Delphi

Delphi appears to have been a site of worship since 1,400 BCE, and again from 800 BCE.
It held tremendous importance to the Ancient Greeks who believed the location was ‘Omphalos’ or the centre of the world.

Delphi was considered to be the Greek centre of wisdom and was the location of the Sanctuary and the Temple of Apollo. From 486 BCE, the Pythian Games were held at Delphi.
Delphi was the location of the Sanctuary of Apollo, and the Temple of Apollo, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus.
Delphi held tremendous importance to the Ancient Greeks who believed the location was ‘Omphalos’ or the centre of the world.

The first Temple was destroyed in a fire during 548/7 BCE.
The second Temple was completed in c.511 CE, but was destroyed in an earthquake in 373 BCE.
The third Temple was built in 330 BCE but closed and dismantled by Theodosius I in 390 CE.
The visible Remains at Delphi today are from this Temple.
An ‘eternal flame’ was burnt in the Temple of Apollo.
Plutarch was a Priest at the Temple of Delphi, and friend of the Pythea, Priestess of the Oracle.
Three phrases in Greek were inscribed over the entrance to the Temple, and enigmatically, the Letter E (see below).

The Ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the Centre (Navel) of the World.
A giant snake called ‘Python’, who was the son of Gaia, guarded the Navel of the World.
At Delphi, Apollo shot an arrow at the giant snake and killed him.
To atone for his crime, Apollo had to flee and spend eight years as a servant, before being allowed to return and be forgiven.

A navel carved from stone still remains at Delphi.
‘Omphalos’ means navel. Pausanias describes this stone in his ‘Description of Greece’.

An annual festival called the ‘Septeria’, re-enacted the killing of the Dragon, the flight, the atonement and Apollo’s return.

The Pythia, was the priestess presiding over the Oracle, who delivered prophesies inspired by Apollo.
No prophesies were given during the winter months as Apollo was considered to live in Hyperborea. He was replaced by Dionysus during his absence.
The Pythia only gave Prophesies on the seventh day of each month. The Oracle of Delphi was considered to be completely trustworthy.
The Pythia sat near the Temple, on a tripod, over a crevice in the rock.
It is thought that Gases emitted from this crevice caused the Pythia to go into a trance, during which the God Apollo was able to possess her and pass the Prophesies.

The Romans continued consulting the Oracle.
The Emperor Hadrian is known to visited the Oracle twice.
The last recorded Prophesy by the Oracle was in 362 CE to the Emperor Julian ‘the Apostate’.
The Oracle is thought to have continued until 395 CE, when Theodosius I closed all the Sanctuaries as being too Pagan.

One of the four Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece.
- Year 1: Olympic Games
- Year 2: Nemean Games and Isthmian Games.
- Year 3. Pythian Games.
- Year 4: Nemean Games and Isthmian Games.

The Pythian Games were started in 586 BCE, were held here every four years, and attended by athletes from all over Greece. They were held 2 years after the Olympic Games.
The Athletic Games were the same as the Olympic Games.
Unlike the Olympic Games, the Games also included competitions in art and dance.
The Games were still being continued as late as 424 CE. Unlike the Olympic Games, they were not abolished by Theodosius in 395 CE.

Many of the Greek cities gave a Tithe (tenth) of their annual income to Delphi, building Treasuries there to contain the wealth.

A total of one hundred and forty seven Delphic maxims were inscribed on the Temple Walls, and were written down by the fifth century CE Greek scholar, Stobaeus.
Their origin was attributed to the Seven Sages of Greece during the Classical Period.

Plutarch (46-120 CE) was one of the Priests at Delphi, and a friend of Clea the Pythea. He describes three Greek phrases carved into the entrance to the Temple:
- ‘Know Thyself’
- ‘Nothing in excess’
- ‘Make a pledge, and mischief is nigh’
Plutarch also describes another enigmatic inscription: a large Letter E.

- The ancient Greeks themselves did not understand its significance, and puzzled over its meaning. Although there is no obvious explanation, the Greek letter E for Epsilon represents the number five, which may have been significant.
- Plutarch gave seven explanations as to the meaning of the Letter E. One of these explanations is that there were seven vowels in the Greek Alphabet. Each vowel represented the Seven Classical Planets, and E represented the second Planet after the Moon, which was the Sun, represented by Apollo

Delphi