Welcome to the Royal Palace of Pella

After repeated attempts and postponements (see: More restorations at the Royal Palace in Pella), the remains of the Royal Palace of Pella are finally made accessible to the public.

[Picture from Archaeology News Netwerk]

Several reconstructions have circulated since its first excavations in 1957, even though archaeologists initially ignored that they had found the Palace! 

As I mentioned previously (see: The Royal Palace of Pella will open to the public in 2021), the Palace covers an area of 28 ha spreading over different levels. Unlike the Royal Palace in Aegae, the residence in Pella was also a seat of government requiring space for the vast administration of Macedonia and Alexander’s Empire. 

It took several years until the Palace in Pella was entirely mapped. Authorities are now focusing on the digital tour they plan to show in a visitor center to be built for that purpose by 2023. 

In antiquity, the visitor reached the Palace after crossing the city to the north. They accessed the construction through a monumental Propylon flanked by a Stoa with Doric colonnades. The front was 160 meters long, and the columns were 15 meters high - most certainly meant to impress. 

The most explicit mapping of the Palace I have found so far is on this site of The Kingdom of Macedon – The Palace of Pella. 

On the first terrace behind the Propylon entrance, the buildings on either side have been attributed to Macedonia's political and social life. They were built between 350 and 330 BC during the reign of Philip, Alexander’s father. Following Alexander's death and roughly between the years 320 till 250 BC, the Palace underwent drastic expansions. 

The Royal quarters, poorly preserved, were located on a higher terrace further north after some unidentified rooms and close to the fortification wall. To the left or west of these quarters, archaeologists have unearthed a pool and a gymnasium with a large central courtyard surrounded by Stoas. They identified the adjacent building as the Residence for the Royal Pages and other officers who lived in the Palace. The two buildings to the south have been attributed to living quarters, baths, stables, workshops, kitchens, and storage space. 

I’m still wondering where Philip’s wives, besides Olympias, stayed or the many ambassadors and envoys who came to see the King. There also must have been a room reserved for official receptions or banquets and a library. Hopefully, further excavations will follow to shed light on the missing pieces. 

Alexander had amassed great wealth, which, in part, was used effectively to display the Macedonian power and grandeur. Sadly, we will never know what treasures were kept inside the Royal Palace of Pella as the Romans thoroughly looted the premises in 168 BC. They took the prized possessions to Rome, where they ended up in the quarters and villas of high-ranked officials (see: Massive plundering of art in the early years of the Roman Empire).

Horse racing and the horsemen

The origins of horse racing are lost in time. They may have been so common that they were not even written down in history. 

We know that the first recorded horse races occurred during the Olympic Games of 648 BC. Ironically, four-horse chariot horses competed earlier, in 680 BC. Only wealthy citizens could afford to participate in horse and chariot racing because of the high costs involved in maintaining and transporting the animals and the equipment. 

In the case of horse racing, the riding skills required a good grip and balance since the contestant rode bareback and without stirrups. No wonder the riders were selected by the owner of the horse. In other words, you had to be good in order to be chosen for the job! In return, you would be granted eternal glory and fame. 

We will remember how Philip of Macedonia, after having taken Philippi, rejoiced at the news that his horse won at the Olympic races in 356 BC, coinciding with the birth of his son, Alexander. The king also won the horse-chariot races of 352 and 348 BC. 

The prize of the winning rider was a crown of wild olive leaves taken from Olympia’s sacred tree. The chariot racers, however, would receive a red woolen ribbon they could tie around their head or wear on their upper arm as the olive crown went to the horse owner. It’s easy to imagine King Philip parading the grounds wearing the olive crown! 

Only a few names of winners of equestrian races have reached us. Recently a new name can be added to the list, that of Lukuyanus, a Roman rider who lived about 2,000 years ago. 

In his memory, a monument was erected near Konya, central Turkey. This discovery included a stone tablet with a Greek inscription explaining the sport's rules. They were in no way linked to the Olympic Games, but they may be the oldest rules ever found. 

The races took place in the hippodrome, either in the simple Greek version or in the Roman Circus that was also used for gladiator fights. 

In the case of Lukuyanus, the inscription made clear that the winning riders and horses could not participate in future competitions. The idea was that others should have a chance to win and enjoy the glory. It is also noteworthy that horses that had lost their rider could still win the race. 

Archaeological research has confirmed that horse racing was held throughout the Roman Empire, even in Babylon.

[Pictures taken from Daily Mail]

The magic sphere of Helios-Apollo

The New Acropolis Museum of Athens exhibits an intriguing marble sphere labeled as representing Helios-Apollo. It is (or was at the time of my visit) displayed near the splendid head of Alexander. 

With its perfect round shape and size (30 cm in diameter), I found the ball intriguing and wondered about the meaning of the black drawings, which were hard to discern. The label said we should look for the Titan sun god Helios among the magical symbols. Apollo was the Olympian sun god. 

A closer study of the sphere reveals that it is more or less divided into four scenes. The contours of a man with a halo refer to the sun god. He is seated on a throne beneath an arch flanked by two dogs, which are supposed to symbolize the Dog Stars: Sirius and Prokyon. 

The second scene shows a circle containing five intersecting circles, and the third scene displays a circle around a triangle, both with inscriptions. The fourth and last scene shows a lion. 

Otherwise, the sphere depicts a snake or a dragon, astral and geometrical symbols, numbers, and more inscriptions. The only comprehensible word is ΑΙΘΑΕΡ, ether – the first of nature’s elements: ether, earth, water, fire, and air. 

This magic sphere was discovered in 1866 among the remains of a temple dedicated to Dionysus. It stood near the Theater of Dionysus. It may be that the sphere was used by those participating in duels and other contests to reach victory through its magic power. Dionysus, in ancient Greece, was the god of wine, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and festivity. 

Athens’ Temple of Dionysus was built around the 6th century BC, and the adjacent Theatre was added in 530 BC. The link between the two monuments resides in the idea that Dionysus inspired men to honor him in relation to literature thanks to his association with wine. 

After the Romans took Athens in 86 BC, the Theater and the Sanctuary of Dionysus were used to perform gladiator fights. 

In the early 20th century, a theory circulated that the sphere was buried near the Theater as a talisman for good luck. 

The story remains unclear, though, because the sphere has been dated to the 2nd-3rd century AD, i.e., Roman times. This makes sense in the context of the gladiator contests, which were a Roman art of combat. I would then question the name of the god Dionysus, who became known as Bacchus. 

The very latest study leans towards turning the sphere into a spirit house. The spirit held inside the sphere could be called upon for assistance – I suppose not only in combat?

Searching for the harbor of Pella

According to the latest news, archaeologists have started defining the old coastline of Pella to locate the position of its ancient harbor. 

Pella was built at the mouth of the Axios River to ensure direct access to the sea. Until now, the harbor has not been located because today, Pella lies 25 km inland (see: Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great). Over the past two thousand years, the harbor has silted up, transforming the once so busy lagoon into a lake, which eventually dried up. 

Mouth of the Axios River today

The archaeologists retraced the ancient coastline and the small walled island of Fakos that lay opposite the entrance, thanks to surface and geophysical surveys. They presently are investigating the role this port played in Macedonia’s history, even though Alexander started his campaign in Amphipolis. They believe that many ships of his fleet were built here. 

From the 5th century BC onwards, the harbor of Pella was a commercial hub where goods were loaded and unloaded and where visiting embassies anchored on their journey to the Royal Palace. 

Another research project is underway to learn more about the buildings and quays of this vital port city.

Hidden treasures of Central Asia

In a recent article, The Greek Reporter focused on the achievements of the prominent archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (which they misspelled as Victor Sarigiannidis). 

His name is closely tied to the excavations at Tillya Tepe in Afghanistan, which had to be interrupted when the USSR invaded the country. The treasures from that tomb were safely transferred to the Museum of Kabul for safekeeping. When the Taliban rose to power in 2001, they decided to destroy the 2,500 statues and reliefs kept at the Museum. The Afghans managed to move and hide the precious artifacts from the tomb. In 2004, the government of Afghanistan decided the situation was safe enough to bring the gold treasures out in the open again. As the Museum in Kabul could no longer shelter this precious collection, they agreed with the Musée Guimet in Paris to send these rich finds on a traveling tour (see: Bactrian Gold, the Hidden Treasures from the Museum of Kabul). The Greek Reporter mentions that the artifacts have instead disappeared!

[Picture from The Telegraph, CREDIT: ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet]

Viktor Sarianidi lived an interesting life, to say the least. He was born in Tashkent, then USSR, and now Uzbekistan, to Greek parents. His archaeological career took off in 1949, and he excavated actively in Central Asia and Afghanistan. At this time, he exposed the necropolis of Tillya Tepe. It is noteworthy that Sarianidi proved the intercultural influences of the findings with links to Greece, Iran, India, Egypt, China, and even Siberia! The most striking example is the cute little Greek goddess Aphrodite, complemented with wings conforming to local winged deities and the dot on the forehead that shows influence from India. 

Sarianidi spent the last 30 years of his life excavating in the Desert of the Karakum in Turkmenistan, where he discovered the hitherto unknown Margian Kingdom (end of the 3rd millennium BC). This discovery earned him the Honorary citizenship of Turkmenistan in 2000. Three years earlier, he had received Greek citizenship. These rewards have led to widespread confusion about his nationality, and he is quoted alternatively as Russian, Greek, or Turkmen. 

[Kyzylkum Desert and Oxus River]

With such a background, he promoted the Greek presence in the greater Black Sea area and identified Greek roots in modern Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Sarianidi also developed a theory that Hellenism (I believe he means Greek) influences reached Central Asia some 1600 years before Alexander the Great arrived on the scene. This means that the culture of the Oxus River could be associated with the Minoan-Mycenaean culture. He was a prolific writer, and his books have been translated into English and Greek. 

The Greek Reporter further insists that Sarianidi discovered “the city” of Bactria! This is very confusing because Bactria was a region in Central Asia, and its capital was named Bactra, modern Balkh. Linking Bactra and the vast necropolis of Gonur Tepe apparently confirms Sarianidi’s theory that Greek influences (not Hellenism) were present many centuries before Alexander conquered Central Asia.