Delphi Flashcards
Who was the predominant god worshipped at the Panhellenic sanctuary at Delphi?
Apollo
When was Dionysus said to occupy Delphi?
Three winter months while Apollo was elsewhere
Who was the priestess who spoke the oracle at Delphi?
The Pythia
Who dedicated the Great Altar and what did they receive for this?
The people of Chios, and promanteia (honour to consult the oracle first)
Why was promanteia a great honour at Delphi?
The oracle was only open a few days a year
How many columns did the Temple of Apollo have?
Six along the front (hexastyle), 15 down the sides- elongated
Why was the temple of Apollo elongated?
To accommodate an extra room- an adyton- from where it’s believed the Pythia would speak the oracle
What is significant about the site of Delphi?
Said to be the center of the world- Zeus sent two eagles from either end of the world and Delphi was where they passed each other- marked by stone omphalos
What were the inscriptions on the Temple of Apollo?
Know thyself and nothing in excess
What was there a statue of outside the Temple of Apollo?
A Delphic charioteer, victory monument from Olympic Games, bronze and highly ornate
What was within the naos?
A stone omphalos, perhaps a wooden and gold statue of Apollo, a laurel tree the leaves of which the Pythia was said to chew to reach prophetic state
What was depicted on the eastern pediment of the temple of Apollo?
The arrival of Apollo by chariot
What did the west pediment of the temple of Apollo likely show?
The Gigantomachy, with Zeus in the centre
When was the Sacred Way constructed?
The final phase of the sanctuary’s history
What was the purpose of the treasuries at Delphi?
Housed votive offerings, way for city states to demonstrate their wealth and power
What did the topography of Delphi mean for the journey along the Sacred Way?
Steep,made the journey visually exciting and made the site seem larger since from below couldn’t see it all at once
What were the monuments at the entrance to the sanctuary?
Athena had a victory monument. After Spartan defeat of Athens they built a monument 3x bigger opposite Athenian monument.
What is the Serpent Column a monument to?
A monument that reflects unity and alliance- monument to an alliance of Greek states that won a war
What was the Serpent Column?
A 9 metre tall monument, 3 bronze serpents coiled together in a column with a golden tripod on top, inscribed with the names of the 31 city states in the alliance- exposing those not part of alliance
What was the Treasury of the Siphonians like?
Made of marble, decorated with elaborate sculptures and caryatids, promotes the island in the Panhellenic setting of Delphi
Which city-states erected the majority of the treasuries at Delphi?
Faraway polies on the edges of the Panhellenic world
What is the only competition space within the temenos (religious boundary) at Delphi?
The Theatre
How large of an audience did the theatre originally cater to?
5000
When were the Pythian games first recorded?
582 BC
What did the musical contests in the Pythian games consist of?
Singing to the kithara, kithara playing, flute playing
When was the stadium at Delphi originally built?
5th century BC
How long was the stadium track at Delphi?
177.5 metres
What does an inscription in the stadium at Delphi forbid?
Removal of sacrificial wine from the stadium
Where did the majority of the athletic contests of the Pythian Games take place?
The stadium
What did worshippers have to do before consulting the Pythia?
Buy and burn a pelanos (sacrificial cake) from Delphians
What are the reasons people consulted the Pythia?
Genuine trust in the oracle- Xeneophon’s writing suggests this; journey was time to reflect; place for city-states to learn about what was happening in other regions; vague answers left room for interpretation; once in a lifetime experience for some
What does Herodotus’ telling of the Athenian Delphic consultation reveal?
The consultations were believed without question; second consultation could be sought to find out more information
