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Stone Pillars Rising
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi that remain today date from the 4th century BCE, and stand as a testament to the artistic sensibilities and engineering ingenuity of the ancient Greeks.
The home of the Delphi Oracle has a mystic resonance. The air is electric, infused with the smell of mountain herbs, and full of possibility.
Of course, it might have just been the heat, or the early start. Whatever it was, I felt an energy at the Sanctuary of Apollo in Ancient Delphi that I have experienced few other places.
It is said that this is the centre of the world.
Ancient Greek legend has it that Zeus was searching for the omphalos, the centre of the ancestral mother earth, the ‘navel’ of his grandmother Gaia. He released two eagles from two ‘ends of the world’, and Delphi was where their paths crossed. Zeus then threw a sacred egg-shaped stone and declared that the omphalos of Gaia had been found.
This was home to the Oracle of Delphi, that most-famous ancient oracle, who was believed to deliver prophecies from Apollo.
Mount Parnassus has been home to an important oracle as early as 1400 BCE. The Pytho, and later the Pythia, was the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi from about the 8th century BCE. The title refers to the mythical name of Delphi and comes from the Greek verb pythō meaning ‘to rot’: most accounts say that Apollo killed a monstrous python here, and there was a sickly sweet smell emanating from the decomposing body.
Before a divination, the Pythia and her consultants bathed in the nearby Castalian Spring. She then descended deep into a cavern under the Temple of Apollo. There she went into an ecstatic state and channelled Apollo, delivering opaque prophecies that were interpreted and written down by the attendant priests.
Her state has variously been attributed to fumes emitted from geologic fault lines under the temple, and/or the ingestion of Mediterranean oleander. The last reported Delphic prophecy was around 393 CE, when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I passed laws to end pagan activity.
The extensive site of temple ruins on the south-western slope of Mount Parnassus was UNESCO-listed for its natural, historic, artistic, architectural, and spiritual values in 1992, Most of the ruins still visible here date to the sixth century BCE.
The small group that I was travelling with and I had set off from Meteora (see: A Walk through Ancient Orthodox Monasteries) early that morning, stopping for lunch enroute. Before exploring the architectural ruins, we spent time in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi which is adjacent to the site and houses artifacts found in the vicinity.
While I don’t always have a lot of patience in archeological museums, the age and beauty of the artifacts on display – spanning a thousand years, from the Mycenaean era to the Greco-Roman times – was mind-boggling.
Do join me.
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Mycenaean Terracotta Females
Found in the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, these sacred figurines date to the 14th century BCE. They are called psi (Ψ) figurines, because their shape resembles that Greek letter. (iPhone12Pro)
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Woman’s Head
This caryatid – a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support – is from the Siphnian Treasury and dates to at least 525 BCE. (iPhone12Pro)
Sphinx of Naxos (560 BCE)
This wonderful marble sphinx stood upon a 10 meter (33 foot) column next to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. (iPhone12Pro)
Ancient Frieze (525 BCE)
In its day, Delphi was the religious centre of the Greek world, and the public buildings were wonderfully decorated. This section of frieze is from the east facade of the Treasury of Siphnos.
Battle Frieze (525 BCE)
In another fragment, the Gods are fighting against giants.
One of the Twin Kouroi : Kleobis and Biton
Ancient Greek art was highly stylized. This is the head one of the monumental twins standing on a single base. The story is that after they helped their mother, one of Hera’s priestesses, they were granted “a peaceful death in their sleep” as a reward.
Apollo (480-470 BCE)
This kylix, a ritual drinking cup, was recovered from a grave that probably belonged to a priest.
Music in the Marble (128 BC)
This is a portion of the third verse of one of the Delphic Hymns, musical compositions dedicated to Apollo.
Bronze Athletes (460 BCE)
The artifacts give a wonderful glimpse into the ancient world.
Statue Plutarch or Plato
Behind the giant philosopher, there is photographic mural of the excavations at the site.
The Charioteer of Delphi (470 BCE)
While most bronzes from ancient times corroded or were melted down, this beautiful life-size piece survived because it was buried under a rock-fall, probably in 373 BCE, and not found until 1896.
Iniohos – He Who Holds the Reins
The whole sculpture is thought to have included the young charioteer – probably a slave, as he is not depicted naked as most athletes are – his chariot and horse team. The incomplete bronze was found with fragments of the horses, and an inscription to Apollo, giving thanks for a victory.
The Charioteer
He really is quite exquisite, complete with inlaid glass eyes and silver eyelashes.
Tholos (Circular Temple) of Delphi (380 – 370 BC)
Coming out of the museum back into the afternoon sun, I look down the hill to one of the many ancient structures in the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in Delphi …
Temple of Apollo (490 BCE)
… and uphill to another.
Art and Lettering on Ancient Bricks
The Reconstructed Treasury House of Athens in Delphi (507-470 BCE)
This was rebuilt to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE.
Pillars of the Temple of Apollo (490 BCE)
Along the Sacred Way
The Sacred Road winds up the hill, through the site. Here, we are looking back at the Treasury House of Athens.
Fallen Capitol
Carved marble is all around.
Ancient Greek in the Stone (iPhone12Pro)
Whenever we asked our guide about inscriptions like these, …
Ancient Letters
… she’d laugh and say, “It’s all Ancient Greek to me!”
The Pillars
The Temple of Apollo
Somewhere near that slab is the hidden entrance to the Pytho’s cavern.
Over the Temple
Higher up the hill, you get a better view of the temple complex.
The Ancient Theater of Delphi
Fallen Carvings
The middle-aged oracles didn’t have a long life – probably paying the price for the seizures they experienced going into their trances, or the effects of whatever hallucinogen that was causing them.
But, it was reputedly a great honour, and there was never a problem filling the position.
Until next time,
Safe Travels!
Pictures: 14September2022
