Discovery Sites: Phokis

Greece is known for its monuments, temples, and statues, some of which still exist today. But even in 431 BCE, Greece had ruins of even older civilizations. In Phokis, thought of as the Land of the Gods and center of the world, stands the Sanctuary of Delphi, sitting on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, along with other temples and structures from the pre-classical Greek age. While drawing on real-life examples, historical research, plus popular culture in the form of movies and comics, the art team also had to construct some monuments from nothing but myth, and to give life to these magnificent structures.

The Apollo of Salamis stood in front of the Temple of Apollo, and was dedicated to Delphi after Themistokles' famous naval victory at Salamis in 480 BCE. The bronze statue was 6 meters tall, and held an aphlaston (a ship's stern ornament) in its hand as a symbol of the battle.

The Athenians dedicated this treasury to Apollo between 490-485 BCE, following their victory over the Persians at Marathon.

Built with marble from Paros, the treasury was ornamented with thirty metopes depicting the exploits of Herakles and Theseus.

Today it is the best-preserved monument in Delphi, thanks to restoration efforts by French archaeologists between the years 1903 and 1906.

Built between 600-550 BCE, the Bouleuterion of Delphi is one of the oldest monuments in the sanctuary. The building was the seat of the boule, a council that handled judicial and financial matters.

The council was composed of randomly appointed citizens, all of whom usually served a one-year term. In Delphi, a total of thirty bouleutes were appointed during a year, with fifteen chosen every six months.

Today, the building is in poor condition, but has been identified based on texts and inscriptions discovered in its proximity, including two accounts from the council itself.

To extract oil, olives were soaked and fermented in baskets or vats for ten days. This softened their skin and made their oil more fluid, but also more bitter. An alternative was to wash the olives in boiling water before crushing them.

The olives were then squashed and ground. Small amounts could be grounded in a stone mortar, but larger quantities had to be trod on in vats by men wearing wooden clogs, or in a rotary mill—a stone bowl in which one or two rotating millstones were activated by human or animal power.

The usual press featured a heavy wooden beam anchored at one end, and stone weights attached at the other end. The beam acted as a lever to increase the pressure exerted on the fruits.

The crushed olives were placed in fiber or cloth containers, which were stacked on top of each other on the press bed. After a first pressing, boiling water was poured to ease the flow of oil, and the olives were pressed again. This process was repeated for a third pressing.

The resulting product was a mixture of water, olive juice, and oil collected at the press bed. After it had settled in a container, the oil floated on the surface and was separated from the water. This had to be done swiftly to prevent dregs from fermenting and altering the taste of the oil.

Built by the Knidians between 475-450 BCE, the Lesche was a clubhouse renowned for displaying two paintings by Polygnotos of Thasos, one of ancient Greece's most famous artists. According to Pausanias, the paintings depicted the Capture of Troy and a Nekyia (necromantic ritual), respectively.

The Lesche was most likely constructed after the battle of Eyrymedon in 467 BCE, which resulted in Knidos' liberation from the Persians.

The city of Argos dedicated several monuments to Delphi, including the Monument of Epigones. The statues depicted the leaders of the mythological expedition against Thebes. This expedition, further explored in one of Aiskhylos' tragedies, revolved around the sons of Oedipus: Eteokles and Polynices. Originally, the two had agreed to rule Thebes on alternating years, but conflict arose when Eteokles refused to give up power to his brother. With the help of Adrastos, the king of Argos, Polynices put together a group of seven attackers to reclaim the city.

The Monument of Epigones served as a tribute to Greek soldiers willing to fight and die for what was theirs.

(Behind the scenes)

"What would be Greece without the typical olive groves? Early on, some key nature elements were chosen in order to feel the Greek landscape." – Vincent Lamontagne.

Olive production was an important feature of the ancient Greek agrarian economy. Both olives and olive oil were used on many significant occasions.

Olive trees generally only produce a crop every other year, and production is very variable from harvest to harvest. This unpredictability was a reason against farmers becoming exclusive olive producers, so mixed farming remained the norm.

Planting olive trees was one of the most important means of increasing the productivity of land and its long-term value. It allowed landowners to create usable farmland from slopes and other marginal land that would otherwise have been left for grazing.

While an olive tree might produce a small return after eight to ten years, it may take twenty or thirty years to come into full production.

But, olive trees live for a very long time. If a landowner planted olives on his land, it was his children and grandchildren that would harvest the fruit.

In the Phokis region was Delphi, the site of the Panhellenic oracle of Apollo.

A prophecy would be given by the Pythia who sat on the Delphic tripod, a three-legged piece of furniture. This tripod, one attribute of Apollo, is depicted on the banner with two dolphins on either side. Dolphins were also dedicated to Apollo, and their name in Greek (delphins) recalled the name of Delphi.

Tripods and dolphins appeared on some of the coinage of Delphi, but this composition derived from coinage of Megaris.

Greek Mythology is a fascinating and enduring collection of fantastical stories, ones that the art team had great fun recreating for Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Drawing on the myths, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and representations in classic artwork and popular culture, the mythological world becomes real for the Hero.

The myths are instantly recognizable in the artwork on these pages. The Titan Tityos, who attempted to violate Leto, the daughter of Titan Coeus and Phoebe, was punished for his transgression by being tied to a rock in Tartarus. His liver was eaten each day by two vultures, only to regrow overnight to begin the torment again.

A sybil was a prophetess.

Legends say there were ten sibyls in the ancient world, with each one located at different sacred sites. One sybil even called Delphi her home long before the appearance of the Pythia, and allegedly delivered her prophecies from atop a stone.

Ancient Greek treasuries were small temple-like buildings that housed offerings to the gods. They resembled a vestibule with two columns in front.

The Sikyonian Treasury dates back to the end of the óth century BCE. It was constructed upon the remains of an older structure, and incorporated pieces from buildings erected during the reign of the tyrant Kleisthenes. The Sikyonians dismantled said buildings after Kleisthenes's death, and reused their pieces in the treasury to mark the beginning of a new era in Sikyonian politics.

Oedipus was son of Laius and lokasta of Thebes. His father was terrified of a prophecy from Delphi predicting that Oedipus would end up killing him and marrying his wife, so he banished his newborn to the mountains to die.

The baby was saved by a shepherd, who gave him to King Polybos and Queen Merope of Korinth to raise him as their own. As he grew, Oedipus heard of the Delphic prophecy, and, believing that it was related to Polybos and Merope, fled Korinth and directed himself to Thebes.

Laius had died by then—killed by Oedipus, who did not yet know the king was his father—and the city was at the mercy of a monster, the Sphinx, with a human head and a body of a lion. She consumed those who couldn't solve her riddle: "Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?" It was Oedipus who replied that the creature was man: they crawl on all fours as a baby, walk with two feet as they age, and use a cane for support when they grow old.

Oedipus solved the riddle, and the defeated Sphinx either fell from a high rock or ate herself and perished, depending on the legend. Oedipus became king of Thebes and married none other than Jokasta, his mother. He unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy and became one of the most tragic figures in Greek mythology.

The theater of Delphi was situated above the Temple of Apollo. It offered an expansive view of sanctuary and the valley below, and could accommodate around 5000 spectators in its seats.

The theater hosted different artistic contests, especially during competitions like the Pythian Games. These contests included plays, poetry readings, and musical performances, and were held not only for the audience, but also for Apollo, the god of arts—among other things.

Four methods were used to harvest olives. Picking the fallen fruits on the ground was the easiest, and could be sufficient to meet the needs of a small household.

Another method was to have men shake the branches, while others collected the olives in wide baskets.

Handpicking was preferable for preserves since it does not damage the fruits, but it was a long process.

A less labor-intensive method was to beat the branches with long sticks to make the olives fall on the ground or onto pieces of cloth. However, this method damaged the branches and a rough beating could hinder the following year's production.

Olives were a widespread and traditional food staple, often consumed with bread and onions. They could be bought in almost every city from street peddlers.

Tripods were pieces of furniture used during offerings and rituals. They were most associated with the god Apollo, and the Pythia sat on a sacred Delphic Tripod when delivering her prophecies.

The golden Tripod of Plataia was dedicated after a victory over the Persians at Plataia in 479 BCE. The tripod rested atop a twisted 8-meter tall bronze clumn that ended in snake heads. The column stood in Delphi until 324 CE, when the Roman Emperor Constantine relocated it to what is now known as Istanbul.

Next to the tripod was the bronze Palm Tree of Eurymedon, which was dedicated by Athenians after Kimon's defat of the Persians at the Eurymedon river.

Discovery Sites: Phokis

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