Ode to a Grecian Sojourn: Athens - The Oracle at Delphi

About three hours north of Athens is Delphi. Legend has it that Zeus sent out two eagles from the eastern and western hemispheres to help find the center of "grandmother earth." The eagles' paths crossed over Delphi. That point - or the center - where they crossed is called the naval (center of the earth/center of our bodies). It's basically a big conical rock. So a temple honoring Apollo was built on the site, and once a month folks from everywhere would come to Delphi bearing gifts or animal sacrifices, and they'd ask important questions to the gods. The Oracle was a high priestess who was tripping of some local laurel leaves and the fumes from an ethylene (a sweet smelling gas that used to be used as an anesthetic) leak found in a fault beneath the mountain. She would assess the questions and then mumble something that the philosophers in town would then translate into an answer. Yeah, right. Nice work if you can get it!

I just have one observation...if the ancients were jotting down all this lore, did they get it that the earth was round? Why would Zeus let eagles fly in different directions hoping to have their paths cross if he/they thought the earth was flat? Just sayin'.

Today only bits and pieces of the temple, the market, and the naval survive. There's also a nice amphitheater, and a stadium where once every four years the ancient athletes would hold games. The ruins are high up on the side of Mount Parnassus and overlook a beautiful valley and a small port. Here are the highlights.

This is the naval - it's only a model (the original one is in the Delphi museum)

There are several of these small temple looking structures, but they're not temples, they're called treasuries. They would hold important donations, gifts, offerings, etc. for the gods.

The three columns are part of what used to be a sheltered walkway called a stoa (we'd call it a portico). As people came up the side of the hill, if it was hot or rainy, they could make part of the climb under cover. Vendors were stationed along the way selling trinkets, bottled water, and fridge magnets.

Along the path there was a wall where people would leave inscriptions. They'd talk about what they were going to ask the Oracle, or what was going on in their lives. Some would write poems or songs, some would write emancipation proclamations legally freeing their slaves. I kept looking for "Jenny loves Bobby" or "Cleo + Philip 4eva."

Etched on this stone was something about Delphi...you can read the word Delphi on the line beginning with the triangle.

So D (the triangle - the delta is the Greek symbol for the letter D) E (looks like our E) L (the Greek symbol for the letter L is an inverted V) P (the Greek symbol for the letter P is an oval with a line drawn through it) H (the Greek symbol is a small o) and I (looks like our I)

Finally we get to Apollo's temple.

These stones all had inscriptions on them.

Looking down at the valley below. The two square voids are the top of the little treasury we saw on the way up the hill.

Here's a better view. Ruins and the lovely wildflowers.

Looking back at the temple

Here's the theatre

Continuing to climb - my thighs were screaming -

we reached the stadium. The irony was not lost on me that I was climbing to see a stadium where athletic games were held and I am least of all an athlete. Joe made a good point, though: the folks making this climb in the old days were used to walking and climbing...that's how they got places. They didn't have a nice mercedes taxi cab like we did...those poor people.

A look down from the stadium and into the valley. At this point, my thighs relaxed, but my knees were thinking, "um...wait, what?"

About a five minute walk (after you lightly touch down) is the Delphi museum. Artifacts include additional finds at the site. Like Pompeii, the oracle was buried for centuries and excavation began in 1893 and is ongoing.