{"id":10970,"date":"2022-11-15T14:05:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T14:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/delphi-greece\/"},"modified":"2024-07-16T14:32:53","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T14:32:53","slug":"delphi-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/delphi-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"The Archaeological Site of Delphi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Perched on the southern flank of Mount Parnassus in central Greece, the sanctuary of Delphi is one of the country’s most iconic archaeological sites. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow the guide! \u26f0\ufe0f <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u26a0\ufe0f Delphi is very popular, <\/strong> especially during peak season. To avoid wasting time in line, be sure to book your tickets in advance<\/strong>: tickets for the archeological site of Delphi & the museum.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Hot Tips<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca4 Accommodations:<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong> in Delphi<\/a>, in the Peloponnese<\/a> and in Athens<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\ude97 Car Rental:<\/strong> compare the deals<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfdb Plan Your Stay:<\/strong> The Complete Guide to the Peloponnese<\/a> and The Complete Guide to Athens <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Brief history of Delphi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Delphi in Greek mythology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

– Delphi, the center of the world<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

According to legend,\nthe “navel of the world”, the omphalos<\/em>, is located in Delphi.&nbsp; In ancient times,\nZeus was said to have released two eagles on both sides of the disc (= the world)\nThe two birds met in Delphi, thus\nmarking the location of the center of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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– Delphi and Apollo<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that Gaia – the mother goddess – was the\nfirst to render oracles on the site of Delphi, which then named Pyth\u00f4\nafter her son, the serpent Python, guardian of the oracle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the legend, the god Apollo, who also wanted to\nto guide men, killed the serpent Python so he could found his sanctuary on the\nflank of mount Parnassus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apollo was a kind and generous god: he made Delphi a sanctuary where people could consult him in hopes of receiving his guidance, as well as purify themselves and atone for their crimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\udd14 Where does the name Delphi come from? \ud83e\udd14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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According to the legend, when his temple was founded, Apollo saw a Cretan boat in the distance on the sea. He then changed into a dolphin to join the ship and convince the crew to become guardians of the sanctuary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name Delphi is therefore derived from the word dolphin: \u03b4\u03b5\u03bb\u03c6\u03af\u03c2 \/ delph\u00eds in ancient Greek. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Delphi<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Delphi according to the historians<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

– The sanctuary of Apollo<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Historians believe that the sanctuary emerged in the 8th century BC and subsequently rose to prominence as a top-tier place of worship in the Greek world from the 6th to 4th centuries BC. It’s regarded as a “panhellenic” sanctuary, where Greeks from various city-states like Athens, Corinth, and Thebes would come together to partake in shared rituals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greeks came to Delphi to ask for the\nadvice of Apollo and be purified: the pilgrimage to Delphi is\nextremely ritualized. The pilgrims thus addressed the Pythia, through\nwhich they thought that the god made his oracles. The Pythia was a young\nwoman chosen for her purity and her chastity. Sat on a tripod,\nshe inhaled the steam emanating from a crevice and chewed laurel leaves,\nthus inducing a state of trance. A priest was charged with translating\nthe oracle in verse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the zenith of the sanctuary, the most important figures of the Greek world came to Delphi\nto hear the oracle and to attract Apollo’s favors\nthrough offerings and sumptuous gifts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– The Pythian games<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Pythian Games were great panhellenic celebrations created in the 6th century B.C. and dedicated to the god Apollo. They were quite similar to the Olympic Games of Olympia and the Asclepeia of Epidaurus<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These games include sporting events as well as\nmusical and\nand poetic contests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– The end of the cult of Apollo and the advent of Christianity<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the Roman era, the cult of Apollo gradually lost its significance until pagan rites were banned by the Roman Empire in 392 AD. A Christian town was then established on the site of the sanctuary, but it disappeared in the 7th or 8th century AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Delphi in the Unesco World Heritage \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ruins of Delphi were discovered by the French School at Athens – a foreign archaeological institute – in the late 19th<\/sup> century. A century later, in 1987, the sanctuary was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Delphi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Delphi is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in Greece.\nIt is well worth a visit both for its historical value and for its\nbreathtaking scenery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll need a good few hours to explore\nthe entire site. In summer, Captain Ulysses recommends visiting Delphi early in the morning to avoid\nthe crowd and enjoy the (relative) coolness. If the site conceals\na thousand treasures, the Captain has drawn up a small list of the major points of interest and\nmonuments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The temple of Apollo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dated from the 4th<\/sup> century B.C., the temple of Apollo was the 6th<\/sup>\ntemple dedicated to the deity to be built on this site, the five\nthe first temples having been destroyed. The temple is 24 meters\/26 yards by 60 meters\/65 yards. It was\nbuilt on a volcanic fault, and the\nPythia gave the oracles in this very spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In front of the temple, a pedestal marks the location of the altar, where\nthe sacrifices were carried out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Delphi<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Sacred Way and the Treasuries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sacred Way is the path leading from the entrance of the sanctuary to the temple of Apollo. It is lined with votive monuments and “treasuries” built by various Greek cities to deposit offerings and ex-voto in honor of the god Apollo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among these treasuries, still remain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n