Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi - virtual tour
1) The Court and the Stoa Agora
3rd c. B.C.
It seems that this area was the Agora-the ancient marketplace, where people would meet and congregate (Ecclesia*). It served as a place to prepare for the processions which walked towards the altar of Apollo using the «Sacred Way» path.
The Court and the Stoa Agora (the market place) of the Roman period from the SE.
The Court and the Stoa Agora (the market place) of the Roman period from the SW.
The remains of the constructions are from the reconfigurations of the area that took place during the Roman and Byzantine periods.
The bases belonged to statues of Roman emperors, perhaps even altars. In the back of the gallery, there were shops with small votive offerings, statuettes, tripods and other tributes, for worshippers on a pilgrimage to the temple.
Ecclesia: The ecclesia or ekklesia (in Greek: ἐκκλησία) was the principal assembly of the democracy of ancient Athens. It was the popular assembly, open to all male citizens as soon as they qualified for citizenship.
2) The Main entrance of the Sanctuary of Apollo
The main entrance and the starting point of the path leading to the temple, are located on the west side. The path is named Sacred Way even though it did not have the character of a wide street that accommodates processions.
The pilgrims would have to walk the Sacred Way path after purifying themselves in the the waters of the Castalian spring and the symbolic washing of the hands in the perirrhanteria* located in the right and left of the entrance.
The four large stairs, in front of the entrance, blocked the pathway for horseback-riders and chariots.
An opus isodomum technique was used on the retaining wall on the left, while a polygonal masonry technique was used on the right wall of the perimeter.
Perirrhanteria: basins of water used for ritual purification in temple and sanctuary entrances.
3) The Bronze bull of the Corcyraeans
Period: First half of the 5th c. B.C.
Entering the Temenos*, on the right, a large rectangular stone pedestal can be seen, which is parallel to the Sacred Way.
This is where the Corcyraeans (islanders of Kerkyra -Corfu-) dedicated the monumental Bronze Bull, a power symbol, after their victory against the Syracuse (490-470 B.C.). The statue was made by the sculptor Theopropus from Aegina.
According to Pausanias there is another story about the Bull of the Corcyraeans:
A bull in the island of Corfu, every day abandoned the fields and headed towards a certain sea-coast, moaning. The herdsman followed him, and found out that the sea, in this particular spot, was full of fish. He averted his fellow citizens and they rushed to the seashore, but they couldn’t get hold of the fish. Then, they sent an envoy to the Delphic oracle and, following its advise, they sacrificed a bull to Poseidon and then the caught the fish.
The rectangular stone pedestal
Corcyraeans dedicated two statues of the bull (the second, at the Sanctuary of Olympia), with the tithe of their revenues.
The Bronze bull of the Corkyrans - a modern reconstruction
Temenos: In Ancent Greece the temenos was a piece of land assigned as an official domain for or dedicated to the gods.
4) The Admirals of the Spartans (37 statues)
Period: approx. 404 B.C.
Across from the Corkyrans’ bronze bull, Sparta placed an imposing votive offering with thirty-seven bronze statues, commemorating their victory at the Battle of Aegospotami (405 B.C.), which marked the end of the Peloponnesian War with the defeat of Athens.
The votive offering was placed in the most publicly visible place of the sanctuary close to the entrance, so it would be situated in front of the Athenian’s monument commemorating their victory in Marathon. The Athenian’s monument was set a little more to the west and had been there for years.
With nearly three times the number of statues, which came from the spoils of their victory against the Athenians, the Spartans wanted to overshadow the Athenian’s monument, so it wouldn’t be seen first upon entering the Delphi sanctuary.
5) Ex-voto of the Arcadians (9 statues)
Period: approx. 371 B.C.
A nine meter oblong base made of stone, belonging to the Arcadian votive offering, with nine bronze statues: Apollo, Nike, Callisto, Arkas, Elatus, Apheidas, Azan, Triphyllos and Erasos as the inscriptions attest to according to the position of each statue.
The names of the respective artists are also mentioned: Pausanias of Apollonia, Antiphanes of Argos, Samolas from Arcadia and Daedalus from Sicyon.
The location of the monument with the Arcadian gods and heroes is not coincidental: it is located opposite the Spartan votive, perpetually stating their victory in Leuktra, in 371 B.C., which exonerated them from Spartan rule.
6) The Statue of mounted Philopoimen
Period: approx. 207 B.C.
The statue of the General of the Achaean League Philopoemen from Megalopolis, Arcadia, was dedicated by the Achaean public, which is indicated on the votive inscription of the pedestal glorifying the bravery of the Arcadian men from Megalopolis:
ΤΟ)ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΤΩΝ ΑΧΑΙΩΝ ΦΙ
ΛΟ) ΠΟΙΜΕΝΑ ΚΡΑΥΓΙΟΣ ΜΕ
ΓΑΛΟΠΟΛΙΤΑΝ, ΑΡΕΤΑΣ ΕΝΕ
ΚΕΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΝΟΙΑΣ ΤΑΣ ΕΣ Α(Υ
ΤΟΥΣ
“TO KOINON TON ACHAEON / FILO POIMENA KRAYGIOS MEGALOPOLITAN / ARETAS ENEKEN KAI EYNOIAS TAS SEAYTON”
the Achaean League / Philopoemen from Megalopolis, son of Kraugias / for his vertues
In Philopoemen’s biography, both Plutarch and Polybius mention that the statue was made from bronze and portrays Philopoemen casting his javelin spear and killing Machanidas -a Spartan leader-, dead to the ground, in front of his horse.
Philopoemen was named by an anonymous Roman as «the last of the Greeks» for his action before the Roman conquest.
The statue depicts the confrontation between the Achaean League and the Spartans in Mantinea during 207 B.C. and the defeat of the last tyrant of Sparta.
8) Ex-voto of the Athenians to commemorate their victory at Marathon
Period: approx. 460 B.C.
The monument is comprised of 13 statues created by Phidias, during approx. 456 B.C.
The precise location of the monument is not specified. Based on the archaeological findings and the claim by Pausanias that he have seen it "under the Trojan Horse".
It can be concluded that the Ex-voto of the Athenians would had been found along the path of the Sacred Way. Just behind it, would be standing on a highest pedestal the bronze Trojan Horse. A total of sixteen bronze statues were included, depicting a movement which connected them all towards the direction of the Sacred Way.
According to Pausanias, the thirteen statues were works of the then young Phidias. The statue of victorious Miltiades stood between those of Apollo and Athena together with the statues of the mythical heroes and kings of Athens: Codrus, Theseus, Phileus (perhaps Neleus or Menestheas). Another seven famous athenaean heroes of the old Athenian tribes continued in the same line.
The monument was dedicated much later to the Battle of Marathon, during the years of Cimon, Miltiades' son, around 460 B.C., when Athens wanted to rectify the injustice that had been done to the glorious victor who died as a prisoner in jail.
None of these early classical period works were found in Delphi. However, in 1972, two exceptional pieces of artwork -2 bronze statues- that were recovered from the bottom of the sea near the ancient Regio of Calabria in Sicily, were attributed to this monument. It is believed that the statues depict a hero from one of the old Athenian tribes and either Miltiades of Phileus. All special votive offerings were dedicated to the Tithe after the victories against the Spartans, at Oinoi (460 B.C.), at Thyrea (414 B.C.) and at Leuktra (371 B.C.), and included about 30 bronze statues and groups.
With this offering Athens seeks 1) its connection with its mythical ancestors and heroes, the mythical expeditions and the Trojan War, 2) to perpetuate its glory and to strengthen its ties with Thebes, after the victory with Epameinondas, but also 3) to overshadow Sparta's votive.
9) Bronze «Trojan Horse»
Period: approx. 414 B.C.
The city of Argos dedicated a bronze Trojan Horse to Apollo at Delphi after their victory against the Spartans in Thyrea’s frontier war (414 B.C.).
It acted as a reminder of the renowned incident of the Trojan War and their participation in it together with Agamemnon and Diomedes.
Antiphanes of Argos was the creator of the monument, who later worked for Sparta’s votive, as well as for the votive of the kings of Argos and the Arcadians.
10) Statues of the «Seven against Thebes»
Period: approx. 456 B.C.
In 460 B.C. the Argives along with the Athenians defeated the Spartans in the battle of Oenoe and removed the prestigious icon of the «invincible» army.
With a tenth of the spoils, they created a votive called «Seven on Thebes». It presented the statues of the leaders of the mythical Argos expedition against Thebes with Polynices and Adrastus, Tydeus, Capaneus, Hippomedon, Parthenopeus, as well as Amphiaraus with his chariot and Baton the charioteer.
According to Pausanias, the statues were created by the artists Hypatodoros and Aristogeiton.
11) Statues of the «Epigones»
Period: approx. 456 B.C.
There was a third Argive votive with the “Epigones”, the name given to the sons of Generals who fell during the siege of Thebes. It stood to the west of the «Seven of Thebes» offering, on a semi-circular pedestal.
On the pedestal is an inscription that reads in large letters: "ARGEOI ANETHEN TO APOLLONI" (Offering of the inhabitants of the city of Argos to Apollo) a dedication to the god Apollo.
Thus, the previous story continued, the children taking revenge on the death of their fathers: Aegialeus, son of Adrastus; Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus; Amphilochus, son of Amphiaraus; Diomedes, son of Tydeus; Euryalus, son of Mecisteus; Promachus son of Parthenopaeus; Sthenelus son of Capaneus; Thersander son of Polynices. They all campaigned against and took over Thebes.
The semi-circular votive offering with the slate on which the Epigiones statues stood has a diameter of 12.70 meters . It dates back to the early 5th century B.C. and is the oldest of the four votive offerings of the city of Argos at the Sacred Way.
12) The Kings of Argos
Period: approx. 369 B.C.
In front of the semi-circular platform with the Statues of «Epigones», is another similar one. The two semi-circular platforms are forming a cercle separated in two by the Sacred Way between them, enclosing and perpetuating the mythical glory of the city of Argos.
This second semi-circular platform, with the inscription: ARGEION – Argives, is the fourth dedication of the city of Argos with the heroes and kings of Argos.
The semi-circular platform with the Statues of the Kings of Argos
It included, as the inscriptions show, nine or ten statues: beginning from Danaus, the mythical Danean leader and King of Argos, in the middle of the platform. The lineage would continue to the left, with Hypermnestra, «Lynceus and the whole breed of heroes, up to Heracles, and even before that to Perseus» as Pausanias writes.
On the podiums of the statues are the names: Lynceus, Abas, Acrisius, Danaë, Perseus, Electryon, Alcmena and Heracles, at the beginning on the left, with the signature of the artist Antiphanes of Argos: «Αντιφάνης εποίησε Αργείος» (Antiphanis from Argos made).
The votive with the heroes and kings of Argos was made for the occasion of the foundation of Messina in 369 B.C., but activities were perhaps interrupted during the Third Sacred War * (355-346 B.C.) without their completion.
The platform is larger than the opposite one, with a diameter of 13.72 m, but it seems that there were no statues on the right side.
Sacred Wars: A series of wars
First Sacred War or Cirraean War: was fought between the Amphictyonic League of Delphi and the city of Kirrha. The conflict arose due to Kirrha's frequent robbery and mistreatment of pilgrims going to Delphi and their encroachments upon Delphic land. The war, which culminated with the defeat and destruction of Kirrha, is notable for the use of chemical warfare at the Siege of Kirrha, in the form of hellebore being used to poison the city's water supply. The war's end was marked by the organization of the first Pythian Games.
Second Sacred War (Part of the First Peloponnesian War) - 440s B.C. was a conflict over the occupation of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi: Spartans quickly removed the Athenian-backed Phocians and returned stewardship to the Delphians. After the Spartans left, however, an Athenian army—led by Pericles—took the city and re-installed Phocian rule.
Third Sacred War: (356–346 B.C.) was fought between the forces of the Delphic Amphictyonic League, principally represented by Thebes, and latterly by Philip II of Macedon, and the Phocians. The war was caused by a large fine imposed in 357 BC on the Phocians by the Amphictyonic League (dominated at that moment by the city of Thebes), for the offense of cultivating sacred land; refusing to pay, the Phocians instead seized the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and used the accumulated treasures to fund large mercenary armies.
13) Ex-voto of the Tarentines
Period: approx. 473 B.C.
In this area, a 12 meter long pedestal and votive inscriptions were discovered. These were erected in Delphi by the Spartan colony of Taras (Taranto, in South Italy), in 473 B.C. after a victory against the native tribes of the Messapions.
14) the Treasury of the Sicyonians
Period: approx. 6th c. B.C.
Sicyon, was a city on the Peloponnesian coasts of the Corinthian Sea, which flourished during the Archaic period and the early 6th century B.C.
The name of "Sicyonian Treasury" is a generic name given to three different and successive buildings of the 6th century BC. The treasury itself replaced two former buildings as mentioned by Pausanias, namely the tholos and the monopteros, built by the same city at an earlier stage within the 6th century.
The earlier buildings were related to the victories of the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon in the course of the First Sacred War. Their replacement probably marks the change in tide in Sicyonian politics.
The Treasury of the Sicyonians on the left of the Sacred Way (direction to the Temple of Apollo).
This open-sided, roofed structure was supported by fourteen small columns of doric order *: five columns on each longer side and four others on the smaller sides. They held a Doric frieze where triglyphs were placed only over the columns, resulting in fourteen metopes of unusual width sculpted in high relief and painted; detail was added with contrasting color and sometimes incision.
On the inside, there was no alcove and open as it was the building looked more like a shelter and thus it led to the conjecture that it hosted the chariot with which Cleisthenes, the tyrant of the Sicyon, won at the first Pythian games of 582 B.C.
This building, with its sculptural decorations, is the oldest one found in Delphi- including its five metopes that survived, which are of great importance to the history of art.
Of the original fourteen metopes, substantial portions of four as well as smaller fragments of others were found in 1894, scattered around the foundations of the later treasury. They show: 1) the Dioscuri, twins worshipped at the town of Sicyon, returning with others from a cattle raid; 2) The boar of Kalydon; 3) Zeus in the guise of a bull abducting Europa; 4) Jason’s ship Argo (illustrated). These myths have particular meaning for Sicyon but were still unusual subject matter, which is maybe why the names of the characters were originally added in paint. The sculptures are very inventive for their date. The Europa relief in particular is notable for capturing a fleeting moment, and for the female figure being in proportion to the animal; most archaic sculpture of this period was not concerned with the accuracy of relative sizes.
doric, ionian and corinthian order: are Greek architectural orders regarding the structure of an entablature. In each order the proportions of the subdivisions (architrave, frieze, cornice) are defined by the proportions of the column.
doric order
ionic order
corinthian order
monopteros: is a circular colonnade supporting a roof but without any walls. Unlike a tholos (in its wider sense as a circular building), it does not have walls making a cella or room inside.
16) Votive offering of the Aetolians
Period: approx. 3rd c. B.C.
On the rectangular stone pedestal, across from the Sacred Way, there was a monument dedicated by the Aitolians around the 3rd century B.C.
It included, as it appears from the sculptured bases, some statues from the time of the Aetolian hegemony in Delphi.
17) Treasury of the Siphnians
Period: 530 B.C.
The Treasury of the Siphnians is the most important in Delphi. It is dated precisely around 530 B.C., a truly prosperous period for the island of Siphnos, thanks to the gold and silver mines which were discovered there.
They dedicated the tithe of their income to Apollo at Delphi.
Sideview of the Siphnian Treasury
With an Ionian-like style, it was the first building made entirely by marble on Mainland Greece. It is among the finest monumental buildings in Delphi. The preserved decorative wealth are unique examples of Ionic architectural sculpture. The entrance of the treasury is located in the west, where was a small courtyard entoured by polygonal walls.
the Siphnian treasury - reconstruction by A. Tournaire
Two female statues - Caryatids* – between the pilasters replaced the columns of the gateway, according to the prototype of the Oriental temples.
The eastern and northern sides of the frieze were in an optimum place and could be seen through the entrance which was visible by the pilgrims ascending the Sacred Way. The stormy scenes of the Trojan War and the Gigantomachy * were considered to be the peak of archaic sculptures, as was the pediment with the Delphic legend of Heracles' dispute with Apollo over Pythia's divine tripod.
the East frieze of the treasury (exposed at the Archaeological Museum of Delphi)
the North frieze of the treasury (exposed at the Archaeological Museum of Delphi)
At the entrance of the imposing Treasure, which Herodotus describes as «immensely rich», a Delphian resolution was engraved in the 4th century B.C.:
DELPHOI APEDOKAN SIFNIOIS TAN PRO)MANTIAN ARXONTOS ARISTOMAXOY
which states that the Promanteia's * right was given to the island of Siphnos when the island was under the leadership of Aristomahos (in the 6th century B.C.).
Caryatid: is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head.
Gigantomachy one of the most popular myths in Greece, is the battles between the Olympian gods and Giants in antiquity. According to the myth, the Giants attacked the gods, but the Olympians learned that they could only emerge victorious if a mortal helped them. The gods therefore called Heracles to aid them, and they won the battle.
Promanteia: In the course of the classical period the priests of Delphi established a series of honours bestowed upon those who offered benefactions to the sanctuary, whether they were cities or individuals. The institution of promanteia was one of the privileges offered initially to cities which had offered aided the sanctuary financially. Promanteia was in fact the right to acquire an oracle before the others (yet still after the priests and the citizens of Delphi). Given the fact that oracle-giving was taking place on specific – and limited – periods of time, this right could actually be very important.
18) Ex-voto of the Liparians
Period: approx. 3rd c. B.C.
Τhe statues of the Liparians are located on the sculptured bases west of the Treasury of the Siphnians.
The settlers, originating from the small Asia Minor island of Knidos, lived on the Aeolian Islands *, as mentioned in the Homeric poems.
On one of them, Lipari, they built a city where they settled permanently. However, they still were facing the raids of the pirates of the Tyrrhenian Sea, as shown by the dedications to Delphi regarding their victories. Only the dedicatory inscriptions were preserved:
LIPARAIOI APO TYRSANNNON APPOLONI
KNIDIOI TOI EL LIPARAI
TODE TO MNAMA APO TYRSANON
A tribute to Apollo, from the settlers of Knidos when they fought the Tyrrhenian * pirates
Aeolian Islands: sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands or Lipari group (after their largest island), are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, said to be named after Aeolus, the mythical ruler of the winds.
Tyrrhenians: or Tyrsenians was the name used by the ancient Greeks authors to refer, in a generic sense, to non-Greek people, in particular pirates.
19) Treasury of the Thebans
Period: about 371 B.C.
In the southwest corner of the Temenos, are the ruins of the Treasure of the Thebans. It was founded in Delphi after the victory of the beotian coalition, led by the Thebans, against the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra, in 371 B.C.
It was built with local stone of the Prophet Elias quarries * and on the walls are engraved honorable inscriptions for the Thebes, some of which have been found.
Prophet Elias quarries: The limestones of the Parnassus Massif constitute the majority of the rock volume in the site of Delphi; a specific facies of Maastrichtian limestone called “Profitis Ilias limestone” has been used for the more prestigious edifices such as the Apollo Temple. The corresponding ancient quarry is located few kilometers west of the sanctuary near the actual Monastery of Prophet Elias.
20) Treasury of the Beotians
Period: 6th century B.C.
The Treasure was perhaps the oldest of all the treasuries found at Delphi. It was built before 548 B.C. with material that pilgrims carried to Delphi from Boeotia.
On the south side of the building, there is a stone with the name of the person who transferred it engraved in boustrophedon * style.
Boustrophedon: is a style of writing in which alternate lines of writing are reversed, with letters also written in reverse, mirror-style. This is in contrast to modern European languages, where lines always begin on the same side, usually the left. From Greek word "vodi" (βόδι), which means “ox,” and strofos (στροφος), which means “turn.” The ox turns — as in plowing a field.
21) The omphalos - navel stone
Period: 6th century B.C.
This navel-stone, conically carved, without any engraved jewelry, resembles the sacred worshipped stones that were found in Delphi. However, it seems that it does not come from the older worship period associated with the myth of the center of the world in Delphi.
The Omfalos. View from the North with mount Kirfi in the background.
In ancient Greek history and mythology, Delphi was referred to as the geographical center of the world, its navel (in Greek "ομφαλός" / omfalos). According to the ancient Greek myth, Zeus set two eagles free to find the center of the world. They soared through the skies westward and eastward and their paths crossed in Delphi. The Omfalos was the exact point where Zeus' eagles meet.
Another navel-stone, with engraved jewels, has been transferred and is exhibed in the lobby-hall of the Delphi Archaeological Museum .
The Omfalos exposed at the Archaeological Museum of Delphi
22) The Treasury of the Potideans
6th c. B.C.
The Treasury was made out of limestone and was built around 500 B.C. by the colonial settlers of Corinth in Potidea Chalkidiki.
The two Kouros (Kleovis and Viton) statues, which are now exhibited in the Delphi Archaeological Museum, were found in the northwest part of the Treasury.
23) The Treasury of the Athenians
490 - 485 B.C.
The Treasury of Athens is the most famous of Delphi Treasuries and one of the few whose original building material and decoration has been preserved.
It was restored by the French Archaeological School in 1905-1906 after the great excavations with funding from the modern Athens Municipality.
The Treasury of the Athenians
It is believed that the Treasury was built around 490 - 485 B.C. on the foundations of an older treasure, which the Athenians had founded in the years of Solon, around 580 B.C.
The Sacred Way and the Treasury of the Athenians view from the North
Its dimensions are 6,621 x 9,687meters, and it has been made entirely with marble from the island of Paros. It consists of the cella* and the pronaos*. Two doric order columns, 4 meters in height at the facade, between the pilasters, hold the entablature with rich sculptural decoration.
A colored reconstruction of the building
The sculptural decoration of the Treasury consisted of thirty beautiful metopes* among the triglyphs, six on the small sides and nine on the long sides, all of them were saved however, they were not well preserved. The metopes are reproductions; the originals are exhibited at Museum of Delphi.
Each metope depicts scenes from the adventures of Heracles and of Theseus, as well as , from Amazonomachies. All of them together comprise the adventures and feats of the two heroes as independent scenes from a great ongoing adventure that continues from metope to metope on each side.
Heracles is depicted, on the north and west sides and equally divided on the south and east sides is Theseus, the mythical ancestor and beloved hero of Athens, who was given a more prominent position towards the side of the Sacred way.
Thesean metopes include:
- Theseus and Athena
- Theseus and Sinis
- Theseus and the Crommyonian sow
- Theseus and Sciron
- Theseus and Cercyon
- Theseus and Procrustes
- Theseus and the Bull of Marathon
- Theseus and the Minotaur
- Theseus and the Captive Amazon
Amazon Antiope. Metope 8. The hero, a mantle, himation, draped over his back, is poised to deliver the final blow to the Amazon who has fallen on her shield.
Heraklean metopes include:
- Heracles and the Nemean Lion
- Heracles and the Ceryneian Hind
- Heracles and the Centaur
- Heracles and Cycnus
- Heracles and Orthrus
- Cows of Geryon (three metopes)
- Geryon
Heracles and Cycnus
On the base platform of the Treasure were columns engraved with scripted texts and on the southern side there were other various inscriptions, honorific votes for the Athenians, descriptions of the Pythaitha and two hymns* to Apollo with musical symbols, unique sources of ancient Greek music (today they are exhibited in the Delphi Archaeological Museum).
The hymns to Apollo inscriptions
the Marathon votive
On the south face of the Treasury, a triangular base with ten places bears the inscription:
ΑΘΕΝΑΙΟΙ Τ[Ο]Ι ΑΠΟΛΛΟΝ[Ι ΑΠΟ ΜΕΔ]ΟΝ ΑΚ[ΡΟΘ]ΙΝΙΑ ΤΕΣ ΜΑΡΑΘ[Ο]ΝΙ Μ[ΑΧΕ]Σ
(= The Athenians dedicated this to Apollo as first-fruits from the Persians at the Battle of Marathon
The Navel, the Marathon votive and the treasury of the Athenians. View from the Southwest.
Cella: (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek ναός, "temple") is the inner chamber of an ancient Greek or Roman temple in classical antiquity.
Pronaos and opisthodomos: In front of the naos, there is a porch, the pronaos, created by the protruding side walls of the naos (the antae), and columns placed between them. A door allows the naos to be accessed from the pronaos. A similar room at the back of the naos is called the opisthodomos. There is no door connecting the opisthodomos with the naos; its existence is necessitated entirely by aesthetic considerations: to maintain the consistency of the peripteral temple and to ensure its visibility from all sides, the execution of the front has to be repeated at the rear. A restricted space, the adyton, may be included at the far end of the naos, backing up on the opisthodomos.
metope: a rectangular architectural element that fills the space between two triglyphs in a Doric frieze, which is a decorative band of alternating triglyphs and metopes above the architrave of a building of the Doric order.
Hymnhymn: a metric composition whose text addresses a god, either directly or indirectly. They are the earliest formal type in Greek music, and survive in relatively large numbers
26) The Treasury of the Knidians
6th c. B.C.
The only found traces of the Treasure of the Cnidians are some preserved elements from the foundation of the building. Knidos (or Cnidus) was a city in Asia Minor which, according to Herodotus, was founded by Lacedaemonian colonists.
The Cnidians had constructed two buildings in the Sanctuary of Apollo: the Treasury (archaic period) and the so called «Lesche», a kind of club for social gatherings dating from the classical period.
We know that the Treasury was made of marble and measured 5.13x6.60 m. It was built during the peak period of Knidos, around 555 -545 B.C., just before the city was occupied by the Persians (544 B.C.).
Before the Treasury of the Siphnos, the Treasury of the Cnidians was also built in Ionic order. Its entry, facing northeast, had two Caryatids, instead of two columns. Some fragments of the Caryatids have been preserved and today are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
The votive inscription of the Treasure has also been found:
ΚΝΙΔΙΟΙ) ΤΟΝ ΘΗΣΑΥΡΟΝ ΤΟΝΔΕ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΑΓΑΛΜΑΤ(Α
ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ) ΠΥΘΙΩ (ΑΝΕΘΕΝ) ΔΕΚΑΤ(ΑΝ ΑΠΟ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΕΜΩΝ
=
the Cnidians dedicated this Treasure and the statues to Pythian Apollo
with the tenth from what they seized from their enemies
Pausanias mentions that the Cnidians had placed inside the building a complex of statues representing Triopas (the founder of Knidos), standing in front of his horse, Leto and Apollo and Artemis. The two Gods were represented throwing arrows at a reclining and wounded Tityos (a giant in Greek mythology), as a punishment for insulting their mother.
27) Bouleuterion (Delphi Counsil House)
around 550 B.C.
The foundations of a rectangular building measuring 6.5x13 m are found next to the Treasury of the Athenians. The foundations are made of tufa (a variety of limestone) and it is believed that the building housed the Bouleuterion of Delphi.
The Bouleuterion (Delphi Counsil House)
Plutarch mentions it as: "Next to the Treasury of the Athenians, on the left of the Sacred Road, where the Boulevard of Delphi was located..."
The Bouleuterion was a local parliament with fifteen deputies and eight rectors. Their term was of six months and one year, respectively. They looked after Delphi and the Oracle. It should be noted that the inhabitants of Delphi, who never exceeded a thousand citizens, had acquired a kind of pan-Hellenic status, as a small autonomous city with its own laws and its own currency.
The oracle of Apollo at Delphi was the most important of all the oracles of Ancient Greece but was primarily a local Oracle for Delphi. The priests of Apollo, as well as the Pythias, were elected by the tribes that inhabited Delphi. Keep in mind that no "foreigner" could receive an oracle if he was not accompanied by the local consuls and priests.
After the 1st Sacred War, in the 6th c. BC, the oracle was dominated by the Delphic Amphictyonia, the religious and political union of the cities in the greater area of Delphi. The Delphic Amphictyonia directed the local parliament, which met here in the Bouleuterion.
28) The Sibyl Rock
To the right of the Bouleuterion, on the side of the Sacred Road, stands a large rock supported by a small wall. The rock, which rolled once from the Phaedriades and stopped here, is considered as the Rock of Sibyl.
Plutarch and Pausanias mention the Rock of Sibyl. As they wrote, they had seen it, during the 2nd century B.C.,"lie within the area of the sanctuary of the Earth".
According to traditions the Delphic Sibyl, pre-dating the Pythia of Apollo, sat on the rock to deliver her prophecies (Paus. XII, 6). The first Sibyl was called Herophile, and came to Delphi before the Trojan War and prophesized the beginning of the war.
29) Asklepeion
Behind the Bouleuterion we can see the remains of a building constructed on the foundations of an older one.It's attributed, according to the inscriptions found here, to Aesculapius, the son of Apollo, and was an Asclepeion: a healing temple dedicated to Aesculapius.
Treatment at these temples largely centered around promoting healthy lifestyles, with a particular emphasis on a person's spiritual needs. Characteristic of the Asclepieion was the practice of incubatio, also known as "temple sleep". This was a process by which patients would go to sleep in the temple with the expectation that they would be visited by Asclepius himself or one of his healing children in their dream. During this time, they would be told what it is that they needed to do in order to cure their ailment.
At the very least, they would wake up having not been directly visited by a deity and instead report their dream to a priest. The priest would then interpret the dream and prescribe a cure, often a visit to the baths or a gymnasium. The preliminary treatment for admission into the Asclepions was catharsis, or purification. It consisted of a series of cleansing baths and purgations, accompanied by a cleansing diet, which lasted several days.
Between the Asclepeion and the western end of the polygonal wall are the remains of a small edifice. It's considered to be the fountain of the spring of Aesculapius.
30) The Polygonal Wall
Moving forward on the Sacred Way from the Treasury of the Athenians, we can see on our left the "Polygonal Wall", which marks the northern area.
The Polygonal Wall view from the Southwest
The wall is constructed at an altitude of 565 m. and crosses the sanctuary of Apollo horizontally creating two sections: the North where the Temple of Apollo was and the South where the area of the Halos was.
It was built after 548 B.C. at the time of the reconstruction of the archaic Temple of Apollo in the area where the earlier sanctuary of the Earth and the Muses was, covering and razing at least ten older edifices, to support the platform on which the new temple was erected. Behind it rise the columns of the Temple of Apollo, giving a vertical tension to the harmony of the landscape.
Having a solid construction throughout its length of 87 m., and a height of 5 m., the Polygonal Wall withstood during the centuries many earthquakes and landslides, especially at the western part, and has remained upright and unmovable. It's only in the middle that this exceptional monument of Ancient engineering curved somewhat.
Made of big stones of various shapes this facade looks like a large mosaic. The joints are carved smooth and curved, without corners. Thus, no vertical joints, potential fissure points, are created. The absolute junction of the stones is ensured by the extremely fine chiseling of the surfaces.
The archaeological value of this monumental wall, called "Polygonal" despite the fact that it uses a different masonry style (the so called Lesbian-style), is immense. The administrators of the Sanctuary had made the surface of the wall available, for a fee, to those who wished to "publish" a document in this high-profile place.
So during the 3rd and 2nd c. B.C. hundreds of inscriptions were engraved on the entire surface of the wall. Most of them are manumission acts*, official documents of Delphi, resolutions of the Delphic Amphictyonia regarding Greek cities and referring to public, private, religious and political affairs. The Polygonal Wall is truly an "archive of the antiquity".
Acts of manumission: In antiquity, manumission was the act of freeing slaves by their owners. Slaves belonged to their masters until they served long enough or until they gathered the necessary sum of money for their liberation. When that moment came, the act of manumission had to be guaranteed by a god, most commonly Apollo. The slave was thus fictitiously sold to the deity, so that the sale action could never be violated. The act was recorded on inscriptions with a rather formulaic expression. The majority of the manumission inscriptions of Delphi are gathered in two main spots: on the supporting wall of the parodoi of the theatre and on the polygonal wall, particularly the part which served as back wall to the portico of the Athenians. Most of the inscriptions date between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D.
31) The column of the Sphinx - a votive offering from Naxos island
570. B.C.
In front of the Polygonal Wall, on a small rock, the votive offering of the Naxians was located: a column (10 m.) surmounted by a colossal Sphinx made of marble.
It was composed of a column (10 m.) surmounted by a colossal Sphinx made of marble.
On the left the exact point of the Column of the Naxians, just in front of the Polygonal Wall. In the background the columns of the Temple of Apollo
Today the Sphinx and some vertebrae from the column have been transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Delphi and are exhibited there. On the site we can see the base and some vertebrae from the column where the Sphinx stood. The total height of this impressive monument, was almost thirteen meters!
The Sphinx as exposed at the Museum of Delphi.
The Sphinx was dedicated from the inhabitants of the island of Naxos to the Sanctuary of Apollo around 570 B.C. On the round pedestal of the column is engraved an inscription: an honorary resolution of Delphi regarding the Naxians. Re-engraved later on 332 B.C., it mentions the privilege of Promanteia* in accordance with the inhabitants of Naxos by the Sanctuary of Apollo.
ΔΕΛΦΟΙ ΑΠΕΔΩΚΑΝ ΝΑΞΙΟΙΣ ΤΑΝ ΠΡΟΜΑΝΤΗΙΑΝ ΚΑΤΤΑ ΑΡΧΑΙΑ
ΑΡΧΟΝΤΟΣ ΘΕΟΛΥΤΟΥ ΒΟΥΛΕΥΟΝΤΟΣ ΕΠΙΓΕΝΕΟΣ
Delphi accorded the Naxians the right of Promanteia as before, at the time of archon Theolytos and Epigenes the Bouleutes
A Sphinx on a Attic red figure amphora. Attributed to the Achilles Painter, ca 450 – 440 B.C. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston).
Bear in mind that the Sphinx was considered as a funerary monument in ancient times. This is not irrelevant in the case of the Sphinx of the Naxians: according to Greek mythology on the very same place the Tomb of Python and the sacred places of earlier cults of older deities, as Gaia (Earth) used to be situated.
Promanteia: was the privilege, bestowed upon cities or individuals by the Oracle of Delphi, to ask the Pythia in priority.
32) The Porch of the Athenians
The Porch (Stoa in Greek) of the Athenians was 30m long and nearly 4m wide. The north side used the Polygonal Wall as a closure.
The roof was made of a wooden structure, supported by seven whole-piece columns of Pentelic marble with bases and capitals of Parian marble, was tiled on the top. The monument has been identified through the inscription of attic letters on the stylobate:
ΑΤΗΕΝΑΙΟΙ ΑΝΕΘΕΣΑΝ ΤΗΝ ΣΤΟΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΑ ΟΠΛ[Α Κ]ΑΙ ΤΑΚΡΟΤΕΡΙΑ ΕΛΟΝΤΕΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΟΛΕΜΙΩΝ
-
The Athenians dedicated the portico and the armaments and the figure heads of the ships that they seized from their enemies
The Stoa of the Athenians view from the Southeast
The votive offerings housed in the Stoa of the Athenians were armaments taken from the vast pontoon bridge the Persians had built across the Hellespont at the beginning of the Persian War in 480 B.C. King Xerxes had ordered the construction of the bridge to expedite the movement of his enormous forces across the strait.
It was built by lashing together the ships with ropes and setting planks on them. The Athenians attacked the last remnants of Persians on the Greek side of the Hellespont at Sestos. After they defeated them at the end of a long siege in 478 B.C., they dismantled the bridges, bringing home some of the cables the Persians had used to lash the boats together.
In the following years, more exhibits were put on display in the Stoa at Delphi, as the Athenians gained more naval victories. The war memorials on display were dedicated to Apollo, but they also served as monuments of the Athenian victory.
33) The Rock of Leto
To the east of The Rock of Sibylla, next to the Column of the Sphinx, is another smaller rock named "the Rock of Leto" and closely associated with the founding myth of the the sanctuary of Apollo.
It was given this name because according to the myth Leto stood on this rock with the newborn Apollo in her arms and gave him courage with the cry "IE Pai" (dared child) to exterminate the terrible dragon Python with his arrows.
Apollo and the Serpent Python - Cornelis de Vos (1584-1651)
The Rock of Leto, among the other sacred rocks that existed since the period when the Sanctuary of Gaia (Earth), was closely associated with the early myths of Pythian Apollo in Delphi. That is is the reason they remained there in the later times, when the surrounding area was leveled to receive the votive offerings of historical times.
the rock of Leto view from the South. In the background the Polygonal wall and the columns of Temple of Apollo.
34) The Halos
A series of marble bases leading to the front of the polygonal wall, emerge on the North side of the Halos.
The first of these bases, the one next to the Bouleuterion, belonged to an ex-voto of the Boeotians. The inscription on it refers to the impiety commited by the Phocians when they had occupied Delphi. Therefore we deduce that the basis of the ex-voto was made by the Boeotians in the 4th c. B.C, perhaps to erect the statues of their generals, who took part in the Third sacred War against the Phocians.
The marble bases of the Halos
The other bases and the large pedestals belonged to unknown votive offerings with statues and clusters, which adorned the Halos.
40) 20 Statues of Apollo
the votive offering of the Liparians
According to Lycurgus of Athens, when the Greeks of Lipari islands faced the overwhelming threat of the Etruscan pirate fleet, they asked the oracle of delphi what to do. The Delphic oracle ordered them to fight against the Etruscan fleet with as few ships as possible.
The Lipari islands
What does that mean? they asked themselves. How can we mount a defense without the full navy? With heavy hearts they submitted. Against the line of colorful Etruscan warships bobbing on the swell out to the horizon, they brought into forward positions just five ships of their own.
Fleet of triremes made up of photographs of the modern full-sized replica Olympias. By EDSITEment, Public Domain.
The Etruscans could not believe their eyes: five ships? Was this how the little island folk planned to do battle? Counseling among themselves, they decided as a matter of honor -and with a touch of malice-, to engage just five ships of their own.
But things did not turn out quite as the Etruscans had foreseen: with the courage of desperation, the Liparians devastated the five Etruscan ships. The enemy again took counsel; they sent a second strike force of five ships into battle.
Again the result was the same, and again and again. The Liparians prevailed in each miniature battle until the Etruscans, in profound humiliation, withdrew over the horizon.
The people of Lipari dedicated at Delphi a statue of Apollo for every ship they took.
41) Monument of Aimilius Paulus
168 B.C.
Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus (c. 229 BC – 160 BC) was a two-time consul of the Roman Republic and a noted general who conquered Macedon, putting an end to the Antigonid dynasty in the Third Macedonian War.
The monument of Aemilius Paullus was erected shortly after 168 BCE in order to commemorate the Roman victory at the Battle of Pydna over King Perseus of Macedon.
The Monument of Aimilius Paulus at Delphi view from the North-West
The partially completed pillar was intended to be a base for a portrait of King Perseus. It was originally created to make the Macedonian presence known in Delphi to remind the Delphians of the tradition of friendship existing between them and the royal family.
However, the monument was taken over by Aemilius Paullus to celebrate himself and Rome's victory noting that, "it was only proper that the conquered should give way to the victors".
the inscription: "L. AIMILIUS L.F. INPERATOR DE REGE PERSE MACEDONIBUSQUE CEPET"
Deployed on all four sides at the top of the rectangular marble pillar, is a relief frieze depicting the Battle of Pydna. It included the inscription: "L. AIMILIUS L.F. INPERATOR DE REGE PERSE MACEDONIBUSQUE CEPET" this translates roughly to "Lucius Aemilius, Imperator, took this from Perseus, King of the Macedonians."
46) The Temple of Apollo at Delphi
There was at least 6 successive (historic and mythical) temples of Apollo at Delphi. In «Description of Greece» Pausanias, the 2nd century CE author, mentioning four successive temples of Apollo.
Temple of Apollo at Delphi view from the West
Temple I'
The first one was made of laurel: «They say that the most ancient temple of Apollo was made of laurel, the branches of which were brought from the laurel in Tempe. This temple must have had the form of a hut».
Temple II'
The second one was made of bee wax: «The Delphians say that the second temple was made by bees from bees-wax and feathers, and that it was sent to the Hyperboreans by Apollo».
Temple III'
The third temple was made of bronze: «It is no wonder that the third temple was made of bronze, seeing that Akrisios made a bedchamber of bronze for his daughter, the Lacedaemonians still possess a sanctuary of Athena of the Bronze House, and the Roman forum, a marvel for its size and style, possesses a roof of bronze. So it would not be unlikely that a temple of bronze was made for Apollo…».
Temple IV'
The fourth temple was made from stone: «The fourth temple was made by Trophonius and Agamedes; the tradition is that it was made of stone. It was burnt down in the archonship of Erxikleides at Athens, in the first year of the fifty-eighth Olympiad (548/47), when Diognetus of Krotona was victorious. The modern temple was built for the god by the Amphictyons from the sacred treasures, and the architect was one Spintharos of Korinth».
Temple V'
The fifth temple was made from stone after the 548/47 fire. It was paid for and directed by members of the Alcmaeonid family from Athens who had been forcibly exiled from that city by the tyrant Peisistratos. Completed by about 511 at the latest, was of the Doric order, with a 6X15 column peristyle.
The sculpted decoration of its pediments was the work of the Athenian sculptor Antenor. The east pediment depicted Apollo’s arrival at Delphi in triumph on his four-horse chariot. The west pediment depicted the battle between gods and giants (gigantomachy).This temple was destroyed during the strong earthquake of 373 BC.
the temple of Apollo at Delphi view from the North
Temple VI'
The sixth temple, the one that Pausanias saw (and we can see today) was inaugurated in 330 BC. Also of Doric order was made of marble-coated porous stone. Its roof and pedimental decorations, sculpted by the Athenian artists Praxias and Androsthenes, were made of Parian marble.
The east pediment was adorned by the figure of Apollo flanked, by his mother Leto, his sister Artemis, and the Muses. The west pediment depicted the god Dionysos among his female votaries, the Thyiades.
Persian shields taken as booty by the Athenian’s from the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC were attached to the temple’s metopes along with Gallic shields, spoils of the repulse of Gauls during the 279 BC invasion.
Inscribed on the walls of the pronaos (the porch before the temple’s cella), according to ancient writers, were the renowned maxims of the Seven Sages: ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ (know thyself) and ΜΗΔΕΝ ΑΓΑΝ (nothing in excess), as well as the enigmatic Delphic symbol 'Ε'.
The temple survived until AD 390, when the Roman emperor Theodosius I silenced the oracle by destroying the temple and most of the statues and works of art in the name of Christianity.
72) Craterus' ex voto
About 320 B.C.
Bronze group representing the lion hunt of Alexander the Great. A monument consecrated by Crateros, a friend and a Macedonian general and close friend of Alexander the Great.
Lion hunt. Mosaic from Pella (ancient Macedonia), late 4th century BC, depicting Alexander the Great and Craterus. Housed in the Pella Museum.
Plutarch mentions that Craterus, a friend and general of Alexander the Great, dedicated in Delphi a bronze sculpted complex, made by the famous 4th century B.C. sculptors Leochares and Lysippos.
The sculpture depicted the scene of a lion hunt, (a well-known incident of Alexander's life, when he was saved by Craterus during a lion hunt in the East). According to the inscription, the ex voto was dedicated not by Craterus himself, but by his son, after his father's death, probably around 320 B.C., or at the end of the 4th century B.C.
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The reconstruction poster map of Delphi,
by the Archaeological Guide of Greece
Poster size: 85X56cm / 34X22in
Designed and produced for a convenient and handy use in site and at home, it will assist you to visualize the Sanctuary of Apollo, where theOracle of Delphi was, the Ancient Theater, the Stadion, the Gymnasion of Delphi and the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia.
