So high in the mountains by Parnassus that the world itself shrinks, Delphi has been sacred ground for longer than men can easily remember. Zeus, the father of gods, wished to establish the precise center of the earth, and released two eagles from the ends of the earth to find it. Meeting at Delphi, the “omphalos” or navel of the universe, it was land controlled by the gods.

In the future, men would realize that the vapors coming up from a crack in the earth contained certain gases which, like so-called “laughing” gas, caused light-headedness and sometimes hallucinations. Then, people believed that the Chthonic goddess Gaia, mother of the gods, issued her prophecies at Delphi through the Sibyl. The oracle of Gaia was guarded by her son, the serpent Python, which had its lair by the famous Castalian Spring, where it stood guard while the Sibyl gave out her prophecies. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows and took charge of the oracle. The countryside rejoiced, as Python had destroyed crops and carried off villagers. However, to make amends for killing Gaia's son, Apollo had to serve King Admetus for nine years as a cowherd. When his service was done, Apollo took the form of a Dolphin (probably giving his name to the holy site, as his title, "Delphinios" means Dolphin or porpoise) and led a group of Cretan priests to serve his new oracle. The Cretan priests stayed at Delphi thereafter. Apollo then chose his priestess, the "Pythia," who actually spoke the words that were later interpreted as his voice.

Thereafter, the Pythia – a woman chosen for the lifetime position of speaking for the god – sat on a tripod literally on top of the fault lines where the gases rose, and spoke in tongues in response to the questions of the mighty. The priests of Delphi then cast her words into poetry, which was given to the seeker. From the beginning, the words of the god were cryptic, obscure – but amazingly, they often proved to be right. The god kept his cloak of mystery to the last.

One of the most important features of life in Delphi were the magnificent Pythian Games, one of four Panhellenic games held in ancient Greece. Competitors came from around the Greek world to honor the god Apollo with all the talents for which he was known: music and poetry. But soon, athletic competitions were added as well. The best known was a great chariot race, held in the stadium that can still be seen at Delphi. The winners of the Pythian Games received a laurel wreath from the city of Tempe in Thessaly, where Apollo was said to have picked a laurel on his way to Delphi.

The 6th century BC saw the political rise of Delphi and the reorganization of the Pythian Games, ushering in a golden age that lasted until the arrival of the Romans in 191 BC. Numerous treasuries were built in the Sanctuary of Apollo to house votive offerings of grateful pilgrims. In the 4th century BC, a theater accommodating 5,000 spectators was constructed nearby. It was restored in 159 by the Pergamene king Eumenes II and later by the Romans.

The oracle of Delphi was abolished in 393 AD by Emperor Theodosius, who made Christianity the official religion of the Byzantine Empire.

To come to Delphi, one literally has to climb the mountains until, in the clear, cold air, one comes to a place where the plains seem distant and the sky close. Here, in Delphi, one comes to honor the god and to ask for his wisdom. Here, for centuries, kings, tyrants, cities, and individuals have built beautiful buildings, full of the finest art, in thanks for the god’s guidance or seeking his favor. The priests of Delphi – chosen, always, from the small village that lies to the south of the temple complex – are renowned throughout the Greek world. Delphi continually bustles with pilgrims, seekers, those completing vows to the god, priests, and deputations from around the world. It is a site of many exquisite offerings and of untold wealth. Yet, over all, the silence of the high mountain broods with the presence of the god of light, Pythian Apollo.

Welcome to Delphi, the naval of the Greek world.

• Map showing Delphi courtesy of Matt Barrett's A Travel Guide to Greece

  Ancient Delphi

  Ancient Greece: Delphi

  Sacred Destinations Travel Guide

  You will find AW's own Delphic Oracle, as well as a quiz on the famous predictions of the Pythia, in the Temple of Apollo District. And you will find our Quiz Page here!