Delphi I - Lower

Ancient Greeks considered Delphi to be (literally) the center of the world. The temple of Apollo with its oracle was the most important element of the sanctuary, but there were all sorts of other dedications, temples, monuments, and athletic facilites at the site. High on Mount Parnassos, overlooking the Corinthian Gulf, you couldn't ask for a more scenic location.

This is a view of (what I call) lower Delphi. This is the gymnasium and covered stadium where athletes would practice for the Pythian Games which were held every four years.











This is what's left of the Temple of Athena Pronaios (Pronaios=in front of the sanctuary). If you look closely, you can see a large boulder square in the middle of the photograph. In 1905, the French Archaeologists who were excavating the site had almost finished reconstructing the temple when a rockslide from Parnassos fell on it and destroyed it.





In 480, when the Persians invaded Greece, they marched to Delphi, probably intending to plunder all the dedications in the sanctuary. As the army drew close, an earthquake and falling rocks killed many Persians and drove the rest away.

The story is told that the ghost of a hero from the area, Phylakos (his name just means 'guard') was seen chasing the Persians out, cutting them down with his sword. In this photo, the rock corner is part of the shrine of Phylakos at Delphi. The ancients thought the hero was buried here, but no remains have been found. The rock behind fell from Parnassos in the distant past, but I couldn't see any Persian legs sticking out underneath.

These three columns are part of a round 'tholos' building. Nobody knows what exactly it was for. It was probably a temple or a treasury, but we know nothing about it. (the columns have been reconstructed from fragments)

In the background, you can get a good idea of how massive and steep Parnassos is.












The view from Delphi, looking towards the Corinthian Gulf. It's only a few miles, but the mountains rise very steeply.