So, if Pyrgi is the sanctuary of Apollo it must be the sanctuary of the sun also. The winter solstice must have been observed from here. That of course is why the people of Ithaca all together went to the woods of Apollo, to Pyrgi, to watch the turning of the sun by sunset!
Usually the temples of Apollo are orientated in an east-west direction, aligned to sunrise and sunset at the equinoxes. This platform however isn't. The platform is rotated for about 20 degrees. The long side of the platform is facing 250 degrees in stead of the 270 degrees where the sunset should be.
In the beginning of 2021, in lockdown in Greece, when the sanctuary was discovered, there was no idea about the cause of this rotation. But since the spring equinox was to occur in March and traveling still wasn't aloud in Greece, I remained in Vasiliki and went to Pyrgi on foot on a daily basis within the aloud covid rules. And I did some research about the occurrence of equinoxes.
Usually the temples of Apollo are orientated in an east-west direction, aligned to sunrise and sunset at the equinoxes. This platform however isn't. The platform is rotated for about 20 degrees. The long side of the platform is facing 250 degrees in stead of the 270 degrees where the sunset should be.
In the beginning of 2021, in lockdown in Greece, when the sanctuary was discovered, there was no idea about the cause of this rotation. But since the spring equinox was to occur in March and traveling still wasn't aloud in Greece, I remained in Vasiliki and went to Pyrgi on foot on a daily basis within the aloud covid rules. And I did some research about the occurrence of equinoxes.
The Sun
The spring equinox of the year 2021 is set on March 20th at noon in Greece. The equinoxes are calculated by the length of night and day. The equinox is when day and night are equal in length. That is, when the centre of de sun rises and sets, which differs from sunrise and sunset definitions.
The problem is the measurement of time in those days wasn't accurate, since clocks weren't invented yet. So, the methode the ancient Greek used most have been some what different. The most simple way to determine the start of spring and autumn is observing sunrise exactly to be east and sunset exactly to be West.
I used the website 'time and date' to find when this should appear. Click or tap the graphic. The exact alignment East (90*E and 270*W) will be around the 18th and 19th of March. That is one and a half day earlier then our modern equinox at 20th of March at noon.
Furthermore the sun isn't setting at the horizon at Pyrgi, the mountains are blocking the view in both direction East and West. Could this be the reason why the platform is rotated? Is there a way to find out?
The problem is the measurement of time in those days wasn't accurate, since clocks weren't invented yet. So, the methode the ancient Greek used most have been some what different. The most simple way to determine the start of spring and autumn is observing sunrise exactly to be east and sunset exactly to be West.
I used the website 'time and date' to find when this should appear. Click or tap the graphic. The exact alignment East (90*E and 270*W) will be around the 18th and 19th of March. That is one and a half day earlier then our modern equinox at 20th of March at noon.
Furthermore the sun isn't setting at the horizon at Pyrgi, the mountains are blocking the view in both direction East and West. Could this be the reason why the platform is rotated? Is there a way to find out?