Delphi
Delphi (
Greek Î"ελφοί â€"
Delphoi) is an archaeological site and a modern town in
Greece. In ancient times it was the site of the most important oracle of the god
Apollo. Delphi was revered throughout the Greek world as the site of the
ομφαλός (omphalos) stone, the centre of the universe. In the inner ἑστία
(hestia), or hearth, of the Temple of
Delphic Apollo (
Ἀπόλλων Î"ελφίνιος â€" Apollon Delphinios), an άσβεστος φλόγα (
eternal flame) burned. After the
battle of Plataea, the Greek cities extinguished their fires and brought new fire from the hearth of Greece, at Delphi; in the foundation stories of several Greek colonies, the founding colonists were first dedicated at Delphi.
[Burkert 1985, pp. 61, 84.]Delphi is located on a plateau on the slope of
Mount Parnassus, adjacent to the Sanctuary of
Apollo, the site of the ancient
Apollonian Oracle. This semicircular spur is known as
Phaedriades, and overlooks the Pleistos Valley. Southwest of Delphi, about 15 km away, is the harbor-city of Kirrha on the
Corinthian Gulf.
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The Temple of Apollo, seen from below |
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View of the stadium of the Delphi sanctuary, used for the Pythian Games. The stone steps on the right were added under the Romans. |
The name
Delphoi is connected with δελφ
delph "hollow" or δελφός
delphus "womb" and may indicate archaic veneration of
Gaia, Grandmother
Earth, an
Earth Goddess at the site. Apollo is connected with the site by his
epithet Î"ελφίνιος
Delphinios, "the Delphinian", i.e. either "the one of Delphi", or "the one of the womb". The epithet is connected with
dolphins (the "womb-fish") in the
Homeric Hymn to Apollo (line 400), telling how Apollo first came to Delphi in the shape of a dolphin, carrying
Cretan priests on his back.
Another legend held that Apollo walked to Delphi from the north and stopped at
Tempe, a city in
Thessaly to pick laurel, a plant sacred to him (generally known in English as the bay tree). In commemoration of this legend, the winners at the
Pythian Games received a wreath of laurel (bay leaves) picked in Tempe.
Delphi was the site of a major temple to
Phoebus Apollo, as well as the
Pythian Games and a famous
oracle. Even in Roman times hundreds of votive statues remained, described by
Pliny the Younger and seen by
Pausanias.
When young,
Apollo killed the chthonic
serpent Python, and according to some accounts his wife, Pythia, who lived beside the
Castalian Spring, according to some because Python had attempted to rape
Leto while she was pregnant with Apollo and
Artemis. The bodies of the pair were draped around his Rod, which, with the wings created the
caduceus symbolic of the God. This spring flowed towards the temple but disappeared beneath, creating a cleft which emitted vapors that caused the
Oracle at Delphi to give her prophecies. Apollo killed Python but had to be punished for it, since Python was a child of
Gaia. The shrine dedicated to Apollo was probably originally dedicated to
Gaia and then, possibly to
Poseidon.
Erwin Rohde wrote that the Python was an earth spirit, who was conquered by Apollo, and buried under the Omphalos, and that it is a case of one god setting up his temple on the grave of another.
[Rohde, Psyche, p.97.] Another view holds that Apollo was a fairly recent addition to the Greek
pantheon coming originally from
Lydia. The
Etruscans coming from northern
Anatolia also worshipped
Apollo, and it may be that he was originally idnetical with
Mesopotamian Aplu, an
Akkadian title meaning "son", originally given to the plague God
Nergal, son of
Enlil. Apollo Smitheus (the mouse) hints at Apollo's original function as a bringer of sickness (later God of Medicine). If this is true, it is ironic that in the tale of Apollo and Python we have a mouse killing the serpent!
The oracle at that time predicted the future based on the lapping water and leaves rustling in the trees.
Delphi is perhaps best-known for the oracle at the sanctuary of Apollo. In the last quarter of the
8th Century BC we see a steady increase of artifacts found at the settlement site in Delphi. Pottery and bronze work and tripod dedications continue in a steady stream, in comparison to Olympia. Neither the range of objects nor the presence of prestigious dedications proves that Delphi was a focus of attention for worshippers of a wide range, but the strong representation of high value goods are found in no other mainland sanctuary, certainly encourages that view.
The priestess of the
oracle at Delphi was known as the
Pythia.
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Delphic Pythia sitting on a tripod, attended by a supplicant. Note the low ceiling that causes the Delphic oracle to stoop, the hollow floor and the barrier that separates Pythia from the supplicant |
H.W. Parke writes that the foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded history and its origins are obscure.
[Herbert William Parke, The Delphic Oracle, v.1, p.3. "The foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded history. It would be foolish to look for a clear statement of origin from any ancient authority, but one might hope for a plain account of the primitive traditions. Actually this is not what we find. The foundation of the oracle is described by three early writers: the author of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Aeschylus in the prologue to the Eumenides, and Euripides in a chorus in the Iphigeneia in Tauris. All three versions, instead of being simple and traditional, are already selective and tendentious. They disagree with each other basically, but have been superficially combined in the conventional version of late classical times." Parke goes on to say, "This version [Euripides] evidently reproduces in a sophisticated form the primitive tradition which Aeschylus for his own purposes had been at pains to contradict: the belief that Apollo came to Delphi as an invader and appropriated for himself a previously existing oracle of Earth. The slaying of the serpent is the act of conquest which secures his possession; not as in the Homeric Hymn, a merely secondary work of improvement on the site. Another difference is also noteiceable. The Homeric Hymn, as we saw, implied that the method of prophecy used there was similar to that of Dodona: both Aeschylus and Euripides, writing in the fifth century, attribute to primeval times the same methods as used at Delphi in their own day. So much is implied by their allusions to tripods and prophetic seats." Continuing on p.6, "Another very archaic feature at Delphi also confirms the ancient associations of the place with the Earth goddess. This was the Omphalos, an egg-shaped stone which was situated in the innermost sanctuary of the temple in historic times. Classical legend asserted that it marked the 'navel' (Omphalos) or centre of the Earth and explained that this spot was determined by Zeus who had released two eagles to fly from opposite sides of the earth and that they had met exactly over this place". On p.7 he writes further, "So Delphi was originally devoted to the worship of the Earth goddess whom the Greeks called Ge. Themis, who is associated with her in tradition as her daughter and partner or successor, is really another manifestation of the same deity: an identity which Aeschylus himself recognized in another context. The worship of these two, as one or distinguished, was displaced by the introduction of Apollo. His origin has been the subject of much learned controversy: it is sufficient for our purpose to take him as the Homeric Hymn represents him and his arrival must have occurred in the dark interval between Mycenaean and Hellenic times. His conflict with Ge for the possession of the cult site was represented under the legend of his slaying the serpent."]The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world, and was consulted before all major undertakings: wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. She also was respected by the semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as
Lydia,
Caria, and even
Egypt.
''For a list of some of the most noted oracular pronouncements of the Pythia, go to
Famous Oracular Statements from DelphiFrom the entrance of the site, continuing up the slope almost to the temple itself, is a large number of
votive statues, and numerous treasuries. These were built by the various states—those overseas as well as those on the mainland—to commemorate victories and to thank the oracle for advice important to those victories. The most impressive is the now-restored Treasury of
Athens, built to commemorate the Athenians' victory at the
Battle of Marathon. The Athenians had previously been given the advice by the oracle to put their faith in their "wooden walls" – taking this advice to mean their navy, they won a famous battle at
Salamis. Another impressive treasury that exists on the site was dedicated by the city of
Siphnos, who had amassed great wealth from their silver and gold mines and so they dedicated the
Siphnian Treasury.
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The Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia |
The Tholos at the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia is a circular building that was constructed between 380 and 360 B.C. It consisted of 20 Doric columns arranged with an exterior diamater of 14.76 meters, with 10 Corinthian columns in the interior. The Tholos is located approximately a half-mile (800 m) from the main ruins at Delphi. Three of the Doric columns have been restored, making it the most popular site at Delphi for tourists to take photographs.
The
Delphic Sibyl was a legendary prophetic figure who was said to have given prophecies at Delphi shortly after the
Trojan War. The prophecies attributed to her circulated in written collections of prophetic sayings, along with the oracles of figures like
Bakis. The Sibyl had no connection to the oracle of Apollo, and should not be confused with the
Pythia.
The modern Delphi or Delfi or Delfoi is situated west of the archaeological site. It is passed by a major highway linking Amfissa along with Itea and Arachova. The two main streets are each one-way and narrow. Delphi also has a school, a lyceum and a square (
plateia). The communities include
Chrysso which in ancient times was Crissa.
In mediaeval times, parts of
Boeotia and
Phocis were setteld by
Arvanites. When they arrived in Greece, being invited by the
Frankish rulers of the area, they built a village directly on the vacated site of Delphi using the marble columns, structures etc. as support beams and roofs for their improvised houses. In
1893 Archeologists from the
École française d'Athènes finally located the actual site (see
link). The Arvanite village of Kastri (now renamed Delphi) was moved several miles off the site of the temples on a new location.
*
Pythia*
Temple of Apollo at Bassae*
Greek art*
List of traditional Greek place names*
Delphic Sibyl*
Borland Delphi*
Burkert, Walter,
Greek Religion 1985.
*Farnell, Lewis Richard,
The Cults of the Greek States, 1896.
*Goodrich, Norma Lorre,
Priestesses, 1990.
*Guthrie, William Keith Chambers,
The Greeks and their Gods, 1955.
*
Hall, Manly Palmer,
The Secret Teachings of All Ages, 1928.
Ch. 14 cf. Greek Oracles,
www,
PRS*
Herodotus,
The Histories*
Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo*Parke, Herbert William,
History of the Delphic Oracle, 1939.
*
Plutarch "Lives"
*
Rohde, Erwin,
Psyche, 1925.
*
West, Martin Litchfield,
The Orphic Poems, 1983. ISBN 0198148542.
General
*
Delphi Photographs - Museum and Ruins*
French Archaeological School's instrumental role in uncovering Delphi*
History of the Ecole française d'Athènes in Delphi (in French)
*
Homepage of the modern municipality (in English or Greek)
*
Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Delphi*
Delphi Photo gallery*
The Oracle of Delphi and Ancient Oracles, annotated guide edited by Tim Spalding
*
Delphi guide *
Delphi (in Greek)
*
C. Osborne , "A Short detour to Delphi and the Sibyls"*
Livius Picture Archive: Delphi*
Delphi information*
Eloise Hart, "The Delphic oracle"*
"The Delphic oracle"*
Software Localization in Delphi*
Ancient Delphi and Mount Parnassos GuideGeology of Delphi
*
John R. Hale, et al., "Questioning the Delphic Oracle: When science meets religion at this ancient Greek site, the two turn out to be on better terms than scholars had originally thought", in Scientific American August 2003*
John Roach, "Delphic Oracle's Lips May Have Been Loosened by Gas Vapors" in National Geographic news, August 2001
*
Geology of Delphi*
The New York Times, March 19, 2002: "Fumes and Visions Were Not a Myth for Oracle at Delphi"
