Delphi

This is the place on the southwest slope of Mount Parnassus where the most famous oracle of the classical period (the Pythia) prophesied to the ancient Greeks and even into the Roman period. Unfortunately, I didn't don't get any special insights as today was the Pythia's day off. 🤔
This site as a religious center goes back to at least the pre-classical times of the 14th century BCE when the god worshipped here was likely Ge or Gaia. It was in about the 8th century BCE that the site was rededicated, this time to Apollo.
The main religious building here is a large temple of Apollo where the Pythia prophesied. The 1st picture looks down on Apollo's temple. (That's all temple: from the columns at the left all the way across.)
The 2nd looks down the sacred way. Note that the pavers are original as is the retaining wall to the right. In the background is a building with columns. This is the Treasury of Athens. The were many of these. Most every town had one. This is where gifts and spoils of war were stored to honor Apollo.
The Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world. The conical stone in the 4rd picture is called the omphalos or navel. It is said Zeus dropped it here marking the center.
The 4th picture is the theater and the 5th picture is of the stadium. It is in these 2 places that the Pythian games took place every 4 years: music and drama in the theater; sports in the stadium.
The last picture is of a stoa at the Roman forum on the site, attesting to the importance of the oracle into Roman times. Czytaj więcej