Delphi will catch your attention with its famous Oracle of Apollo that connected humans and gods' conversations indirectly through the priestess Pythia, but divinely.
Dodona was the oldest Hellenic Oracle and was located near Delphi. The image below shows where Dodona was.
Sanctuary of Zeus was perhaps the oldest Greek religious sanctuary with more than 5000 years old of a holly site. It was dedicated to the Earth Goddess, Dione, and later, it was taken over by Zeus. You could also learn the divining at Dodona as well. The priestess would listen to the wind rustle in the leaves and watch the birds that flew over it.
The Cave of Trophonius, also known as "The Cave of Nightmares,"was a home to the oracle. Along with the spirit of Trophonius himself, the cave also contained dark ghostly bees, his sacred animal, and water moccasins. Snakes represented the prophetic wisdom from deep in the Earth. In the dark prophecy in the cave, Trophonius sent the bees to swarm Apollo and Meg.
Below is the cave of Trophonius in Dodona, Greece.
Sanctuary of Aesclepius at Epidaurus was the rival of a major cult site as the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. Sanctuary of Aesclepius was built to dedicate to Aesclepius as a main holy site. It was a healing place for the pilgrims to come and seek medical cures from the clean water, hotel, gym with trainers, and entertainment. The ritual ended with them sleeping in the temple and dreaming their cures. After they woke up, the priests would help them interpret their Dream for the cure of their illnesses.
Below is an image of the sanctuary of Aesclepius at Epidaurus, Greece.
DELPHI
Significance of Delphi
The Oracle was a response to a specific question at Delphi. It was usually posed by an individual or a state representative; then it was usually answered by an intermediary (Oracle), on the behalf of a god or hero, at a specific place.
In Myth:
Zeus's "eagle test" was carried out by having two eagles crossing each other and they intersected at Delphi. Thus, Delphi was then called the center of the Universe.
Apollo's earthly home: Light, Reason, Individuation
Dionysus's earthly home: Darkness, Instinct, Losing yourself
In Politics:
Delphic Amphyctionic League was the "league of neighbors". It was an ancient religious Greek league's name connected with the sanctuaries and was an ancient religious association of Greek tribes.
Treasuries were used to hold important stuffs to Delphi and were called a 'world bank'.
Delphi sites:
THIS IS DELPHI AND TEMPLE OF APOLLO BY THE MOUNTAIN PARNASSUS
Castalian Spring was used to purify visitors with water before coming in the Oracle as a way to show respect for the divine.
Castalian Spring below! Wash your hands and clean yourself before coming in the Delphi Oracle.
The Omphalos was an ancient marble monument in Delphi and was the 'navel of the Earth'. Zeus threw the stone from the sky to see where it would land, and the stone landed at Delphi. It became the symbol of Apollo at Delphi and since then was considered the center of the world.
This was the Omphalos stone of Zeus!
The Athenian treasury was a storage place of the Athenian treasures at Delphi, Greece.
The Athenian treasury in Delphi, Greece
Temple of Apollo, god of music, harmony, and light, settled in the most prominent spot at Delphi Sanctuary. It was located in the Southern slopes of Parnassos mountain. It was an ancient Greek religious sanctuary dedicated to god Apollo. The Sanctuary was home to the famous oracle of Apollo which gave mysterious predictions to city states and individuals. Pythia was the highest priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and also served as the oracle. It was very important to translate and interpret the Oracle to make a decision on wars during the ancient Greek period.
Delphic Sibyl was a woman from before the Trojan Wars and she would have predated the real Pythia. Sibyl was believed to be born "between man and goddess, daughter of sea monsters and an immortal nymph."After her death, it was said that she became the wandering voice that still brought to the ears of men of the future in dark riddles.
An image of Sibyl below:
Getty Villa's object:
The bas-relief of the Oracle at Delphi showed people walking up a hill towards a seated woman with her hand outstretched like a priest/Oracle. At the bottom, a group of men all wore laurel wreaths on their heads and sat around a table.
I like an image of a seated woman with her outstretched hand as it seemed to represent the power of worship for the Oracle at Delphi! People seemed to be lining up to go to the Oracle. The Oracle looked as if she was waiting to give people responses for their questions. It is interesting that a hill was shown to depict that the sacred Oracle was on a hill around the mountains in Delphi. I also found the laurel wreaths on the men’s heads to be interesting as it represented god Apollo with honor and victory.
Reflection:
I found Delphi to be very interesting with its oracle and the sanctuaries! My favorite part near Delphi is Mount Parnassus as it faced the temple of Apollo, olive groves, and the countryside landscapes below and around. I love how Delphi was surrounded by the mountains to respect the sacred place with tranquility. In addition, I like the idea of Zeus's eagle test to test the intersection of the eagles and locate the center of the universe at Delphi. I think that this is very fascinating to imagine! I also admire the Castalian Spring for its purpose of purifying the visitors who came to Delphi's Oracle of Apollo in order for them to be clean and show respect to the Oracle upon entering a highly sacred place. It is wonderful to me how the Oracle/ Pythia could have an answer for the visitors on the behalf of a god or hero to connect with the humans indirectly. And I also think that our own Oracle interpretation is very important for us to make a life-threatening decision just like the Greek decisions on their battles in the past. It was also very thoughtful of the Greeks to have the Oracle at Delphi near a more peaceful and pious place than to have the Oracle at the Athenian Agora, where the crowded central daily lives took place. I wish I could travel back in time and speak to the Oracle at this holy site that I definitely want to visit one day!
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