Ancient Greece - exploring Delphic Oracle


	If you want to visit the Archeological site of Delphi, first of all wear comfortable shoes (you will walk a lot...) and carry a bottle of water with you-specially during summertime (you can buy it from the museum cafe, the only one in that area)... Also have, in case you are not in a guided tour -we were in one-, either a travel guide with you or let your imagination free and enjoy the... - Athenian Treasury - Athenian Stoa - Theatre - Temple of Apollo (Oracle) - Stadium - Temple of Athena/Minerva - Tholos - Gymnasium - Roman Agora - Castalia Spring


		To tell you the truth, the ruins of Delphi can be seen in one day. This means however, that the visit will be hurried and very exhausting one (like ours). For the monuments of the sanctuary and the temples of the Marmaria are built on step terraces, involving considerable amount of climbing! I would definitely recommend a stay of one day and a half or even two days, which will give you the chance to visit the beautiful village of Delphi and the cosmopolitan (during winter period) village of Arachova. But let's say you wanted to see how Delphi would look like 200 years ago...well surprisingly on the exact position of the Archeological Site of Delphi until 1892 a small beautiful village, Kastro , was located. It was in 1893 when the first excavations started in Delphi by the French Archeological School. They had to pay the inhabitants of Kastro, which existed from the medieval era, to move their village to its present position.

So here is some information about Delphi...


		After the Athenians won at the battle of Marathon the Persian invaders (end of 6th century BC), they built the Athenian Treasury. It was reconstructed in 1903-1906 and I realized that it must be the best preserved building of the archeological site of Delphi. It was constructed to house the offerings of the Athenians to god Apollo. Behind the Athenian Treasury the Bouleutirion (or Delphic Council House) is situated.

Seven fluted columns of Ionic order consist the Stoa of the Athenians as we know it today. According to an inscription it was erected by the Atenians, after 478 B.C., to house the trophies taken in their naval victories over the Persians.


		The Theatre of Delphi was built 2.500 years ago and seats about 5.000 people. Many say it rivals Epidaurus as one of the finest theatres in Greece (although it is considerably smaller). In this theatre several tragedies have been produced from time to time and in 1951 there was a memorable production of Oedipus Rex of Sophocles..

The Temple of Apollo is also known as Sacred Precinct and is at the heart of the Archeological site (it used to be the heart of the ancient city of Delphi). The temple has stood on this site since 6th century BC, but the remains visible today date from the 4rth century BC. Inside the Temple of Apollo, in the centre of the oracle, was the "adyton" (adytum) where Pythia sat. The podium and the peristyle are, however, complete, and several Doric columns have been replaced in their original position.The monument was partly restored during 1938-1941 by the French Archaeologists to give an impression of its original glory. The best known Delphic injunction was carved into the lintel at the Temple of Apollo: GNOTHI SEAUTON, Know Thyself.


		As I was climbing up to the stadium the only thing I was thinking is that one must be an athlete to go up there as I reached the stadium I felt that it was someway perched midway between earth and sky. It was well preserved, almost 200m (656 ft) long with its twelve tiers of seats able to hold about 7.000 spectators. This is where the Pythian (or Pythic) Games (second most famous after the Olympic Games) took place every four years. It was built in 5th century BC and remodeled by Herodus Atticus in 2nd century BC.


		For sure the building must have been very important, judging from the multi-colored stones and the decoration of the Temple of Athena...but its function still remains unknown. It is located southeast of the temple of Apollo (opposite of the Castalia Spring) and was built around 510 BC. At the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia's entrance stand the ruins of a 4rth-century BC temple dedicated to the goddess of wisdom.


		One of the most remarkable and most photographed monuments of Delphi is the Tholos of the Marmaria Precinct. Built in ca. 380 BC, for a reason we still do not know, surly attracts the interest of all visitors of Delphi. The rotunda dates from the beginning of the 4rth century BC and consisted of originally of 20 columns. In 1938 three of these columns were re-erected. Through them one can imagine the building's beauty.


		Gymnasium was a complex of buildings where the young men and athletes used to exercise themselves. It was constructed in two levels (due to the sloping terrain): on the upper was a stoa and a free open space used for running practice, and on the lower was the palaestra, the pool and the baths (thermae). But the Gymnasium was also used for intellectual pursuits -Delphi's philosophers and poets taught here. In Greek language, as our guide Yiannis underlined, the meaning of the word gymnasio has changed; it means the middle school between the elementary and the high school. From the Greek gymnasium derives also the English words gym, gymnastics etc, and on the contrast to the Greek language, one can realize that in English the original meaning of the word is preserved.


		The Roman Agora is what the visitor sees are he enters the archeological site of Delphi. Religious item used to be sold there. On the relevant picture (behind Sue) one can see the remains of the chambers where the items where situated and demonstrated.


		Oracles were established in places of that enjoyed special sanctity and springs where considered sacred. Castalia Spring was visited by everyone before entering the Sacred Precinct. Even athletes had to wash themselves-including their hair- in the icy waters of the spring, as this was considered a purification procedure (we can see Jews and Muslims do that in our days). The remains of the Castalia spring that we saw during our visit, as our guide informed us, were either from the Hellenistic or the Roman period. It is said that the British romantic poet Lord Byron once plunged into the spring, inspired by the belief that the waters would enhance his poetic spirit.

View the Archeological Map of Delphi

Since 1987 the Archeological Site of Delphi is considered a world heritage property (according to criteria C (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi) )