Delphi

“At the navel of the world, where they listened for the voice of the god”

Open in Google Maps

Go deeper↓

Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Scenes

The circular temple (tholos) of Athena Pronaia against the green mountainside — The tholos, the round temple re-raised on the slopeBernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0

The whole Sanctuary of Apollo seen from the Phaedriades cliffs — temple, theatre and sacred way — The whole sanctuary seen from the cliffsMark Landon · CC BY-SA 4.0

The reconstructed Treasury of the Athenians, a small Doric marble building — The Treasury of the AtheniansBernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

Doric columns line the slope of Mount Parnassus, and far below, a valley of olive trees opens into the haze.

Tradition holds this to be the omphalos, the 'navel of the world,' the center of the earth, where oracles came through the Pythia, priestess of Apollo. The words 'Know thyself' are said to have been inscribed on the temple, and the ancient Greeks gathered here to ask the god about the great matters of their cities. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Voices across time

“The lord whose oracle is at Delphi neither speaks nor conceals — he gives a sign.”
— Heraclitus · c. 500 BCE

Roads through this light

Delphi — Listening for the Oracle at the Navel of the World

“The navel of the world, where the oracle came through the priestess in a temple inscribed 'Know thyself'”

Field notes

Location: Mount Parnassus · 그리스 중부 · N38.5° · E22.5°
Best time: Early morning in spring or autumn, when light falls on the slope
Getting there: About a 2.5-hour drive from Athens to the site on the flank of Mount Parnassus.
Etiquette: Keep to the marked paths to protect the ruins.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· UNESCO World Heritage

Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.