08/07/2009
Delphi lying on the slopes of Mount Parnassus high above the Gulf of Corinth, lies 180 kilometers northwest of Athens. Delphi is the most historic sites in Greece known throughout the ancient Greek world and beyond as the sanctuary of Apollo and the shrine of his oracle, a UNESCO world heritage site now.
All that remains of the Temple of Apollo, the most important building in the Sanctuary of Apollo, are the foundations. It was built on the same location three times and featured columns, sculptures, and statues inside.
The present Temple of Apollo, built in Doric style in the fourth century BC, preserved the ground-plan of the sixth-century-BC Archaic temple and re-used the old column drums, but the detailing is typical of the late-Classical period. It is here, in the adyton (inner shrine) that the Pythia (priestess) would sit and utter the words of the Oracle, sent to her by Apollo and interpreted by the priests. A flight of steps leads up to the theater. Dating from the fourth century BC, with later alterations during the Roman period, the theater could accommodate 5,000 spectators on 35 rows of stone benches. It was built to host musical contests at the Pythian Games, which were held at Delphi from 590 BC onwards. Lying within the sacred precinct, it commands fine views of the entire site.
