Aegean,
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Delos was considered deeply sacred
in antiquity.
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And there's evidence that people
have been living here
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for at least 5,000 years.
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1:30 departure time. OK?
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1:30?
1:30.
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Lovely. Efharisto.
Parakalo.
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I'm meeting Maria, an archaeologist
who's been working here on Delos
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for the past nine years.
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Maria.
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Hi, Alice.
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Welcome to Delos.
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Kalimera.
Kalimera.
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What an incredible approach
to an archaeological site.
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Yes, indeed.
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I've never experienced
anything like it.
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And it's wonderful.
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You know what you experienced?
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What you experienced
is what the ancient people did.
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Yeah. Right from the ship.
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You know,
coming from Naxos and Paros
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to visit the great sanctuary
of Apollo on Delos.
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Yeah.
It's exactly the same.
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They were coming with the boat,
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you know,
and visited the great sanctuary.
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Where should we start then, Maria?
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Let's go and visit,
I think, the sanctuary of the god.
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In the 1st millennium BCE, Delos grew
into an immensely prosperous port
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and a religious centre.
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With a famous sanctuary
to the sun god, Apollo,
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who, according to mythology,
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was born on the island
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alongside his twin sister, Artemis,
the moon goddess.
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Pilgrims came from all over Greece
to worship Apollo here.
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So what are we entering here, Maria?
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Here we are inside
the sanctuary of the temple.
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And, actually, this is one
of the earliest buildings.
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This is called the Oikos of
Naxians,
the House of Naxians.
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Yeah.
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We don't know if it was a temple
of the god or not.
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Right.
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But we know
that it is the first building
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that it had marble roof tiles.
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Because marble tiles
were invented by the Naxians.
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It seems like
quite an unusual style.
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I mean, you've got
a rectangular building...
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With a central...
..with a central row of columns.
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This is because it is very early,
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and the people were afraid
that the roof is going to fall
down.
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So they had the central column...
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Because of the weight of it
with these marbles tiles.
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Exactly, exactly.
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I haven't seen that before. I haven't
seen that central row of columns.
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Well, if you go to Naxos,
you are going to see it.
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We have some tiles like that.
We're not going to Naxos.
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(LAUGHS)
Oh. Next time. Next time.
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Oh, no. Next time.
On your next trip.
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Yeah.
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And here the Naxians,
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besides the temple,
they have dedicated a huge kouros.
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A huge colossal kouros.
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This is the base of the statue?
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This is the base of one statue
measuring like 10 to 11 metres.
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And this base, was that originally
one slab of stone, Maria?
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Exactly. There was one stone.
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That's huge.
Yes.
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You see this inscription?
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This is archaic scripture.
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And the Naxians were boasting
that they made the statue
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and the base
from the same marble block.
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Oh, my goodness.
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That was really an achievement
for the...
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Yeah, yeah.
..for the period.
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And in the 15th century,
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we have some travellers coming here
and designing, you know.
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And we know it was almost standing
OK.
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As late as the 15th century?
It was standing in the 15th
century.
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But then the travellers
have started coming
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and each one was coming,
was trying to take a part of it.
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Oh, no!
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Until 1671, it had its head,
the kouros had its head.
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Then we lost it with a ship
around 1673.
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So somebody had taken it?
Yes.
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I hope it's in a museum
or in a house somewhere,
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and not in the bottom of the sea.
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At the bottom of the sea. Yeah.
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But...
How extraordinary.
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Over there,
where you see the green trees?
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Yeah.
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It used to be the sacred lake.
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And the lions
are looking to the sacred lake.
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We are going to see them right now.
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So we are still
inside the sanctuary.
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So it's huge, this sanctuary.
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It's huge.
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So there are the lions.
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You can see them.
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Yeah.
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You can see,
they were guarding the road
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from the sanctuary
to the birthplace of the god.
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Yeah.
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How many do you think
there were originally?
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So, there were from 9 to 17 lions
made of Naxian stone,
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dated to late 7th century BC.
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They were guarding the road here
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and they were watching
the sacred lake.
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Yeah.
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You don't see anywhere other...
..anywhere trees.
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This is where the water is.
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Because underneath there was water.
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It was dried out in the '20s, '30s,
something like that,
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because there was malaria
on the island.
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The workers had malaria.
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So that's why...
that's why they dried it out.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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So that's the lake...
That's the lake.
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..where, in legend,
Apollo and Artemis were born.
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In the middle of the lake,
there used to be a palm tree.
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Yeah.
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And there Leto grabbed the palm
tree
and she gave birth to the twins.
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Yeah.
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Artemis first, when it was
still night, and then Apollo.
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And when Apollo was born,
day also started.
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Ah, so that's interesting,
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because Apollo is kind of a sun god
as well.
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Exactly. Yes, exactly.
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And Artemis
is associated with the moon.
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And Artemis is the moon goddess.
Yeah.
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So where now? To the city?
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Yes.
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Delos was a hugely successful
commercial hub in the Mediterranean,
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and many rich merchants
chose to make it their home,
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building themselves palatial houses.
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Around the atrium there are rooms.
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In the ground floor,
there are no windows to the street
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because the street is full of
noise,
full of smells.
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Can you imagine
20,000 people packed living here?
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OK. It must have been a very...
And security as well.
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And security, of course,
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because these people
were obviously wealthy.
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Fabulously rich.
Fabulously rich.
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Yeah.
OK.
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But on the second floor...
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And we know
that there is a second floor
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because there's a staircase
over there - you're going to see
it.
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On the second floor are probably
the rooms of the family.
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And these rooms,
they had the view to the sea.
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Yes.
OK. And windows and view to the
sea.
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And here you can see the staircase,
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00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,840
climbing up to the second floor.
215
00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,560
But the second floor
started after the columns ended.
216
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So the ground floor...
the ground floor was 560,
217
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because these columns are 560.
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So the ground floor was like a
double floor of today architecture.
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Absolutely stunning.
220
00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:06,480
It would have been magnificent.
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It is magnificent still.
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00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,200
Yes, it is, it is.
Yeah.
223
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Can we walk out here?
Yes, we can.
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This Hellenistic period
of the city is so beautiful.
225
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Yes, it is.
226
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Gorgeous to walk through.
It's gorgeous.
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And we're seeing Delos
at the height of its powers.
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But, yeah, you do wonder
how it got there.
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Exactly. How did it start?
Yeah.
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What happened that it became
the centre of the Cyclades,
231
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the centre of the cult of Apollo?
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And so economically important -
politically and economically.
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And economically.
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Still plenty of questions here.
Every time.
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And the more we know,
the more questions we have.
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Yeah, yeah.
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We'll see. The future will show us.
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Are you hopeful?
239
00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:02,760
Of course we are hopeful.
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You have to be as an archaeologist.
241
00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:05,840
Yes. It's the... Yeah.
Yeah.
242
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Next on my tour
is the Greek island of Mykonos.
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A complete contrast with Delos.
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00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:33,200
In many ways,
Delos's success was its undoing.
245
00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:38,000
In Roman times it was attacked
by enemies of Rome and pirates,
246
00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,160
and then it was abandoned
and fell into ruin.
247
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Beautiful windmills.
248
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Mykonos, on the other hand,
is full of life
249
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and has grown into the most popular
tourist destination in the Cyclades.
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It's a different world here
on Mykonos.
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00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:03,200
It's so populated
compared with Delos,
252
00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,000
and we've got all these restaurants
and cafes and shops
253
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,080
coming right down to the waterfront.
254
00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:15,720
But what we have to do is imagine
what Delos was like 2,000 years ago,
255
00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:17,400
2,500 years ago,
256
00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:19,840
because it would have been
just like this.
257
00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:26,320
Just as bustling and vibrant
and colourful as Mykonos is today.
258
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,640
And then it became abandoned.
259
00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:32,400
And it means that the archaeologists
260
00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,280
have really been able
to understand it in its entirety.
261
00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:37,960
And, of course, here on Mykonos,
262
00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,320
if we were to get
down underneath these buildings,
263
00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,400
their foundations will be medieval.
264
00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,080
Underneath that, Roman.
Underneath that, Hellenistic.
265
00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,320
Civilisation just keeps on going.
266
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,680
I'm back on the ferry,
returning to Paros.
267
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:02,600
I've a meeting this evening
with a man who wants to preserve
268
00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:07,480
ancient island life
against a tide of modernisation.
269
00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,520
But before then,
I have a couple of hours to kill,
270
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,120
and the sea is calling me.
271
00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:19,840
As much as I like
travelling by train,
272
00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,040
this is my favourite mode
of transport.
273
00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,320
The Aegean islands,
including this group, the Cyclades,
274
00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,240
are full of ancient history,
275
00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,440
good food, good wine,
276
00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,560
and the beautiful, beautiful Aegean.
277
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:10,160
It's not surprising that thousands
of tourists come here every year.
278
00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:22,280
In fact, Paros attracts
half a million visitors every year.
279
00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:28,480
Tourism is a booming industry
in Greece, a mainstay of the economy.
280
00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,480
But traditional island life
is under threat.
281
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,040
Farmland owned by generations
of the same family
282
00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:40,280
is being scooped up by developers
for apartments and hotels.
283
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,000
I'm on my way to meet Pandelis
284
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,160
at his traditional farmhouse
in the highlands of Paros.
285
00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:49,560
(DING!)
286
00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,360
Pandelis.
287
00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,680
Hi, Alice. Welcome.
Kalispera.
288
00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:58,800
Welcome in my humble place.
289
00:15:58,800 --> 00:15:59,880
So lovely.
290
00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:01,160
Is this a mulberry tree?
291
00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:02,480
Yes, it is a mulberry tree.
292
00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,960
And just now they start the fruits.
293
00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:06,920
But come to see the garden, please.
294
00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:08,440
Ooh, yes, please.
295
00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:09,440
Can I go through here?
296
00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,680
Pandelis's farm has been
in his family for 250 years,
297
00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,560
but now it's just down to him
to keep the traditions going.
298
00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,520
He welcomes visitors to his home
299
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,880
to experience the old ways
of Greek island life.
300
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,480
And this is your garden.
So what have you got growing here?
301
00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:27,280
Just, uh...wheat.
302
00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,920
I will start to cut it
in the next week.
303
00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,160
Yeah, I was going to say
it must be nearly ready.
304
00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,720
By hand. It's totally handmade.
Yeah.
305
00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:40,920
And under it's a vineyard,
and down it's about 30 olives.
306
00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:43,640
Yeah. What about animals?
Do you keep any animals?
307
00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:44,680
Not anymore.
308
00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,120
I have only chickens
309
00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,680
because I focused mostly
in the vineyards and in the olives.
310
00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,560
Yeah.
And in the vegetables.
311
00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:57,520
Because I have some guests
and I like to offer them something
312
00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:58,960
from this place.
313
00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,440
We can cut some zucchinis.
Yeah? OK.
314
00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:02,680
Come.
315
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,480
Pandelis is also insisting
that I try his homemade wine
316
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:07,840
and locally made cheese.
317
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:10,200
But first, we're taking
a look at his vineyard.
318
00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,880
So, do you live here all year round?
319
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,800
Well, mostly.
320
00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:17,240
Here it's my sanctuary.
321
00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,920
Yeah. And it's nice to keep it going,
isn't it?
322
00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,080
So these are grapevines?
323
00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,600
Yes. It's a local vines.
324
00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,520
And they're round bushes.
They're not...
325
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,160
Yeah...
They're not on wires.
326
00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:33,600
It's the carp system.
327
00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:36,000
This is the traditional...
328
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:37,360
Yes. The traditional. It's very
old.
329
00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:39,240
They follow this method here.
Yeah.
330
00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,080
Because the people work the ground
by the hand in the past.
331
00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:43,080
Yeah.
332
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:44,920
Sometimes they used to plough
with the animals.
333
00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,000
Yeah.
With donkeys or mules.
334
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000
But mostly they do by the hand.
335
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,160
Right.
Yeah.
336
00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:52,880
All... Thousands of hectares.
All the Paros.
337
00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,520
Because all the Paros,
it was like old, old.
338
00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:57,280
Yeah, yeah.
Even up there.
339
00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,160
This, the top of this hill,
340
00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:00,640
it was vines everywhere.
341
00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:01,760
Really?
Yeah.
342
00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:02,880
So it's all gone?
343
00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,560
Across there,
where now you see bushes or forest,
344
00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:08,720
it was filled with...
with a...with a barley.
345
00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:10,080
I remember as a kid.
346
00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:11,680
Now it's bushes.
Really? Yeah.
347
00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:12,720
And now...
348
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:14,440
You can still see all the walls,
can't you?
349
00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:15,440
Terracing it up the hill.
350
00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:17,320
The walls now they fall down.
Nobody's cared, of course.
351
00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:18,920
And now they try to clean it.
352
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,640
I don't know if they do it sneaky
or by the licence,
353
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,720
because now it's a forest because
probably they're going to build...
354
00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,080
Yeah.
..up there.
355
00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,400
Yeah.
It was the system here.
356
00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,520
Because the people, they need
to produce food, not money.
357
00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,200
Yeah.
They focus to produce food.
358
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:38,040
They have wheat,
barley for the bread.
359
00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:41,360
They have the vines because
they make wine, and plenty of wine.
360
00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:44,440
The wine that goes every day
on the table.
361
00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:45,840
Yeah.
It was there all the time.
362
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,720
Yeah. But maybe there's something...
363
00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,880
We feel a nostalgia for the past.
364
00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,120
But I think it's really interesting
what you're doing here,
365
00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,600
that you're...you know,
you're trying to keep it going.
366
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,200
Yeah. I try to keep a small
example.
367
00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,720
Yeah.
First for me and after...
368
00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,640
Yeah.
Well, it's lovely to see as well.
369
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,480
And it's really interesting
to think about
370
00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,960
how much the landscape has changed
in just the last few decades, really.
371
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,640
Yeah. Yeah, very, very fast.
372
00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,840
I mean, the Greek style of life,
to enjoy the life...
373
00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:15,520
Yeah.
..does not exist anymore.
374
00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:19,800
I believe at 2000, 2005, '10,
it was OK.
375
00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,640
But after start to change faster.
376
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,920
Now everybody's live to support
the tourism, the big machine.
377
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,680
Are there other people like you
who are resisting that?
378
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,760
It's some people like me.
Yes. A few...
379
00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:34,920
Yeah. Yeah.
..only in Paros.
380
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,040
But I know some people
who it's younger of me.
381
00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,360
And this is very hopeful.
382
00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:40,680
But it's not so many.
383
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:43,640
So it means
we disappear sooner or later.
384
00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,520
Yeah, I hope not. I hope
you don't disappear completely.
385
00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,720
Maybe more people will see
what you're doing and try to...
386
00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:52,560
I hope, I hope.
I hope to stay a few. (LAUGHS)
387
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:53,600
Yeah.
388
00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,000
I put a sign on the main road.
389
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,120
Yeah.
In the Greek letters.
390
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:00,200
'Home-made wine'.
But they never come, Greeks.
391
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:01,240
Yeah.
392
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,480
They started to come Germans,
English or...
393
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,560
The English sign works.
Yes.
394
00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,640
People who they know 'krasi',
it's mean 'wine'.
395
00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,040
And it starts like that.
396
00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,360
The people discover me and...
397
00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:14,040
Let's taste some wine.
398
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,360
Ah, that's a lovely,
lovely looking zucchini.
399
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,120
Thank you, Pandelis.
400
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:51,120
This is my olives.
401
00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:53,480
Your olives? Yeah.
From my trees.
402
00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:56,280
This is a very local cheese,
403
00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,640
actually, from the last lady here
in the village who made this
cheese.
404
00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:01,680
Yeah. What's it called?
405
00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,360
They call it xynomyzithra.
406
00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,440
And it's an old style of cheese.
407
00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:10,160
Maybe from the most ancient type of
cheese, where they make the people.
408
00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,920
I will bring a little bit of bread
and we'll taste the wine.
Alright, lovely.
409
00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:24,200
This is my bread.
410
00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:25,680
It's your bread as well?
411
00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:27,120
From the wheat?
412
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:28,120
Yes.
413
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:29,080
Yeah.
Yes.
414
00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:36,880
Lovely.
415
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:38,320
Shall we try the wine?
416
00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:41,480
Welcome. Nice to meet you.
417
00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,320
Nice to meet you too.
418
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:44,720
To the future.
419
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:46,200
To the future.
420
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:47,760
And the past.
421
00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:53,880
That is lovely.
422
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,520
That's a really nice wine.
423
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,120
This is so delicious, all of it.
424
00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:08,080
And I can see why you are such
a proponent for the simple life.
425
00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,560
I mean, the tastes here,
426
00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,600
the flavours are just...
are just beautiful.
427
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,840
And we're sitting here
in this gorgeous place,
428
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:16,360
listening to the grasshoppers.
429
00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:18,280
We don't need much to be happy,
I think.
430
00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,160
A little bit of wine,
a few good friends.
431
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,120
So, cheers.
432
00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:24,400
Yamas!
Yamas!
433
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,480
I really hope that Pandelis
can find a successor
434
00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,360
to maintain
his traditional Greek farm.
435
00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:35,720
It would be such a shame
436
00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,000
to see this remaining rural idyll
disappear forever.
437
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,800
Tomorrow
I'm heading to another island
438
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,880
to catch up
with my archaeologist friend Yannos,
439
00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,720
who's going to show me
the ancient Greek temple
440
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,760
he's been working on
for over 25 years.
441
00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,360
Yannos.
Hi.
442
00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:09,280
I think I can see the temple already.
443
00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,000
Yeah, you can see the temple. Yeah.
444
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,280
Shall we hop on, then?
Yes. Let's go.
445
00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,280
Yannos has to be the busiest
archaeologist in the Cyclades.
446
00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:18,520
Kalimera!
447
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,600
And he's taking me
to see a passion project
448
00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,800
which has taken up
the last 25 years of his life.
449
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,400
It's two short boat trips
from Paros to Despotiko
450
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,120
to see the ancient Greek temple
of Apollo.
451
00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:36,920
But the times aren't scheduled.
452
00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,960
And in early spring there
are only a few boats available.
453
00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,600
So, that,
we have huge buildings here.
454
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:47,920
So this is a very well protected
harbour.
455
00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,880
This is the reason
that they built this sanctuary
456
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,480
in this precise position.
457
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:56,080
Was there a city?
458
00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,560
Mmm... This is a big problem.
459
00:23:58,560 --> 00:23:59,920
We don't have a city city.
460
00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:02,000
We have a small settlement.
Right.
461
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,720
We have a lot of buildings.
25 buildings until now.
462
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:08,440
Yeah. So it's not a...it's not
a settlement with a temple.
463
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,200
Actually, no.
It's a temple site.
464
00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:11,480
It's only a temple site,
465
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,920
with a lot of buildings
to help with the sanctuary.
466
00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,600
And is that something
you find across the islands?
467
00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,200
Do you find special spaces
468
00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,920
which are kind of
purely religious sites in this way?
469
00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:23,720
Exactly.
Right.
470
00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,240
So, is anybody
living on Despotiko today?
471
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:29,560
Uh, nobody.
472
00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,960
We have a shepherd
and around 800 goats.
473
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:34,520
Right.
Nothing else.
474
00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,480
So there's fewer people here today
than there were in ancient Greece.
475
00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:39,520
Exactly.
476
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:46,400
Yorgo...
See you in a bit, Yorgos.
477
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,520
Thank you. Efharisto.
(SPEAKS GREEK)
478
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,800
So this is the boat of the
shepherd.
479
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:52,280
Ah.
480
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,560
Apollo was a very popular god
in ancient Greece.
481
00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:03,280
I've already seen temples to him
at Delphi, Corinth, and on Delos.
482
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:09,160
And here's another one,
on this tiny island of Despotiko.
483
00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:12,200
That's it. That's the temple.
484
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,520
It's wow.
485
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:14,480
Oh!
486
00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:18,480
That's lovely.
487
00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:19,800
So we have the temple,
488
00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,960
and next to the temple
we have the estiatorion.
489
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,720
And now you're going to see
the whole temple.
490
00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:27,280
And this is a Doric temple?
491
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,600
It's a Doric temple
with Ionic elements.
492
00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,720
Right. So what age are we talking
about, then, if it's Doric?
493
00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:35,920
6th century BC.
Yeah.
494
00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,600
So this has been reconstructed?
495
00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:38,920
Yes.
496
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:40,280
You're impressed?
497
00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:42,440
It's beautiful.
498
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:43,720
And I like the reconstruction.
499
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,440
I like that it's...it's not complete.
500
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,040
You've just given people an idea.
501
00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,400
No, it's not a Disneyland.
502
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:50,840
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
503
00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,440
We took permission
from the Ministry of Culture.
504
00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,560
I'm an employee of the government
for 38 years.
505
00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,720
It was not so easy
to do the reconstruction.
506
00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:58,800
Yeah.
507
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,440
And did you largely have
the foundations of the temple
508
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:04,680
and you knew what it looked like?
509
00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:06,080
We knew.
510
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,560
First they built the temple.
Yeah.
511
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:12,120
And I'm going to show you
from the other side the...
512
00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:14,720
They knew that they wanted to add
the estiatorion.
513
00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:16,400
So...
And what is the estiatorion?
514
00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,560
Estiatorion is the dining rooms.
OK.
515
00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,560
They had to sacrifice the animals
in the altar.
516
00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,000
They had to consume the meat.
Yeah, yeah.
517
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,280
So they need a place
where you consume the meat.
518
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,520
Right.
It's a feast for the worshippers.
519
00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,200
Yeah.
Come.
520
00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:34,680
The sanctuary was built
around 2,500 years ago
521
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,880
and continued in use
right up to the Roman period.
522
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:43,400
So you see, this wall exists
before,
523
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,080
and then they add the stylobate.
524
00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:47,480
So the column is outside
the temple wall?
525
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,640
There's a wall down here.
526
00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,480
Yeah. There's an earlier wall
because then they add the
stylobate.
527
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,720
So this is in the area of 550 BC.
528
00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:54,960
OK.
It's all marbled.
529
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,640
So there's not a solid wall
behind these columns?
530
00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:58,840
No, this is a corridor...
531
00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:01,280
You'd walk through the columns
into this open space.
532
00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,000
We have the original threshold.
533
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:04,880
Actually, we had to create...
Can I step down on that?
534
00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:06,040
What?
Can I step on it?
535
00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:07,400
Yes.
OK.
536
00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,720
You're with me
so you can do whatever you want.
537
00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,160
(GASPS)
OK.
538
00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:12,880
So they went through this doorway.
Yes.
539
00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,040
And what are we entering here?
540
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:16,760
So, this is the temple.
541
00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:19,440
Oh. So that's...
that's just the atrium.
542
00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:20,920
Exactly.
That's just the opening. Yeah.
543
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:22,880
The corridor, the prodromos,
how we call it in Greek.
544
00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,960
Yeah.
The proston also,
we call it in Greek.
545
00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,600
So this is the cult base. OK.
546
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,400
And this is a pedestal?
547
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,640
Exactly.
The cult base of the statue.
548
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,680
Can you help me?
Yeah, yeah.
549
00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:35,920
It's quite heavy, yeah?
550
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:37,440
What are we doing with it?
551
00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:38,720
Turn it.
552
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:40,280
Turn it...
That way.
553
00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:41,760
This way?
554
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:42,800
OK.
OK.
555
00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:44,720
That goes here.
Oh, I see. Yeah. Yeah.
556
00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,000
So this year,
the marble technicians,
557
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,520
they're going to add that.
558
00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:49,600
Yeah.
559
00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,800
So, the plinth,
this is the base of the statue.
560
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,200
The statue was going here.
Yeah.
561
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:57,120
And so that would have been a statue
of Apollo?
562
00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:58,160
Exactly.
Yeah.
563
00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:00,640
Or Artemis. But...
You didn't find it?
564
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,600
We have two pieces of the statue.
565
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:03,920
Yeah.
It's in Paros Museum.
566
00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:06,080
OK. Can you help me to put it back?
Yeah, lift that back.
567
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:07,560
OK.
568
00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,800
So, actually,
you can see it from here.
569
00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:10,840
Yeah. Yeah.
570
00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,080
And we're very lucky to find it
inside the room.
571
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:14,600
Yeah, yeah.
572
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,280
I'll show you also the dining
rooms.
OK.
573
00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,440
Come.
574
00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,320
This is the original floor.
575
00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,880
So a cobbled...cobbled floor.
576
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,080
Yeah, but there was a plaster
on top. You see it here?
577
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,640
So these are the rooms
that people are feasting in?
578
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:32,800
Yes.
579
00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:34,120
And why we say that,
580
00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:35,280
how were they eating...
581
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:38,160
Look here what we have.
582
00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,440
This is for the cleaner,
for the beds.
583
00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:41,520
Right. Yeah, yeah.
584
00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,680
How they were eating...
The couches. Yeah.
585
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,120
So is it a continuous bench
all around?
586
00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,400
Exactly. Benches.
587
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:48,680
And they had to have light.
588
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:51,400
So we have openings east and west.
589
00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:52,480
Yeah.
Both sides.
590
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:53,480
Yeah. Yeah.
591
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,720
Meanwhile, for the temple only
east.
592
00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:57,840
So this is west.
593
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,960
Do you think worshippers would have
come and stayed here as well?
594
00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:02,240
Yes.
Would they have slept overnight?
595
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,720
We have a lot of buildings here
that you're going to see around.
596
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:06,880
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
It all carries on up there.
597
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,160
We have a lot of buildings.
(LAUGHS)
Yeah.
598
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:10,440
28 until now.
599
00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,800
It's a really precious opportunity
to look at not just a temple,
600
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:15,840
but everything else
that goes with it.
601
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,200
You didn't expect something
like this, huh?
602
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:19,560
No, I did not.
603
00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:24,320
You asked me about
where the visitors were,
604
00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:25,520
the priests they were staying?
605
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:26,920
Yeah, yeah. OK.
606
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:31,200
We have a lot of rooms
and a lot of buildings.
607
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,120
You are impressed?
I am...
608
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,920
It's wonderful
to see the context of this temple.
609
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,680
Now you're going to be
really impressed here.
610
00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:41,760
It starts to feel like a monastery,
doesn't it?
611
00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:42,800
Yes.
Yeah.
612
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,400
With a lot of buildings,
a lot of things.
613
00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:46,360
Now I'm going to ask you something.
614
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,120
See this and then get inside
this small building.
615
00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:52,840
So there's a big pot there.
616
00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,720
OK.
In the ground.
617
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:56,400
This is a threshold.
618
00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:57,560
Yeah.
619
00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,200
This is a paved area.
620
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,640
What are those?
621
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,640
Are they quern stones?
Are they quern, for...
622
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:06,680
I'm not going to show you,
623
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,200
but probably you understand
what is this.
624
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:12,440
(LAUGHS)
625
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:13,840
If you want to do pee pee
or poo poo.
626
00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:15,760
Is it latrines? It's not latrines!
Exactly.
627
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,960
Then you have to wash your...
628
00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,000
This is a bathtub.
629
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:21,360
Oh, my goodness.
630
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,400
Then there is a channel
that brings everything out.
631
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,480
Yeah.
We have the holes.
632
00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:30,040
So let's say the water
was going here.
633
00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,480
Then from here it goes out.
634
00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:33,800
There is an inclination, you see?
635
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,800
There is another channel that
brings
everything outside the building.
636
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:37,880
Oh, my goodness. Yeah.
637
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:40,360
When does this date to?
638
00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:41,560
When?
639
00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,320
Archaic - 6th century BC.
640
00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:45,760
So this is the first latrine
that we have.
641
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,120
This is really sophisticated.
(LAUGHS) Of course!
642
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:50,400
This is the kind of thing that
you expect to find the Romans doing.
643
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,280
And we're next to the temple.
Yeah.
644
00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:53,760
So people, the worshippers,
645
00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:55,320
but they have to be clean.
646
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,000
Yeah. Yeah.
What the Muslims do?
647
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,040
They wash... Exactly.
Yeah, yeah.
648
00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,440
Where does the water come from?
Is there a source on the island?
649
00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:02,720
There is, yeah.
650
00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,320
We have up in the mountains,
651
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:05,520
but we have the cisterns now
652
00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,800
that you're going to be
very impressed with that.
653
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,440
It's not a small site.
654
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,200
It gets bigger and bigger.
655
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:15,800
Every year.
656
00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:19,720
Oh, my goodness. Look at that!
657
00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:20,840
So this is a cistern?
658
00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:22,120
Yes.
659
00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:23,480
For clean water.
660
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:25,040
And when does this date to?
661
00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:26,960
Archaic - 6th century BC.
662
00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:28,200
Again?! Really early.
Again.
663
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:29,400
All the pottery and all the...
664
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,280
And the construction of the wall.
665
00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,080
Yeah. That's incredible.
666
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,400
It's six metres deep, eh?
667
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:37,640
Is there water flowing into it
naturally?
668
00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:39,600
Yes. Naturally? Of course.
669
00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,560
From these two systems
for the purification of the water.
670
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,160
Yeah.
Then we have a channel of 30
metres.
671
00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,240
There is another round system.
672
00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:50,760
And probably there was a fountain
or a spring up in the mountains
673
00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:52,840
that was bringing the water,
fresh water.
674
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:55,160
What are these triangular channels
in that wall?
675
00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:56,640
For the water to come inside.
676
00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:58,520
And this part, unfortunately,
is destroyed.
677
00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:00,640
Probably
we have another channel here.
678
00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:01,880
You see this slab?
679
00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:04,880
So probably there was another...
680
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:05,920
Are they letting...
681
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:07,880
Are they letting
silt settle out of it?
682
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:09,600
Exactly.
Yeah. Yeah.
683
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,160
To clean the water
before it goes to the big cistern.
684
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,240
Probably it was covered
with roof tiles,
685
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,440
because we found
a lot of roof tiles.
686
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:17,720
I am impressed by the temple.
687
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,400
I don't want you to think
that I'm not impressed by the temple,
688
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:22,720
but I have seen other temples.
689
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:24,320
I have never seen
anything like this.
690
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:25,760
This is incredible.
691
00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:27,560
After Delos, I said
you have to see more here.
692
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:29,600
OK. What do you see here?
693
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,360
Uh, a round...
694
00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:33,160
OK.
..area.
695
00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:34,440
Uh, is it another cistern?
696
00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:35,800
It's another cistern.
Yeah.
697
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:37,120
This is the bedrock.
698
00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,360
And what's this?
699
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,600
OK. Probably the four holes...
700
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,320
Yeah.
This is limestone.
701
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,160
Right.
They want to control the water.
702
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:45,240
Mm.
703
00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,240
So a kind of sluice, basically?
Exactly.
704
00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:50,520
How far up the hill
do you think this goes?
705
00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,840
Uh, actually, we want to excavate,
but it's very difficult.
706
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:55,680
There are more construction here.
Yeah.
707
00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,360
And probably they found
the spring is up in the mountains.
708
00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,920
So we've just got a series of tanks
and channels all the way down
709
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:04,080
the mountain.
710
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,360
To bring the fresh water.
Yeah, yeah.
711
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:08,640
But from here you have a great view
of the harbour.
712
00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,360
And the temple.
713
00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,280
Look, this you have to take.
714
00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,080
The goats.
The goats are running out.
715
00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:16,320
That is brilliant.
716
00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:19,280
It's great. It's almost 800 goats.
So happy.
717
00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,440
Yeah, yeah.
718
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:21,840
But it's a wonderful place, huh?
719
00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:22,960
It's absolutely gorgeous.
720
00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:24,360
Look at the colour of the sea.
721
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,400
Inside the harbour and outside.
722
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:27,800
It's turquoise...
When it's rough...
723
00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:29,400
..and blue out there.
724
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:33,600
And the sailors would be safe. They
could take water, food to proceed.
725
00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,320
From here you can go to Asia Minor.
726
00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,920
You can go to Crete, Egypt, Syria,
727
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,120
Palestine, North Greece.
728
00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,760
Having come here and done
your sacrifice to Apollo or Artemis,
729
00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,680
to make sure
you're going to be safe.
730
00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:48,640
Give all the votive things
for Apollo.
731
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:50,080
Yeah.
And then continue.
732
00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,040
Is that our boat coming?
733
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,240
I think so.
Yeah.
734
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:55,640
Maybe we need to get back down.
735
00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,880
We need,
because he's going to leave us
here.
736
00:33:57,880 --> 00:33:59,000
Yeah.
737
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:00,360
Well, I'd quite happily stay here.
738
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,960
This is all about... No.
(LAUGHS)
739
00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,120
We can swim.
We can do whatever you want.
740
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,600
I mean, it is, you know,
it's like a monastery with a church.
741
00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,720
It's a monastery. Exactly.
And all the associations.
742
00:34:13,720 --> 00:34:15,240
This is a good parallel.
Buildings...
743
00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:16,240
A monastery.
744
00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:22,440
Thank you so much, Yannos.
That was amazing.
745
00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:24,160
You're welcome.
It was my pleasure to have you
here.
746
00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:25,160
What a brilliant site.
747
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:26,400
Hope to see you back.
748
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,160
I might have to come back and dig.
Perfect.
749
00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:29,680
Thank you.
Bye. Nice to see you.
750
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,360
Bye-bye!
751
00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:35,440
Bye!
752
00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:41,760
What an incredible site!
753
00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,320
Absolutely wonderful.
754
00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:47,440
I wonder what they're going to find
next.
755
00:34:56,640 --> 00:35:01,360
Ancient Greek culture spread far
and wide around the Mediterranean,
756
00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:03,240
and I'm on the move again,
757
00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:07,880
to another country
and another continent.
758
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,440
I've left the Cyclades behind,
759
00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:12,000
and I'm headed now
into the northern Aegean,
760
00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:16,040
and then on to the coast
of what was Asia Minor.
761
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,080
The coast of the Ionians,
762
00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:22,040
who were connected with
everybody else around the Aegean
763
00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,800
through their language
and their culture.
764
00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:27,760
From the Cyclades,
765
00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:33,400
it's 126 miles and two ferries
to reach the coast of Turkey.
766
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:48,040
I've arrived in Turkey
767
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:52,080
on the final leg of my tour
around the ancient Aegean.
768
00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:53,440
And I'm really excited
769
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:57,040
because I know that some
spectacular sites await me,
770
00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,240
including one
that I've always wanted to go to.
771
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:06,400
My first stop is
the ancient Greek Temple of Artemis,
772
00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,680
located near the town of Selcuk.
773
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:20,320
I've made some notes about
the Temple of Artemis here at Selcuk.
774
00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,800
So I'm going to try to draw it.
775
00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:31,440
And these notes
are drawn from ancient writers,
776
00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:35,200
people like Pausanias, Pliny,
777
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:37,520
Antipater of Sidon,
778
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:39,400
who listed the Temple of Artemis
779
00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,200
as one of the
Seven Ancient Wonders of the World,
780
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,240
and he was very impressed by it.
781
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:47,520
He said, "I've set eyes
on the wall of lofty Babylon,
782
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,760
"on which there is a road
for chariots,
783
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:52,520
"and the statue of Zeus
by the Alpheus,
784
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,400
"and the Hanging Gardens,
785
00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,520
"and the Colossus of the Sun,
786
00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:59,120
"and the huge labour
of the high pyramids,
787
00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:01,520
"and the vast tomb of Mausolus.
788
00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,240
"But when I saw the house of Artemis
that mounted to the clouds,
789
00:37:05,240 --> 00:37:08,240
"those other marvels
lost their brilliancy.
790
00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:11,240
"And I said, 'Lo, apart from Olympus,
791
00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:14,400
"'the Sun never looked
on aught so grand.'"
792
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:18,240
So, as far as he was concerned,
Antipater of Sidon,
793
00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:21,400
the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
794
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,560
was the most glorious thing
in the ancient world.
795
00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,720
We are given the impression
of a huge temple.
796
00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:32,880
Absolutely huge.
797
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,520
And estimates of its dimensions,
798
00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:39,120
in terms of the number of columns
it had, vary.
799
00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:43,360
It had eight or nine columns
across the short side,
800
00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:47,320
and then 20 or 21
down the long side.
801
00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,440
And apparently some of the columns
were decorated too.
802
00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:55,480
And remember, we're only seeing
the outer columns,
803
00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:57,200
that there are, in fact...
804
00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,240
..double rows of columns
on each side,
805
00:38:01,240 --> 00:38:04,040
and then there are more columns
inside.
806
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:10,480
The Temple of Artemis,
going back 2,000 years ago,
807
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,960
according to Antipater of Sidon,
808
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,440
the most magnificent wonder
of the ancient world.
809
00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:36,000
I'm meeting up with Azime,
a local tour guide.
810
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,440
Riding and cycling...
811
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:39,720
I mean, it twice goes through
the villages...
812
00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:41,480
And stopping at a cafe?
813
00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:42,760
Yeah.
814
00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,160
Now, listen, I want to know
all about this Temple of Artemis,
815
00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:48,960
because there's very little of it
left now.
816
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:50,960
But it was one of the wonders
of the ancient world.
817
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:52,040
Exactly. Yeah.
818
00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:54,880
I mean, it was the biggest temple
of its time.
819
00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:55,960
Yeah.
820
00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,920
And doubling the size
of the Parthenon in Athens.
821
00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:00,440
Double the size of the Parthenon?!
Yes.
822
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:02,040
I mean, that's enormous.
823
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:03,160
That's absolutely huge.
824
00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:04,640
Yeah, it is, it is huge.
825
00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:06,920
So when's it first built?
826
00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,920
Um, the first temple was built
6th century BCE.
827
00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:16,520
Then it was burnt down
by a guy called Herostratus.
828
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:17,840
I've heard this story.
829
00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,120
He climbed up into the rafters
and set fire to it.
830
00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:21,520
Do you believe it? Do you think...
831
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,440
Do you think that's a...
Do you know what I believe?
832
00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:25,520
I believe there was a gang,
833
00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:26,880
I mean, helping him.
834
00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:28,040
Yeah.
You know why?
835
00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:31,120
Because, I mean, the Temple
of Artemis was not only a temple,
836
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:35,280
it was also one of the first banks
in the world.
837
00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:36,560
Oh!
Yeah. So...
838
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,120
So you think it was a heist?
839
00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:39,960
Yeah, I think so.
840
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:43,120
Because there was a huge,
I mean, immense treasure
841
00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:45,560
kept in the Temple of Artemis.
842
00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:46,880
Yeah.
Everyone used to...
843
00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:49,640
..I mean, give their belongings,
precious belongings, money,
844
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:53,080
jewellery, etc, etc,
to the Temple of Artemis.
845
00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:54,520
It's the safest place to put it.
846
00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:55,560
Yeah.
Yeah.
847
00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,640
They believed so, but they lost it.
848
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:01,440
So after this burning down, then,
it's then rebuilt?
849
00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,000
Yeah. It's rebuilt.
850
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,320
And do you know
who wanted to sponsor...
851
00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,960
..who wanted to be sponsor
for that rebuild?
852
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:09,360
Yeah.
Who's that?
853
00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:10,720
Alexander the Great.
Yes.
854
00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:13,680
And apparently they said no...
Uh-huh.
855
00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:14,880
..because we can't...
856
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:16,960
"A god can't make a temple
for a god."
857
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:18,000
Yes, exactly.
858
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,560
That sounds like something
Alexander...
Ephesians were smart, you know.
859
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:23,120
Yeah, but that sounds like something
Alexander would have said,
doesn't it?
860
00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:25,360
Yeah, he was flattered,
and he gave up the idea.
861
00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:27,280
And there's a link
with Alexander as well,
862
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:29,360
in terms of the burning down,
863
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,120
was meant to happen
at the time he was born?
864
00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:33,440
Yes, exactly. It was burn...
865
00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:38,600
It was burned down like 356 BC.
866
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:39,760
Mm.
867
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:43,160
It's the exact year
when Alexander the Great was born.
868
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:47,360
Also, the date is the same -
21st July.
869
00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:50,600
So, I mean, there was a rumour,
the Ephesians said,
870
00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,640
"How come goddess,
mother goddess, like, Artemis,
871
00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,400
"couldn't, like,
protect her temple?"
872
00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:58,440
You know?
Yeah. Yeah.
873
00:40:58,440 --> 00:40:59,640
And they said,
874
00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:04,160
because since she was the goddess
mother, goddess of fertility,
875
00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:09,960
so she was in charge of the birth
of Alexander the Great in
Macedonia.
876
00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:11,280
Oh, so she wasn't here in her temple?
877
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,800
She'd gone off
to help with the birth.
878
00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:14,960
Yeah, that was the excuse.
879
00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:17,480
It's brilliant, isn't it?
It's amazing myth making.
880
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,200
And tell me about Artemis herself,
this goddess.
881
00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:26,640
Ephesian Artemis, she is famous
for her fertility AND virginity.
882
00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:28,800
Hang on a minute.
Yeah.
883
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:31,720
Yes. That's interesting, isn't it?
It is, it is. I mean...
884
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:34,240
Fertility and virginity
at the same time.
885
00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:37,680
Actually, it's the same
with the Egyptian goddess Isis,
886
00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:41,800
or Kubaba, the mother goddess
of the Hittites.
887
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:47,120
They all are virgin, but they all
represent the fertility.
888
00:41:47,120 --> 00:41:49,600
At the same time?
At the same time. Yeah.
889
00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:51,960
And please think about Virgin Mary.
890
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:55,760
She is virgin,
but she gave birth to Jesus.
891
00:41:55,760 --> 00:41:57,800
And when it comes to the postures,
892
00:41:57,800 --> 00:41:59,840
we see the similar postures again
893
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,960
in the statues of Mother Goddess
Artemis and Virgin Mary.
894
00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:05,320
Like this, arms stretched.
895
00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:06,960
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
896
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,280
It's interesting because even though
you think it's different religions,
897
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:13,560
there's elements of it
that flow through time, I think.
898
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:14,720
Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
899
00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:16,120
Yeah. Yeah.
900
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:23,320
A succession of temples to Artemis
were built on this site
901
00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,800
before it was eventually abandoned.
902
00:42:27,080 --> 00:42:31,680
And very little of this once
magnificent monument has survived.
903
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,240
Imagine these columns.
904
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:42,120
They were all 18 metres high.
905
00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:43,400
Absolutely enormous.
906
00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:44,880
Yeah, exactly.
907
00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:50,080
And now you can see we only have
one column left from the temple.
908
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:51,080
With a stork at the top.
909
00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:52,400
Yeah.
A stork's nest.
910
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:53,880
We have really cute storks.
911
00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,320
They keep coming here every year.
912
00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:58,600
And there's not much of it left,
actually.
913
00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,000
I mean, it looks like a lot
of this stone was robbed out
914
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:03,680
by the time it started to be buried.
915
00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:05,000
Yeah, exactly.
916
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,120
On the left side of us,
there is the Basilica of Saint
John.
917
00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:09,120
Yeah.
918
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:12,000
They used the recycled material
from the Temple of Artemis
919
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:14,800
to be able to build that basilica.
920
00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:18,360
And also for all the other
constructions surrounding here,
921
00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:20,440
since marble was expensive.
922
00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:22,920
Yeah.
It is still expensive, though.
923
00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,320
So, yeah,
people took the marble here.
924
00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:28,080
So when did this
eventually fall out of use?
925
00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,880
I mean, is that to do with the rise
of Christianity?
926
00:43:30,880 --> 00:43:32,160
Actually, yeah.
927
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:34,680
I mean, 4th century AD,
928
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:39,280
Roman Empire accepted Christianity
as their official religion.
929
00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:42,680
But before then,
they were all pagans.
930
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,480
So here was a pagan pilgrimage
centre, you know.
931
00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:48,640
With some Christians
in the city in Ephesus.
932
00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:50,680
We know that it was an important
early Christian centre.
933
00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:53,120
Yes, exactly.
But it's still majority pagan?
934
00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:54,800
Yes. Majority pagan.
Yeah.
935
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,680
We had Jews, 50% of the population,
they were Jews.
936
00:43:57,680 --> 00:43:58,920
Oh, really? OK.
Yes.
937
00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:00,560
As long as you pay your tax,
938
00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,680
you are free to believe in whatever
you would like to believe in.
939
00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:03,960
But then it becomes intolerance.
940
00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:07,800
You know, Christianity becomes
the state religion of Rome.
941
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:09,600
And, actually,
there's an intolerance there
942
00:44:09,600 --> 00:44:11,160
and other religions are not allowed.
943
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:13,800
Yeah, that's why...
And especially pagan religions
are not allowed.
944
00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:17,040
That's why they needed to get rid
of this pagan temple as well.
945
00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:19,240
So it's effectively decommissioned
at that point?
946
00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:20,560
Yeah, exactly.
947
00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:23,120
Please imagine the pillars, the...
I mean...
948
00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:25,280
That's been reconstructed,
hasn't it?
949
00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,120
Yeah.
You see, it's in pieces and pieces
950
00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:30,800
because it was collapsed because
of the earthquakes happened here.
951
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:32,960
Here we are on a fault line,
actually.
952
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:34,480
Right. OK.
Actually...
953
00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:35,880
So it's falling into ruin...
954
00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:37,280
You know, going back into antiquity,
955
00:44:37,280 --> 00:44:40,080
it's falling into ruin even before
Christianity comes to the fore?
956
00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:41,160
Yes, exactly.
Yeah.
957
00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,520
But we're kind of lucky that,
because, I mean,
958
00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:45,200
after the temple was collapsed...
959
00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:46,240
Yeah.
960
00:44:46,240 --> 00:44:49,080
..it was all covered
with soil and earth.
961
00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:52,080
So it was preserved
by Mother Nature.
962
00:44:52,080 --> 00:44:53,560
And how was it covered up?
963
00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:55,800
I mean, are we talking about
occupation?
964
00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:57,640
Are we talking about occupation
levels
965
00:44:57,640 --> 00:44:59,760
piling up on top of the temple?
966
00:44:59,760 --> 00:45:01,680
It was silted up, actually.
It was silted?
967
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:02,960
Yeah, it was silted up.
968
00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,040
The Temple of Artemis
and the Basilica of Saint John,
969
00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:09,840
they were all sea front
3,000 years ago.
970
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:11,200
And now the sea is miles away.
971
00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:12,280
Yeah, four miles away.
972
00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:13,840
Four miles away?
Yeah.
973
00:45:13,840 --> 00:45:15,760
So it's just silted up,
silted up, silted up...
974
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:18,520
In 3,000 years, yeah,
it was silted up.
975
00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:22,160
And then the rest of it just falls
into ruin and then gets covered up...
976
00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:23,800
Yeah.
..for centuries...
977
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:25,560
Yeah. Exactly.
..until it's rediscovered.
978
00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:26,640
It was waiting...
979
00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:29,160
They were all waiting for it
to be discovered for many years.
980
00:45:29,160 --> 00:45:30,360
Artemis is still here.
981
00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:31,760
Yeah. (LAUGHS)
Yeah.
982
00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:40,880
Next time, I'll be taking the train
along the Aegean coast northwards,
983
00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:44,520
in search of more evidence
of ancient Greek culture.
984
00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:49,280
I'll take a novel mode of transport
to reach another acropolis.
985
00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:50,760
Look at that!
986
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:52,240
Oh, my goodness!
987
00:45:52,240 --> 00:45:55,480
I explore the legendary
city of Troy...
988
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:57,520
So the battle would have taken place
down there?
989
00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,360
Exactly. Thousands of ships,
you know, coming here.
990
00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:03,080
..and track down another
wonder of the ancient world...
991
00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:05,400
That is beautiful.
992
00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:07,040
..at Ephesus.
993
00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:09,160
WOMAN: It's really a masterpiece.
994
00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:30,720
Captions by Red Bee Media
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