Tours: The Oracle of Delphi

Discover the marvelous oracular site of Delphi and learn about its importance.
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|-|Opening Remarks=
("Who are you?")
("What do you think of this place?")
("Let's begin the tour.")
|-|The Sacred Way=
On their journey to the Temple of Apollo, pilgrims walked this sacred path up Mount Parnassos. The summer sun beat down hot on their backs.
Along the way, they took in the magnificent monuments, treasuries, and statues that adorned the road.
These landmarks were tokens of people's reverence of the Oracle's benevolence.
All were dedicated to Apollo, and most were offered by cities to commemorate military victories.
The monuments represented not only their donors' piety, but also their power and wealth.
The sanctity of Delphi has endured to the present day, and visitors still take this very same route.
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One of the largest contributors of information on Delphi is the , an institute that has been researching the site since 1860. Its work has led to a very deep understanding of Delphi and its evolution over time.
One of their main challenges early on was that the iconic site laid under meters of sediment – sediment located in the very much-inhabited village of .
Through the school's efforts, 1000 villagers were completely relocated. With the village emptied, a railway was built to help remove excavated materials, allowing researchers to rediscover the sacred site.
|-|Dedication of the Knidians=
One of the most impressive dedications to Apollo came from the , a Greek population that colonized the island of , north of Sicily.
The story behind this dedication is notable.
The Knidians were at war with the in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Seeking a good omen, the Knidians consulted the Oracle, and followed her advice, they successfully captured twenty enemy ships.
To thank Apollo, they offered the god the same number of statues as ships seized.
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Today, only fragments of this monument remain, so the best record we have of it comes from the ancient writer Pausanias.
According to him, the Knidians and Liparians also wanted the dedication to mark the triump of "Greek-ness" over what they called "barbarism".
|-|Athenian Portico=
Next to the Naxian Sphinx stood a simple structure to display offerings from the Athenians, most of which were spoils of war.
In particular, these offerings - called "ex-votos" - were prows of sunken Persian ships.
The Athenians built the portico after their navary victory over the Persians in 478 BCE.
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The Athenian Portico celebrated a victory over the Persians at the very end of the Greco-Persian Wars.
The portico was a sign of Athens' increasing power. The power it held over the rest of Greece left many other cities unhappy - including Sparta. Eventually, the rivalry between Sparta and Athens would escalate into a full-blown conflict known as the Peloponnesian War.
|-|Offerings and Sacrifices=
Once arriving before the temple, pilgrims wishing to consult the Oracle had to first pay a tax.
This tax gave them the initial right to approach the altar of Apollo and make an animal sacrifice to the god.
But before proceeding to the Pythiam the preliminary ritual had to succeed.
If the animal reacted favorably and showed signs of acceptance to the god, it was sacrificed, and the pilgrim would be allowed to enter the temple to question the Pythia.
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The altar of Apollo was a lrge marble table. Before the sacrifice began, a fire would be lit on the table.
The sacrificial animal - usually an ox - was then stunned with a mallet. The animal's skin was given to the priest, while its flesh was divded into two parts: the bones and fat, which were offered to the god, and the meat, which was distributed amongst the people who brought the animal, then grilled and eaten.
|-|Temple of Apollo=
At last we arrive at the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle relayed her prophecies.
The temple was the final destination of those seeking an audience with the Pythia, and its appearance matched the majesty of its purpose.
Atop its imposing columns, the structure's pediments displayed famous mythological scenes sculpted by the renowned Greek artist .
But as grand as the temple looked from the outside, it paled in comparison with what happened within.
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Originally constructed in the 7th century BCE, the Temple of Apollo burned down in 548 BCE, only to be rebuilt towards the end of the 6th century BCE with the help of funds from an .
The temple was destroyed again by an earthquake in the 4th century BCE, and required further reconstruction by the architect Spintharos. This time, it managed to stay standing until 390 CE, when it was destroyed by Roman Emperor Theodosius.
|-|Pythian Oracle=
Prophecies were given in the most restricted part of the temple, the adyton, by a chaste woman known as the Pythia.
Before delivering prophecies, she first purified herself with water, then burned laurel leaves and barley flour to begin the ritual.
Finally, while seated on a tripod surrounded by offerings, the Pythia delivered Apollo's messages.
Her words were often strange and indecipherable, and required further interpretation by the temple's priests.
Despite much research, the exact causes of the Oracle's behavior while prophesying are debeated to this day.
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The Pythia's predictions were often incomprehensible to common mortals and required interpretation by priests.
Herodotos tells us that the famously rich king Kroisos once misunderstood one of the Oracle's prophecies.
After asking about the outcome of a war he would declare, the Oracle predicted a kingdom would fall.
Unfortunately for Kroisos, it was his own kingdom that fell - right into the Persians' hands.
|-|Foundation of the Oracle=
Myths say while searching for an oracle who could impart their words to mortals, Apollo established a sanctuary on Mount Parnassos.
Apollo took over this site by slaying its sinister guardian, the snakelike .
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For Greeks, the fight with Pytho explained the foundation of the Oracle and its sanctuary.
It also symbolized the triumph of civilization over the forces of chaos, much like the victory of Zeus over Typhon or Herakles over various different monsters.
|-|Closing Remarks=
("I'm ready for the quiz.")
("Take on the next suggested tour.")
("Take me on a random tour.")
([LEAVE] "That's all for now.")
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==Gallery==
Assassin's Creed Discovery Tour- The Oracle of Delphi - Ep. 18 - Ubisoft -NA-
Category:Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece