Temple of Apollo (Delphi, Greece)
At the beginning of Aeschylus' play The Eumenides, the Pythia or, priestess oracle) describes the origins of the famous sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. A large complex of temples, treasuries, a theater and other structures, the sanctuary to Apollo at Delphi was at the center of much religious, political, and cultural activity in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Generals, emperors, and common people would travel to the oracle to inquire about the future from the god.
The seat of the oracle was here at the temple of Apollo. The current Doric structure (reconstructed after heavily damaged by an earthquake and spoliation) was built in the fourth century BC, replacing two earlier structures destroyed by fire and earthquake. At the entrance of the temple, a ramp led to the top of the sylobate. The temple once had six columns front and back and fifteen along the sides.
Greek and Roman literature is full of accounts of visits to the oracle by iconic figures. Perhaps the most famous is Socrates, who visited the shrine to ask who was the wisest person. The oracle informed him he was the wisest and so begins the story of Greek philosophy! Centuries later, friends of the philosopher Plotinus (third century AD) would visit the shrine and would receive a long poetic flourish praising Plotinus' wisdom and ensuring his friends of the bliss of his soul in the afterlife.
Follow me on Twitter @arturoviaggia
Temple of Apollo (Delphi, Greece)
At the beginning of Aeschylus' play The Eumenides, the Pythia or, priestess oracle) describes the origins of the famous sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. A large complex of temples, treasuries, a theater and other structures, the sanctuary to Apollo at Delphi was at the center of much religious, political, and cultural activity in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Generals, emperors, and common people would travel to the oracle to inquire about the future from the god.
The seat of the oracle was here at the temple of Apollo. The current Doric structure (reconstructed after heavily damaged by an earthquake and spoliation) was built in the fourth century BC, replacing two earlier structures destroyed by fire and earthquake. At the entrance of the temple, a ramp led to the top of the sylobate. The temple once had six columns front and back and fifteen along the sides.
Greek and Roman literature is full of accounts of visits to the oracle by iconic figures. Perhaps the most famous is Socrates, who visited the shrine to ask who was the wisest person. The oracle informed him he was the wisest and so begins the story of Greek philosophy! Centuries later, friends of the philosopher Plotinus (third century AD) would visit the shrine and would receive a long poetic flourish praising Plotinus' wisdom and ensuring his friends of the bliss of his soul in the afterlife.
Follow me on Twitter @arturoviaggia