lesson 6- the temple of Apollo, theatre and stadium Flashcards
what was a temenos?
the walls that surrounded the sanctuary of Apollo and encased all the religious buildings
how was the god Dionysus associated with the theatre?
The theatre north-west of the temple of Apollo reflects the presence of Dionysus, the god of theatre at Delphi. It is the only competition space within the temenos as the stadium is just outside of it.
how many rows of seats were there in the theatre?
35 rows of seats
what was the audience capacity of the theatre?
catered to an audience of 5,000
when was the theatre built?
Originally built in the 4th century BC, so it is worth remembering that until this time, when the sanctuary’s fame and reliability had already been firmly established, the theatre likely did not exist.
What might an earlier theatre at Delphi have been like?
It could have been made of wood and was later replaced by stone but there is no archaeological evidence.
when was the Pythian festival held?
every 8 years
what happened during the pythian festival?
a single contest was held- it was the singing of a hymn to Apollo accompanied by the kithara, a stringed musical instrument, similar to the lyre.
What replaced the Pythian festival in 582 BC?-genres of plays performed
The festival was replaced by the pythian games. The musical contests, which would have taken place in the theatre once it was built, consisted in singing to the kithara, kithara playing and flute playing.
when was the pythian festival replaced by the pythian games?
582 BC
What types of events took place in the theatre?
-genres of plays performed
-musical and rhapsodic contests, but the delphi appears in a series of Greek tragedies as well.
what is the location of the stadium?
Located in the north-west of the sanctuary of Apollo, just outside the temenos wall
when was the stadium originally built?
originally built in the 5th century
when was the stadium restored?
2nd century AD
what is the length of the track at the stadium?
177.5 metres long
what was the audience capacity of the stadium?
6,500 spectators on both sides of the track
what type of contests were held at the stadium?
-athletic contests
-running races
-field events (such as javelin and discus)
How do we know that the stadium and athletic contests had religious significance?
One inscription, which is still in place today, forbids the removal of sacrificial wine out of the stadium
Where were equestrian competitions held?
Held in the hippodrome, which was below the delphi, in the plain of crisa.
Where were combat events held?
Took place in the palaestra, an exercise ground in the lower sanctuary
what was promanteia?
-in front of the temple of apollo stands an enormous altar dedicated by the people of Chios to give them the privilege of consulting the oracle first (promanteia) this would have been highly prized honour since the oracle was only open five days per year.
promanteia meant the right to consult that oracle
what was the significance of the temple of apollo?
a panhellenic sanctuary and the site of the pythian oracle of Apollo
what is the temple of apollo dated from?
Earliest buildings are 6th century BC
where is the temple of apollo located?
-situated in the centre of the sanctuary
what are the architectural features of the temple of apollo?
-the temple was a hexastyle (6 columns along the front) with fifteen columns down the flanks- this elongated design had to accommodate an extra room, an adyton from where it was believed the pythia would speak the oracle.
what was the adyton?
an extra room where it was believed the pythia would speak to the oracle
what was the omphalos?
a stone omphalos, the navel and perhaps also a wood and a golden statue of Apollo, and a laurel tree, the tree commonly associated with Apollo, whose leaves the pythia was believed to have chewed on to reach her prophetic state.
where was the omphalos found?
within the naos
what did the inscriptions around the temple of apollo say?
-the temple was decorated with inscriptions and sculpture- for example the inscriptions on the temple known as the ‘delphic maxims’ the inscriptions were ‘know thyself’ and ‘nothing in excess’.
what was the eastern pediment decorated with?
decorated with marble sculpture dating to the end of the 6th century; it showed the arrival of Apollo by chariot, with gods beside him. In the corners, lions are eating other animals, perhaps symbolising the hierarchy of the gods over other creatures.
what did the west pediment of the temple of apollo depict?
-the west pediment likely showed the gigantomachy, the battle between the gods and the giants, with zeus in the centre.
