Delphi is an Ancient City in the prefecture of Fokida, on the south
side of mount Parnassos. The Ancient Greeks considered it to be the
centre of the world. Today there are about 1,500 permanent residents in Delphi.
It is a tourist attraction, particularly during the winter as nearby
mount Parnassos has a well known ski resort, and all year round as well
since it is home to very important Ancient monuments and findings and especially
the world renowned Delphi Oracle.
Mt. Parnassos during the winter
Apart from from the Oracle, many archaeological monuments are found
in the area, chief among which are Apollo's and Athena's temples.
Archaelogists speculate that organized life began in Delphi as early as
1500 B.C. The Delphi Oracle, which was the most important in Ancient
Greece, is located in a place called Pytho, and initially belonged to the
goddess Gee (Earth) who offered it to Apollo. This god, after killing
Python, the area's dragon, became master of the Oracle. The dragon
was named after the location, Pytho. Apollo was then named Pythian,
the Oracle's soothsayer was named Pythia and the festivities in honor of
Apollo were named "Pythia". The oracle slowly became not only a religious
centre, but a political centre as well. Anyone could consult the
Oracle, be it a civilian or representatives of a city-state. To obtain
advice from the Oracle, one would have to bathe in the nearby Castallia
springs, pay a present day tax equivalent and sacrifice a goat.

They would then enter the temple. In a special chamber, a revered
elderly woman, Pythia, would light a fire. Those seeking advice
would sit in a specially arranged adjacent room, called "the residence".
From that room they would state out loud their problem that required a
solution. Pythia would then chew on laurel leaves, walk up to the
sacred tripod and while inhaling fumes, would fall into an ecstatic state
and start mumbling incomprehensible words. The temple's priests would
record these words, put them in order and present them as a rational response
to the advice seeker. It was in this fashion that the god Apollo was believed
to announce his opinion or will to the people.



























Walking through Delphi's archaelogical site one can see the Sacred Street.
On the left and right hand side of this street, the city-states would place
their offerings. In present day many treasures and other offerings
are still maintained, from the Kerkyrians, the Arcadians, the Argians,
the Spartans, the Sifnians, the Athenians, the Naxians and others.
After walking for a while we reach Apollo's temple, that even by present
day standards amazes the visitor for it's sheer size. Located inside
the temple's inner sanctum, that could only be accessed by very few individuals,
was the golden statue of Apollo, Dionysus' grave and the "omphalus" (considered
to be the precise centre of the world), a chasm in the floor from where
the fumes that Pythia would inhale rose, and the sacred tripod.

On the northwestern side of the temple one finds the theatre.
It is one of the best preserved ancient theatres in Greece. It has
a capacity of 5,000 spectators and is made of stone from Mt. Parnassos .
From the theatre an uphill path leads to the stadium. Its length
is 178 meters. It was in this stadium that the Pythian Games, in
honor of god Apollo, took place. They came second in significance,
only to the Olympic Games. We can also observe, erected over two
levels, the Delphi gymnasium. It's a building complex where the "Pythian"
athletes would train. A bit below Apollo's Temple one can observe
another masterpiece of Ancient Greek Art, which in this case attains perfection.
The Temple of the Goddess Athena. What is of particular interested
among other things, are the ruins of the temple's dome with three of its
columns still standing.


























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