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The video condenses in 7 minutes the visit of a group of tourists who hastily visit the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi, a name of great resonance in the religion and culture of Greek antiquity. Explanations in English or Greek are provided by a local guide. We emphasize that the video does not cover the fantastic architectural and spiritual world of the sanctuary, but only the main objectives that line up and down the visiting route which, in fact, corresponds to the ancient Sacred Road. Dozens of architectural jewels, representing the vast majority of former constructions, are identifiable only by their foundations, and hundreds of statues are missing or have been saved in the nearby museum. The reconstructed Treasury of Athens, the theater and the stadium are better preserved. The sanctuary is dedicated to Apollo, the son of Zeus, one of the most important and complex gods in Greek and Roman mythology. According to one legend, the sanctuary was established by the young Apollo himself on the spot where he killed the snake Python sent by his jealous stepmother, Hera, wife of Zeus, to hunt Leto, his natural mother. Apollo is the god of knowledge and power, of light, of the arts, of prophecy and more.
The temple of Apollo, the most important construction of the sanctuary, is represented by its platform on which several columns rise. The temple, magnificent at the time, was the home of Pythia, the oracle priestess of the God Apollo. Pythia was the priestess who communicated the wisdom of the God Apollo, who knew the meaning of all things. Although the predictions were confusing, their subsequent reinterpretation led to the rise of fame of the oracle which became perhaps the most famous oracle of the ancient Greek world, attracting kings and emperors. The sanctuary, especially its Oracle, functioned during the 8th century BC - 4th century AD, the "pagan" temple of Apollo being destroyed in 390 AD on the orders of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, a fervent Christian.
Besides the Oracle, Apollo's sanctuary at Delphi was also famous for the Pythian Games which it hosted every four years, two years after the better known Olympic Games (at Olympia). As at Olympia, the games at Delphi were accompanied by a pan-Hellenic peace announced by emissaries months before, but there was still a big difference, the Pythian Games being accompanied by important cultural events that preceded the sporting ones, in some events the participation of women being also allowed. The program of artistic events consisted of theatrical performances, vocal, instrumental music, poetry, dance and took place in a theater with a capacity of 5,000 seats, located near the temple of Apollo. Sports contests were held in a stadium located within the sanctuary and included athletic events consisting of running at various distances, running with battle equipment, pentathlon, javelin throwing and others, as well as wrestling in various styles. Only the equestrian contests that concluded the Pythian Games, were held in another stadium.
17 май 2024
