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During the
Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was
worshipped in the small settlement of Delphi. The
development of the sanctuary and oracle though, began in
the 8th century B.C. with the establishment of the cult
of Apollo. Under the protection and administration of
the Amphictyony, the sanctuary continued to be
autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a result,
increased its panhellenic religious and political
influence. The Pythian Games were re-organized, the
sanctuary was enlarged and it was enriched with nice
buildings, statues, and other offerings. In the 3rd
century B.C. it came under the domination of the
Aetolians and later, in 191 B.C., was conquered by the
Romans.
The ruins of Delphi were uncovered by the systematic
excavations of the French Archaeological School, which
began in 1893. The village of Kastri, which had occupied
the area of the sanctuary since medieval times, was
moved to its present position. After the removal of huge
quantities of earth that had been accumulated with the
landslides, the remains of two sanctuaries, dedicated to
Apollo and Athena Pronaea, were finally uncovered.
The only monument that could be fully reconstructed from
its own building material was the Treasury of the
Athenians, which was restored in 1903-1906 by the French
excavators, at the expense of the Municipality of
Athens. In 1959, the restoration of the altar of the
Chians was completed by the Greek Archaeological
Service. The gradual reconstruction of parts of the
Tholos and the Apollo Temple since 1938, has resulted in
major changes in the overall appearance of the ancient
remains; the Tholos has been rebuilt up to the marble
sima at the base of the roof, while of the Temple have
been restored the north crepis, the north wall, the
columns on the east side, and the ramp of the entrance.
The numerous finds from the sanctuary are housed in the
Archaeological Museum of Delphi
Some of the most important monuments of the site are:
The Temple of Apollo. The visible ruins belong to the
last temple, dated to the 4th century B.C., which was
peripteral, in Doric order. It was erected exactly on
the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th
century B.C. Inside was the "adyton", the centre of the
Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia. The monument was
partly restored during 1938-1941.
The Treasury of the Athenians. Small building in
Doric order, with two columns in antis, and rich relief
decoration. It was built by the Athenians at the end of
the 6th century B.C. in order to house their offerings
to Apollo.
The Altar of the Chians. The large altar of the
sanctuary, in front of the temple of Apollo, was paid
for and erected by the people of Chios, in the 5th
century B.C., according to an inscription cut on the
cornice. The monument was made of black marble, except
for the base and cornice which were of white marble,
resulting in an impressive color contrast. The altar was
restored in 1920.
The Stoa of the Athenians. The stoa, built in the
Ionic order, has seven fluted columns, each made from a
single stone. According to an inscription cut on the
stylobate, it was erected by the Athenians, after 478
B.C., to house the trophies taken in their naval
victories over the Persians.
The Theatre of the sanctuary. It was originally
built in the 4th century B.C. but the ruins we see today
date from the Roman Imperial period. The cavea had 35
rows of stone benches; the foundations of the skene are
preserved on the paved orchestra.
The Stadium was constructed in the 5th century
B.C. and was remodelled in the 2nd century A.D. at the
expense of Herodes Atticus. Then were added the stone
seats and the arched monumental entrance. It was in this
Stadium that the panhellenic Pythian Games took place.
The Castalia spring. The sacred spring of Delphi
lies in the ravine of the Phaedriades. The preserved
remains of two monumental fountains that received the
water from the spring date to the Archaic period and the
Roman era. The later one is cut in the rock and has
niches cut high in the cliff, which probably held the
offerings to the Nymph Castalia.
The Tholos. Circular building in Doric order,
built in ca. 380 B.C. Its function remains unknown but
It must have been an important building, judging from
the multi-coloured stone, the fine workmanship and the
high-standard relief decoration. The monument was partly
reconstructed in 1938.
The Polygonal wall. Retaining wall, built after
the destruction of the old temple of Apollo in 548 B.C.,
to support the terrace on which the new temple was to be
erected. The masonry is polygonal and the curved joints
of the stones fit perfectly in place. A large number of
inscriptions, mostly manumissions, are carved on the
stones of the wall.
The Gymnasium was a complex of buildings used by
the youths of Delphi for their education and practice.
It was constructed in two levels: on the upper was a
stoa and a free open space used for running practice,
and on the lower was the palaestra, the pool and the
baths (thermae). |
