Central Greece - Greece - page 368

The Sanctuary of Apollo, considered the heart of the oracle, is on the left of the main
road as you walk towards Arahova. One hundred metres to the right of the museum (fol-
low the pavement), notice the brickwork of the Roman agora .
From the main entrance, the steps on your right lead to the Sacred Way, which winds
gradually up to the foundations of the Doric Temple of Apollo. Entering the site, you
pass several stone bases . The first is the pedestal that held the statue of a bull dedicated
by the city of Corfu (Kerkyra). Just beyond it, on the right, are the remains of the Votive
Offering of Lacedaemon, commemorating a battle victory. The next two semicircular
structures on either side of the Sacred Way were erected by the Argives (people of Ar-
gos). To their right stood the Kings of Argos Monument.
In ancient times the Sacred Way was lined with treasuries and statues given by grateful
city states - Athens, Sikyon, Siphnos, Knidos and Thiva (Thebes) etc - not only as
thanks to Apollo, but as a kind of PR machine to show their wealth and might. To the
north of the reconstructed Athenian Treasury are the foundations of the bouleuterion
(council house).
The 4th-century BC Temple of Apollo dominated the entire sanctuary with a statue of
Apollo and a hearth where an eternal flame burned. On the temple vestibule were in-
scriptions of Greek philosophers, such as 'Know Thyself' and 'Nothing in Excess',
known as the Delphic Commandments.
Above the temple is the well-preserved 4th-century BC theatre , which was restored
by the Pergamenon kings in the 1st century BC, yielding magnificent views from the top
row. Plays were performed here during the Pythian Festival, held, like the Olympic
Games, every four years. From the theatre the path continues to the stadium , the best
preserved in all of Greece. Check out the sprinters' etched-stone starting blocks at the
eastern end. On occasion, stadium access is limited because of possible rockslides.
From the Sanctuary of Apollo, the paved path towards Arahova runs parallel to the
main road and leads to the Castalian Spring on the left, where pilgrims cleansed them-
selves before consulting the oracle (closed at the time of research due to work to secure
falling rocks).
» Gymnasium
Across the road, to the south, west of the Sanctuary of Athena Pronea, you will find the
remains of the ancient gymnasium. Two running tracks occupied an upper terrace here;
on a lower terrace, boxers and wrestlers practised their art and then cooled off in the
large, spring-fed circular pool , which is still visible among the ruins.
» Sanctuary of Athena Pronea
After the gymnasium is the Sanctuary of Athena Pronea, the site of the 4th-century BC
tholos (rotunda), the most striking of Delphi's monuments. This graceful circular struc-