Temple of Olympia
Pictures of Greece
Delphi
Delphi is perched on the rocky shelf of Mount Parnassos, about 100 miles from Athens in a northwesterly direction. The modern town lies a short distance from ancient Delphi, and it was here that we stayed, in the Hotel Pythia.
Split by the road from Arįkhova to Amfissa, the ancient site divides essentially into three parts: the Sacred Precinct, the Marmaria Sanctuary, and the Castalian Spring. It was the perfect setting for mystery and religious prophecy (it says here). During Delphi's heyday, the Sacred Precinct was filled with gold and marble statues, offerings to Apollo from various rulers or generals, who had received prophecies from the oracle that had subsequently come true, bringing victory in battle, bountiful crops, or whatever success had been prophecised. Nowadays, of course, all of the gold and marble has disappeared, removed in later times to pay for expensive military campaigns. Much of the stonework remains, though, like this structure, which is either a column or a pedestal for a statue.
One of the nearby tribes that had received numerous prophecies from the oracle was, of course, the Athenians. In fact, so pleased were the Athenians with the Delphic prophecies that they built a treasury building, which may also have been used to hold meetings of the priesthood.
Of course, the main focal point of the site was the Temple of Apollo. It was from here that the god Apollo spoke through the medium of a priestess called the Pythia (named after the hotel!). After drinking the waters of the nearby Castalian Spring, said to echo with the prophetic voices of Apollo's muses, she swooned over intoxicating fumes emitted from a crack in the ground and uttered strange gabblings, which the priests then translated into verse and gave to the faithful.
Further on up the side of Mount Parnassos from the Temple of Apollo lies the theatre. This is still in remarkably good condition, as can be seen from these two pictures.
Further up still lies the stadium. Although the seating along the south side has collapsed, the northern section (here viewed from the start line) is still in good enough condition to give an impression of what it must have looked like.
Behind the start line are two strange alcoves, one of which has a slight bowl-shaped depression within. It is possible these were used to give offerings to the gods before each race.
Just over halfway along the length of the stadium is a short row of seating used by the local dignitaries.
Looking back along the length of the stadium from the finish line, you get an impression of the scale of the structure, and can begin to imagine what it must have been like, with the seats packed with people cheering on the competitors.
From just outside the stadium, you can look down the slope of Mount Parnassos and get some idea of the layout of the site. Directly beneath lies the theatre, with the Temple of Apollo below it. Off to the right is the treasury of the Athenians, and further down the slope, you can just make out the gymnasium and the Marmaria Sanctuary.
A short walk down the road from the Sacred Precinct lies the Castalian Spring. Water still bubbles out of the ground here, although it is not obvious from this picture.
A little further down the road lies the Marmaria Sanctuary. Much of what is left of the Sanctuary lies as rubble strewn about the place, although part of the Tholos has been reconstructed. Many of the column fragments that litter the site are numbered, which gives the place the feel of a 3-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.
About half-way between the Castalian Spring and the Marmaria Sanctuary lies the gymnasium. An ancient Greek gymnasium is not the same as a modern one, this was both an academic and an athletic establishment. Only males were allowed to enter, and it is said that they studied and trained in the nude. As you can see, there is not much left of the actual structure, so there is not much scope for privacy for anyone wishing to study or train in the ancient Greek style.
Looking down into the valley at the foot of Mount Parnassos, you can see the dry channel that was once the Papadhia River. Despite the fact that little water runs through this channel nowadays, the valley is covered in olive trees.
As a prelude to the evening meal, some of us wandered up the hillside to a nearby vantage point overlooking the Delphic stadium.
