Delphi

Now that a visit to Delphi is included in our itinerary (Yoo-hoo! -see previous blog!), let’s take a look at what we will get to see…and why it is so well-known. Many people visit the site without actually understanding its significance.

Delphi, one of the most popular ancient sites in Greece, is located about 100 miles northwest of Athens on the forested slopes and rocky crags of the south side of Mount Parnassus. It takes about 2 ½-3 hours to drive there. Most of the ruins that survive today date from the most intense period of activity at the site in the 6th century BC.

In ancient times Delphi was considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. Here Greek mythology says Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met in the sky above Delphi. Impaling one another with their beaks, they fell to the ground on the very center of the world. The site was marked by the sacred Omphalos, or "navel stone."

Later, Apollo killed the serpent Python (son of Mother Earth), guardian of Delphi's sacred Castalian Spring. The sun god then established an oracle at the spring, promising to provide counsel to all who needed it. Located at the navel of the world and personally blessed by Apollo, Delphi was the holiest site in the world for the ancient Greeks.

The oracle of Delphi was a religious center, most famous for its accurate predictions of the future. The oracles were given by Pythia, the priestess who muttered incomprehensible sounds in a state of trance, which in turn were translated in comprehensible language and given to those who made the pilgrimage in search of answers.

The Temple of Apollo, where sat the famous oracle, appears today in a ruinous state in the center of the sanctuary. Only a few of its Doric columns remain standing, but its imposing foundations are a visible reminder of the Temple’s splendor in ancient times. The present ruins of the temple date back to the 4th century BC.

At the entrance to the ruins are the reconstructed treasuries. These were built by the various Greek city states — those overseas as well as those on the mainland — to commemorate victories and to thank the oracle for her advice, which was thought to have contributed to those victories.

Delphi is famous for its many preserved athletic statues. It is known that Olympia originally housed far more of these statues, but time brought ruin to many of them, leaving Delphi as the main site of athletic statues now housed in the archaeological museum.

The ancient theatre at Delphi was built further up the hill from the Temple of Apollo giving spectators a view of the entire sanctuary and the valley below. It was originally built in the 4th century BC but was remodeled on several occasions since. Its 35 rows can seat 5,000 spectators.
The stadium is located further up the hill, beyond the Sacred Way and the theatre. It was originally built in the 5th century BC but was altered in later centuries. It could seat 6,500 spectators. Here the Pythian Games took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events.

At the base of these ruins lies the Sanctuary of Athena. The Tholos is probably the most widely recognized building on the site because of the color of the marble and the fact that it is a round temple. Strangely enough what the temple was used for and who it commemorates is not known. It was built between 380 and 360 BC, and only three of its original twenty Doric columns remain standing today.

Since, the location of Delphi is on the slope of a mountain one can enjoy the view of the whole valley below all the way to the Gulf of Corinth. However be ready for a strenuous climb to see the ruins.

And don't forget to Google "Delphi, Greece" and click on videos. You'll get some professional and some amateur views of the site. Sometimes the amateur ones give us a more realistic view of what we'll see.