ΔΕΛΦΟΊ / Δελφοί
Perched high on the southern slopes of Mt. Parnassos, and overlooking the gleaming waters of the Gulf of Corinth, Delphi (Greeks pronounce it “dell-FEE,” not “DELL-fye”) is without doubt the most spectacular of Greece’s ancient sites.
Back then, Delphi was famous throughout the world as the home of a prophetess known as the oracle (a.k.a. the Pythia). As the mouthpiece of Apollo on earth, she told fortunes for pilgrims who came from far and wide seeking her advice on everything from affairs of state to wars to matrimonial problems. Delphi’s fame grew, and its religious festivals blossomed into the Pythian Games, an athletic contest that was second only to the Olympics.
Today Delphi offers visitors several worthwhile sights. The archaeological site contains the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo. Next door is the great Archaeological Museum, where statues and treasures found on the site help bring the ruins to life. And a short walk from the site are still more ruins—including the Kastalian Spring and the photogenic Sanctuary of Athena (pictured on section-opening page), taking you back to Delphi’s prehistoric origins.
Though Delphi can be done as a day trip from Athens, it’s more relaxed as an overnight stop, allowing you to enjoy the pleasant modern town and craggy mountainside setting (suitably awesome for the mysterious oracle). Though the town is crammed with tourists, it still feels laid-back, offering sweeping vistas of the valley below and the Gulf of Corinth in the distance. (It’s hard to find a hotel or restaurant that doesn’t boast grand views.) Especially after a stay in bustling Athens, Delphi is an appealing place to let your pulse slow. Or, to ease into Greece, consider picking up your rental car at the Athens airport and heading straight to Delphi for your first overnight.
Visitors flock from all over Greece to walk the Sacred Way at Delphi. Many don’t bother to spend the night. But the town, a half-mile west of the archaeological site and museum, is a charming place in its own right. Delphi, sometimes spelled Delfi or Delfoi in English (pop. 2,300), was custom-built to accommodate the hordes of tourists. The main street, Vasileos Pavlou-Friderikis, is a tight string of hotels, cafés, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Two other streets run roughly parallel to this main drag at different levels (Apollonos is one block uphill/north, and Filellinon is one block downhill/south), connected periodically by steep stairways. The three streets converge at the eastern end of the town.
Delphi’s TI has closed. The Town Hall office on the main drag posts current hours for the museum and site (at Pavlou-Friderikis 12, on the sanctuary end of town). If it’s open, you may be able to pry more information out of the staff inside. Its entryway has a model of the Sanctuary of Apollo in ancient times—before you head out to the site, stop here to give it a good look; compare it to the map on here to locate what you’ll see later.
Delphi is three hours north of Athens, and is reachable by bus or by car.
By Bus: Buses to Delphi depart Athens from Terminal B (described on here) several times a day, including at 7:30, 10:30, and 13:00 (plus later buses; check local schedules). Most buses have air-conditioning but no WC and make a café rest stop en route. The drive takes you past Thiva (ancient Thebes) and has nice views of Mt. Parnassos as you approach.
Buses drop you off at the sanctuary (east) end of town. Consider buying your return ticket as soon as you arrive, because buses can fill up. To buy a ticket, head to the In Delphi taverna (signed έν ΔΕΛΦΟίζ)—from the stop, walk toward town past a storefront or two, staying on the right (uphill) side of the road. The restaurant doubles as the town’s ersatz bus station; waiters sell bus tickets and can tell you today’s schedule (for more on buses back to Athens, see “Delphi Connections,” later).
Many Athens-based companies offer convenient one-day package tours to Delphi, which include transportation, a guided tour, and lunch. Ask at your Athens hotel for details.
By Car: For tips on getting to Delphi by car, see “Route Tips for Drivers” at the end of this chapter. Drivers can park at the site for free or anywhere in town where the street doesn’t have a double-yellow line.
Unpredictable Hours: Don’t count on the opening hours given in this book. Though they were accurate at the time of printing, the times are likely to fluctuate wildly at the whims of the government and the Greek economy. Check locally before planning your day.
Services: The main drag, Pavlou-Friderikis, has just about everything you might need, including a post office (at the east end, Mon-Fri 7:30-14:00, closed Sat-Sun), ATMs, and several cafés and shops advertising Internet access.
Local Guide: Penny Kolomvotsou is a great guide who can resurrect the ruins at Delphi and tailor each tour to your particular interests (reasonable prices, great with families, mobile 694-464-4427, kpagona@hotmail.com). Penny can also arrange activities in Delphi such as horseback riding and pottery classes.
Weather: Delphi is in the mountains and can be considerably cooler and rainier than Athens. Check the forecast (ask at your hotel) and dress accordingly, especially off-season.
Map: Delphi’s Sanctuary of Apollo
Polygonal Wall and Other Ancient Features
Map: Delphi’s Archaeological Museum
Delphi’s most important sights are its archaeological site (with the Sanctuary of Apollo) and the adjacent Archaeological Museum. Nearby are the Kastalian Spring, the gymnasium, and the Sanctuary of Athena. The Museum of Delphic Festivals is in Delphi town.
Planning Your Time: Allow 1.5 hours for the archaeological site (hiking to the stadium alone is nearly a half-hour round-trip) and another 45-60 minutes for the museum. If you’re walking, allow another hour or so to visit the other sites to the east of the Sanctuary of Apollo (though you can see two of them, distantly, from in front of the site). You can do the archaeological site and the museum in either order. Crowds and weather might help you decide. If it’s hot or raining, do the museum first to hedge your bets for better conditions for the site. With all things being equal, I recommend doing the site first: You’ll have more energy for the climb (there’s a 700-foot elevation gain from the entrance to the stadium), and later, when you tour the museum, you can more easily imagine the original context of the items on display. On your way to the site, stop at the museum to check the day’s opening hours, posted on the wall just up the steps (before the ramp).
(See “Delphi′s Sanctuary of Apollo” map, here.)
Ancient Delphi was not a city, but a sanctuary—a place of worship centered on the Temple of Apollo, where the oracle prophesied. Surrounding the temple are what remains of grand monuments built by grateful pilgrims. And the Pythian Games produced what are perhaps the best-preserved theater and stadium in Greece.
Cost and Hours: €6, €9 combo-ticket includes Archaeological Museum, free for those 18 and under; daily 7:30-20:00 in summer, 8:30-15:00 in winter, hours most likely (but not necessarily) switch when time changes for Daylight Saving; last entry 45 minutes before closing; hours can change without warning (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier), so it’s best to visit in the morning; tel. 22650-82312, www.culture.gr.
Sudden Closures: Parts of the site sometimes are closed off after heavy rains (to keep visitors safe from possible rock slides), and even the Temple of Apollo may close on rare occasions.
Getting There: The archaeological site is a half-mile east of the modern town of Delphi. When you reach the museum, continue along a path to the site’s ticket office.
Services: A WC and a café (with a wide selection of slushie-style drinks and little else) are on the way to the site from town, outside the museum. At the site itself, you’ll find only a water fountain and a vending machine hiding behind the ticket booth (you can bring a water bottle but no food inside the site). The sanctuary’s WC is just above the entrance, after you’ve shown your ticket (inhaling the fumes there is not guaranteed to give you any prophetic visions).
Self-Guided Tour: Looking up at the sheer rock face, you see the ruins clinging to a steep slope. From here you ascend a switchback trail that winds up, up, up: through the ruins to the Temple of Apollo, the theater, and the stadium, 700 feet up from the road. Every pilgrim who visited the oracle had to make this same steep climb.
• Start up the path, going to the right up a set of stairs. After you double back on the switchback path (past the WC), you enter a rectangular area with 10 gray columns, marking the...
Roman ForumThis small public space stood outside the sanctuary’s main gate. The columns supported an arcade of shops (check out the illustration on the information plaque). Here pilgrims could pick up handy last-minute offerings—small statues of Apollo were popular—before proceeding to their date with the oracle. At festival times, crowds of pilgrims (all of them men) gathered here for parades up to the temple, theater, and stadium.
Gaze up at the hillside and picture the ruins as they were 2,000 years ago: gleaming white buildings with red roofs, golden statues atop columns, and the natural backdrop of these sheer gray-red rocks towering up 750 feet. It must have been an awe-inspiring sight for humble pilgrims, who’d traveled here to discover what fate the fickle gods had in store for them.
The men began their ascent to the oracle by walking through the original entrance gate, between 10-foot walls, entering the sanctuary on the street known as the Sacred Way.
• A huge wall once enclosed the whole sanctuary, forming a rough rectangle, with the Temple of Apollo in the center. As you climb the four steps out of the forum, you’re passing through a gate in the walls and beginning your walk along the...
The road is lined with ruins of once-glorious statues and monuments financed by satisfied pilgrims grateful for the oracle’s advice. Immediately to the right is a pedestal of red-gray blocks, 17 feet long. This once held a huge bronze statue, the 
Bull of the Corcyreans (c. 580 B.C.), a gift from the inhabitants of Corfu to thank the oracle for directing them to a great catch of tuna fish.
A half-dozen steps farther along (left side) was an even bigger statue, a colossal bronze replica of the 
Trojan Horse.
Just beyond that (right side) is a semicircle 40 feet across, which was once lined with 10 statues of the legendary 
Kings and Queens of Argos, including Perseus, Danae, and Hercules.
Next comes a row of so-called 
Treasuries (left side), small buildings that housed precious gifts to the gods. These buildings and their contents were paid for by city-states and kings to thank the oracle and the gods for giving them success (especially in war). From the outside they looked like mini-temples, with columns, pediments, statues, and friezes. Inside they held gold, jewels, bronze dinnerware, ivory statues, necklaces, and so on. The friezes and relief sculptures that once adorned the Sikyonian and Siphnian Treasuries are now in the museum.
• At the corner where the path turns to go uphill is a cone-shaped stone called an...
OmphalosThe ancients believed that Delphi was the center of the world and marked that spot with a strange cone-shaped monument called an omphalos (navel). The omphalos was also a symbolic tombstone for the python that Apollo slew.
Several omphalos stones were erected at different places around the sanctuary. The original was kept inside the Temple of Apollo. A copy graced the temple’s entrance (it’s now in the museum). Another copy stood here along the Sacred Way, where this modern replica is today.
As the center of the world, Delphi was also the starting point for history. From here the oracle could predict the course of human destiny.
• Rounding the bend and gazing uphill, you’ll face the...
Treasury of the AtheniansThe Athenians built this temple to commemorate their victory over the Persians (ancient Iranians) at the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. The tiny inscriptions on the blocks honor Athenian citizens with praise and laurel-leaf wreaths, the symbol of victory at Delphi’s Pythian Games. When the ruins were rebuilt (1904-1906), the restorers determined which block went where by matching up pieces of the inscriptions.
The structure’s ceremonial entrance (east end) has two Doric columns of expensive marble from Paros. They support six metopes (reconstructed; the originals are in the museum) that feature the Greeks battling the legendary Amazon women—symbolizing the Greek victory over the barbaric Persians at Marathon.
• Follow the path as it continues uphill. By now you have a great view to the left of the...
Polygonal Wall and Other Ancient FeaturesThe retaining wall (sixth century B.C.) supports the terrace with the Temple of Apollo. It runs across the hillside for some 250 feet at heights of up to 12 feet. It has survived in almost perfect condition because of the way that the stones were fitted together (without mortar). This created a “living” wall, able to absorb the many earthquakes for which the region is renowned (earthquakes caused the other buildings here to crumble).
Near the wall, just above the Treasury of the Athenians, the 10-foot 
Rock of the Sibyl hearkens back to the murky prehistoric origins of this place as a sacred site. According to legend, the oracle’s predecessor—called the sibyl—sat atop this rock to deliver her prophecies, back when the area was sacred to Gaia, the mother of the gods.
Just behind that rock, near the stubby white column (walk up the path to get a better view), is a pile of rocks with a black slab pedestal. This was once a 35-foot-tall pillar holding the statue of the 
Sphinx of Naxos (c. 570-560 B.C., now in the museum). Inhabitants of the isle of Naxos used their best marble for this gift to the oracle, guaranteeing them access to her advice even during busy times.
A few more steps up, the three white, fluted, Ionic columns along the wall belonged to the 
Athenian Stoa, a 100-foot-long open-air porch. Here the Athenians displayed captured shields, ships’ prows, and booty from their naval victory over Persia at the decisive Battle of Salamis (480 B.C.). It was the oracle of Delphi who gave Athens the key to victory. As the Persian army swarmed over Greece, the oracle prophesied that the city of Athens would be saved by a “wooden wall.” The puzzled Athenians eventually interpreted the oracle’s riddle as meaning not a city wall, but a fleet of wooden ships. They abandoned Athens to the Persian invaders, then routed them at sea. Once the enemy was driven out, Greece’s cities ceremonially relit their sacred flames from the hearth of Delphi’s temple.
• Continue up the Sacred Way and follow it as it turns left, up the hill. As you ascend, along the right-hand side you’ll pass a square, gray-block pedestal that once supported a big column. This monument, the 
Tripod of Plataea, was built to thank the oracle for victory in the Battle of Plataea (479 B.C., fought near Thebes), which finally drove the Persians out of Greece. The monument’s 26-foot bronze column of three intertwined snakes was carried off by the Romans to their chariot-racing track in Constantinople (now Istanbul), where tourists can snap photos of what’s left of it.
At the top of the path, turn left and face the six Doric columns and ramp that mark the entrance to the Temple of Apollo. In the courtyard in front of the temple are several noteworthy ruins.
Take in the temple and imagine the scene 2,000 years ago as pilgrims gathered here at the culmination of their long journey. They’d come seeking guidance from the gods at a crucial juncture in their lives. Here in the courtyard they prepared themselves before entering the temple to face the awe-inspiring oracle.
Opposite the temple entrance, pilgrims and temple priests offered sacrifices at the (partially restored) 
Great Altar of Apollo. Worshippers would enter the rectangular enclosure (only two of the three walls stand today), originally made of black marble with white trim. Inside they’d sacrifice an animal to Apollo—goats were especially popular. One hundred bulls (a hecatomb) were sacrificed to open every Pythian Games.
To the right of the temple (as you face it) once stood several monuments that dazzled visitors. Imagine a 50-foot Statue of Apollo Sitalkas towering over the courtyard, where only a humble rectangular base remains today. Next to it is the still-impressive, 20-foot-tall, rectangular 
Pillar of Prusias II. Atop this was a statue of a second-century king on horseback who traveled here from Turkey to consult the oracle. The three round column stubs once held ceremonial tripods. Behind them rose the tall 
Acanthus Column of Dancers, three young women supporting a tripod (now in the museum).
• But these sights paled in comparison to the...
This structure—which in its day must have towered over the rest of the site—was the centerpiece of the whole sanctuary. It was dedicated to the god who ruled the hillside, and it housed the oracle who spoke in his name. This was the third and largest temple built on this site (completed 330 B.C.), replacing earlier versions destroyed by earthquake and fire. It was largely funded by Philip of Macedon and dedicated in the time of Alexander the Great.
The temple was gleaming white, ringed with columns, with a triangular pediment over the entrance and a roof studded with statues. Above the entrance, the pediment statues showed Apollo arriving in Delphi in a four-horse chariot (now in the museum). The six huge Doric columns that stand near the entrance today (reassembled in 1904) were complemented by 15 columns along each side. (Sections from a toppled column lie on the hillside below the temple’s left side, near the Polygonal Wall, giving an idea of the temple’s scale; to see this, backtrack down the hill or make a point of taking the path that runs below the temple on your way out of the site.) Though the temple was all white, it was actually constructed with a darker local limestone. The columns were coated with a stucco of powdered marble to achieve the white color. Only the pediments and other decorations were made from costly white marble shipped in from the isle of Paros.
Imagine yourself an ancient pilgrim finally preparing to meet the oracle after the long trek to the center of the world. You’ve just bathed with the priests at the Kastalian Spring in the ravine east of the sanctuary. You’ve paraded ceremonially to the temple, up the same Sacred Way tourists walk today. At the Great Altar, you just offered a sacrifice, likely of goat (a loaf of bread was the minimum cover charge). At last, you’re about to enter the temple with the priests, climbing the ramp and passing through the columns to learn your fate. Inscribed at the entrance are popular proverbs, including “Know Thyself,” “Nothing in Excess,” and “Stuff Happens.”
Inside, the temple is cloudy with the incense of burning laurel leaves. You see the large golden statue of Apollo and the original omphalos stone, a reminder that you’ve arrived at the center of the world. After offering a second sacrifice on the hearth of the eternal flame, it’s time to meet the oracle.
The priests lead you into the adyton—the farthest back, holiest chamber of the cella. There, amid the incense, is the oracle—an older woman, dressed in white, seated in the bowl of a tripod, perhaps with an unsettling gleam in her eye. The tripod may be balanced over a hole in the floor of the temple, exposing a natural ravine where a spring bubbles up. While you wait, the priests present your question to the oracle. She answers—perhaps crying out, perhaps muttering gibberish and foaming at the mouth. The priests step in to interpret the oracle’s meaning, rendering it in a vague, haiku-like poem.
Then you’re ushered out of the temple, either enlightened or confused by the riddle. For many pilgrims—like Socrates, who spent much of his life pondering the oracle’s words—a visit to Delphi was only the beginning of their life’s journey.
• Uphill, to the right of the Temple of Apollo, stands Delphi’s stone theater. The various routes all lead up (just follow the signs)—I’ll meet you there.
One of Greece’s best-preserved theaters (fourth century B.C.) was built to host song contests honoring Apollo, the god of music. With 35 rows of white stone quarried from Mt. Parnassos, it could seat 5,000. The action took place on the semicircular area (60 feet across, surrounded by a drainage ditch) known as the orchestra. As at most ancient theaters, it would have been closed off along the street by a large structure that created a backdrop for the stage and served as the theater’s grand entryway. The famous Bronze Charioteer statue (now in the museum) likely stood outside the theater’s entrance, in the middle of the road, greeting playgoers. The theater was designed so that most spectators could look over the backdrop, taking in stunning views of the valley below even as they watched the onstage action.
The theater’s original and main purpose was to host not plays, but song contests—a kind of “Panhellenic Idol” competition that was part of the Pythian Games. Every four years, singer-songwriters from all over the Greek-speaking world gathered here to perform hymns in honor of Apollo, the god of music. They sang accompanied by flute or by lyre—a strummed autoharp, which was Apollo’s chosen instrument.
Over time, the song competition expanded into athletic contests (held at the stadium), as well as other events in dance and drama. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Pythian Games were held here. One of the games’ central features was a play that re-enacted the dramatic moment when Apollo slew the python and founded Delphi...not unlike the bombastic pageantry that opens and closes today’s Olympic Games.
• A steep path continues uphill to a stunning...
View from Above the TheaterWith craggy cliffs at your back, the sanctuary beneath you, and a panoramic view of the valley in the distance, it’s easy to see why the ancients found this place sacred.
We’re 1,800 feet above sea level on the slopes of Mt. Parnassos (8,062 feet). The area’s jagged rocks and sheer cliffs are made of gray limestone, laced with red-orange bauxite, which is mined nearby. The cliffs have striations of sedimentary rocks that have been folded upward at all angles by seismic activity. The region is crisscrossed with faults (one runs right under the temple), pocked with sinkholes, and carved with ravines.
Two large sections of rock that jut out from the cliff (to the left) are known as the Phaedriades Rocks, or “Shining Ones,” because of how they reflect sunlight. At the foot of one of the rocks lies the sanctuary. Between the two rocks (east of the sanctuary) is the gaping ravine of the Kastalian Spring.
Looking down on the entire sanctuary, you can make out its shape—a rough rectangle (640 feet by 442 feet—about twice as big as a football field) enclosed by a wall, stretching from the top of the theater down to the Roman Forum. Trace the temple’s floor plan: You’d enter where the columns are, pass through the lobby (pronaos), into the main hall (cella), and continue into the back portion (adyton), where the oracle sat (they say) above a natural chasm.
In the distance, looking south, is the valley of the Pleistos River, green with olive trees. Beyond that (though not visible from this spot) are the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Corinth.
• If you’re winded, you can make your way back down now. But you’ve come so far already—why not keep going? Hike another 10 minutes up the steep path—passing a spigot where you can refill your water bottle—to the...
StadiumEvery four years, athletes and spectators from across Greece gathered here to watch the same kinds of sports as at the ancient Olympics. The Pythian Games (founded at least by 582 B.C.) were second only to the (older, bigger) Olympic Games in prestige. They were one of four Panhellenic Games on the athletics calendar (Olympia, Corinth, Nemea, and Delphi).
The exceptionally well-preserved stadium was built in the fifth century B.C. (Though you probably won’t be allowed to walk through its center, you can still get a good look down into it from the far end.) It was remodeled in the second century A.D. by the wealthy Herodes Atticus, who also built a theater in Athens and a fountain in Olympia (the Nymphaeum). There was stone seating for nearly 7,000, which was cushier than Olympia’s grassy-bank stadium. Among the seats on the north side, you can still make out the midfield row of judges’ seats. The track—580 feet long by 84 feet wide—is slightly shorter than the one at Olympia. The main entrance was at the east end; the thick pillars once supported a three-arched entry. The starting lines (one at either end, depending on the length of the race) are still here, and you might be able to make out the post-holes for the wooden starting blocks.
The Pythian Games lasted about a week and were held in the middle of a three-month truce among warring Greeks that allowed people to train and travel safely. Winners were awarded a wreath of laurel leaves (as opposed to the olive leaves at the Olympic Games) because Apollo always wore a laurel-leaf wreath. For more on the types of events held here during the games, see the Olympia chapter.
• The museum is located 200 yards west of the Sanctuary of Apollo. Before heading in that direction, you might consider venturing a little farther out of town to reach the Kastalian Spring, gymnasium, and/or Sanctuary of Athena (all described later, under “Other Delphi Sights”).
(See “Delphi′s Archaeological Museum” map, here.)
Delphi’s compact-but-impressive museum houses a collection of ancient sculpture matched only by the National Archaeological and Acropolis museums in Athens.
Cost and Hours: €6 for museum, €9 combo-ticket includes archaeological site, free for those 18 and under; daily 9:00-16:00 in summer, likely 8:30-15:00 in winter, last entry 20 minutes before closing, see warning about hours earlier under “Helpful Hints,” photos OK without flash, tel. 22650-82312, www.culture.gr.
Self-Guided Tour: Follow the one-way route, looking for the following highlights. Everything is well-described in English.
• Show your ticket and head into the...
First Room: This room holds the earliest traces of civilization at Delphi. Near the entry, find French architect Albert Tournaire’s romantic rendering of how the Sanctuary of Apollo would have looked at its ancient peak. Also in this room is a giant bronze cauldron, which was once adorned with grotesque griffin heads.
• Proceed into the next room, then turn right to find the...
Sphinx of Naxos (c. 570-560 B.C.): This marble beast—a winged lion with a female face and an Archaic smile—was once brightly painted, standing atop a 40-foot Ionic column in the sanctuary. The myth of the sphinx is Egyptian in origin, but she made a splash in Greek lore when she posed a famous riddle to Oedipus at the gates of Thebes: “What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three at night?” Oedipus solved it: It’s a man—who crawls in infancy, walks in adulthood, and uses a cane in old age.
• Across the room, find the...
Frieze from the Siphnian Treasury: This shows how elaborate the now-ruined treasuries in the sanctuary must have been. The east frieze (left wall) shows Greeks and Trojans duking it out. The gods to the left of the battle are rooting for the Trojans, with the Greek gods to the right. The north frieze (back wall) features scenes from the epic battle between the Greek gods and older race of giants.
• Backtrack into the previous room, then turn right. You’re face-to-face with...
Twin Kouros Statues (c. 600-580 B.C.): These statues have the typical features of the Archaic period: placid smiles, stable poses facing the front, braided dreadlocks, and geometrical anatomy. These sturdy, seven-foot-tall athletes are the legendary twins of Argos, who yoked themselves to their mother’s chariot and pulled her five miles so she wouldn’t be late for the female Games (the Heraia). Upon arrival, the exhausted twins fell into a sleep so deep they never woke up.
• In the small room behind the twins (to the right) is what’s left of a...
Silver Bull: These silver-and-gold plates are the surviving fragments that once covered a life-size bull statue from the sixth century B.C. This bull and the other objects in the room were buried in ancient times (perhaps for safekeeping) and were discovered in the 20th century in a pit along the Sacred Way, near the Treasury of the Athenians.
• In the room after the twins, find the...
East Pediment of the Temple of Apollo: This is what greeted visitors as they stood before the temple entrance. Though it’s mostly fragments today, in the center you can make out some of the four horses that pulled Apollo in his chariot. To the right, a lion jumps on an animal’s back and takes it down.
• Continue into the next room, then turn left to find the...
Metopes from the Treasury of the Athenians (510-480 B.C.): These carvings from the sanctuary’s small surviving treasury include (among other themes) six of the Twelve Labors of Hercules. In the most intact carving (directly to the left as you enter), Hercules is the one with curly hair and beard, inscrutable Archaic smile, and lion skin tied preppy-style around his neck.
• Proceed through the next three rooms (the third of which has an exhibit with some pieces from the round tholos monument, at the Sanctuary of Athena). You’ll wind up in a room with two monuments from the era of Alexander the Great, which once stood side by side in the sanctuary.
Acanthus Column of Dancers: This giant leafy sculpture sat atop a 40-foot column to the right of the Temple of Apollo (on the same level as the theater). The three dancing girls originally carried a bronze tripod on their shoulders. Scholars now believe that this tripod supported the omphalos—the gigantic pinecone-shaped stone, which represented the “navel” of the world. The omphalos, now resting next to the column, is not the original stone marking the center of the earth, but a Roman-era copy. Nearby is the bottom of the column, which appears to be sprouting out of the ground.
• Then, as now, next to the column stand statues from the...
Daochos Monument (c. 336-332 B.C.): Out of the nine original statues (count the footprints), today seven survive (OK, six—one is just a sandal). They have the relaxed poses and realistic detail of Hellenism. Daochos (center, wearing a heavy cloak) was a high-ranking army commander under Alexander the Great. His family flanks him, including two of the three sons who were famous athletes, all of whom won laurel crowns at the same Pythian Games. Nude Agelaos (also in the center, armless, with sinuous contrapposto) won running contests in Delphi. Aghias (to the right, with two partial arms and genitals) swept all four Panhellenic Games in pangration, a brutal sport that combined wrestling and boxing with few holds barred.
• Across the room and facing these gents, notice the sculpture of bearded, balding Socrates, who was inspired by the mystery of this place. The next room features artifacts from the...
Roman Period (191 B.C.-A.D. 394): The Romans made Delphi their own in 191 B.C. and left their mark. On the left you’ll see the frieze that decorated the proscenium of the theater and (high on the wall) an inscription from the proud Emperor Domitian, crowing that he had repaired the Temple of Apollo.
Across the room is the top of a pedestal, one erected by the arrogant King Perseus in anticipation of a military victory. Instead, the king was soundly defeated by Aemilius Paulus, who topped the pedestal with his own equestrian victory statue (pictured nearby) and adorned it with this frieze of scenes depicting Perseus’ defeat. This sculpture is particularly exciting for historians, as it’s the oldest relief work (in Western history, at least) narrating an actual event. For centuries after this, battles would be recounted in similar 3-D carvings (think of Trajan’s Column in Rome or Nelson’s Column in London).
Also worth noting here is the circular altar decorated with a graceful relief sculpture showing young women gussying up the sanctuary for a festival performance.
At the end of the room are two noteworthy sculptures. The small, lightly bearded head dubbed the “Melancholy Roman” (likely Titus Quinticus Flamininus, who proclaimed autonomy for the Greek state in 197 B.C.) demonstrates a masterful sense of emotion. Standing next to him is a full-size nude statue (minus its forearms) of Emperor Hadrian’s young lover, Antinous. The handsome, curly-haired youth from Asia Minor (today’s Turkey) drowned in the Nile in 130 B.C. A heartbroken Hadrian declared Antinous a god and erected statues of him everywhere, making him one of the most recognizable people from the ancient world. Notice the small holes around his head, which were used to affix a bronze laurel wreath. Next to the sculpture, find the photo of excited archaeologists unearthing this strikingly intact specimen.
• The grand finale is the museum’s star exhibit, the...
Bronze Charioteer: This young charioteer has just finished his victory lap, having won the Pythian Games of 474 B.C. Standing ramrod straight, he holds the reins lightly in his right hand, while his (missing) left hand was raised, modestly acknowledging the crowd.
This surviving statue was part of an original 3-D ensemble that greeted playgoers at the entrance to the theater. His (missing) chariot was (probably) pulled by four (mostly missing) horses, tended by a (missing) stable boy. Nearby, a case displays scant surviving chunks of the cart, the horse, and the stable boy’s arm.
The statue is life-size (5′11″) and lifelike. His fluted robe has straps around the waist and shoulders to keep it from ballooning out in the wind. He has a rounded face, full lips, awestruck eyes (of inset stones and enamel), and curly hair tied with the victor’s headband.
The most striking thing is that—having just won an intense and dangerous contest—his face and attitude are calm and humble. The statue was cast when Greece was emerging from the horrors of the Persian invasion. The victorious charioteer expresses the sense of wonderment felt as Greece finally left the battle behind, gazed into the future, and rode triumphantly into the Golden Age.
As you exit the museum, examine the small model (in the lobby) of the sanctuary as it appeared in ancient times.
The first three listings below are associated with the Sanctuary of Apollo, are located along the main road beyond (to the east of) the site, and are free to enter. I’ve listed them in order, from nearest to farthest (you can walk to any of them, or you can simply view the gymnasium and the Sanctuary of Athena from the road in front of the site and museum). The last sight is at the very top of the town of Delphi, a steep walk or short drive up from the main drag.
On the left side of the road, 800 yards past the archaeological site (around the jutting cliff), a spring bubbles forth from the ravine between the two Phaedriades rocks. It was here that Apollo slew the python, taking over the area from the mother of the gods. Pilgrims washed here before consulting the oracle, and the water was used to ritually purify the oracle, the priests, and the Temple of Apollo. Today you can visit two ruined fountains (made of stone, with courtyards and benches to accommodate pilgrims) that tapped the ancient sacred spring. (Beware of pythons.) Because of rock slides, the ravine is sometimes closed to visitors—but you can still see and hear the gurgling spring water.
On the right side of the road, look for running tracks and a circular pool, where athletes trained for the Pythian Games.
Farther along (also on the right side of the road) is a cluster of ruined temples. Because of the area’s long association with Gaia, Athena was worshipped at Delphi along with Apollo. The star attraction is the tholos (c. 380 B.C.), a round structure whose exact purpose is unknown. Although presumably less important than the Sanctuary of Apollo, its three reconstructed columns (of 20 Doric originals that once held up a conical roof) have become the most-photographed spot in all of Delphi.
Perched high on the hill above the town of Delphi, this old mansion explains the quest of beloved poet and resident Angelos Sikelianos to create a new “Delphic Festivals” tradition in the 1920s. There’s not much to see, aside from photos, costumes, and props of the event—which was held twice (in 1927 and 1930)—and some artifacts from Sikelianos’ life. It’s only worthwhile as an excuse for a strenuous hike (or quick drive) above town to grand vistas.
Cost and Hours: €1, open upon request Mon-Fri 8:00-15:00—ask your hotelier to call for you, tel. 22650-82175.
Spending the night in Delphi is a pleasant (and much cheaper) alternative to busy Athens. The town is squeezed full of hotels, which makes competition fierce and rates very soft—hoteliers don’t need much of an excuse to offer a discount in slow times. When I’ve given a price range, it’s based on demand (busiest April-May and Sept-Oct).
$$ Hotel Leto is a class act, with 22 smartly renovated rooms right in the heart of town (Sb-€40, Db-€60, prices fluctuate a bit with demand, 10 percent discount with this book, elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, Apollonos 15, tel. 22650-82302, www.leto-delphi.gr, info@leto-delphi.gr, Petros).
$$ Hotel Acropole is a big but welcoming group-oriented hotel along the lower road. It’s quieter and has better vistas than my other listings. Some of the 42 rooms feature view terraces for no extra charge; try to request one when you reserve (Sb-€54, Db-€62, family suite with fireplace-€150, 10 percent discount with this book, elevator, free guest computer and Wi-Fi, 13 Filellinon, tel. 22650-82675, www.delphi.com.gr, delphi@delphi.com.gr, say hi to Effie).
$ Pitho Rooms (“Python”) has eight good rooms above a gift shop on the main street. Your conscientious hosts, George and Vicky, pride themselves on offering a good value; they’ll make you feel like part of the family (Sb-€40, Db-€50, Tb-€65, Qb-€75, show this book for these prices, no elevator, free Wi-Fi, Pavlou-Friderikis 40A, tel. 22650-82850, www.pithohotel.gr, pitho_rooms@yahoo.gr).
$ Tholos Hotel has 20 clutter-free, quasi-Scandinavian rooms on the upper street, some with view balconies (Sb-€25, Db-€35, breakfast-€5, no elevator, Apollonos 31, tel. 22650-82268, www.tholoshotel.com, hotel_tholos@yahoo.gr).
$ Hermes Hotel explodes with polished wood, cut glass, artwork, and even some fashionable mannequins in its public areas. Upstairs, its 36 rooms have spare but stately furniture; all but one have balconies, most of which face the valley (Sb-€30-35, Db-€45-50, ask for view room, elevator, free Wi-Fi, Pavlou-Friderikis 37, tel. 22650-82318, www.hermeshotel.com.gr, info@hermeshotel.com.gr).
$ Sibylla Hotel rents eight simple rooms at youth-hostel prices without a hint of youth-hostel grunge. No elevator, no air-conditioning...just good value (and ceiling fans). All have balconies: four with valley views, four over the street (Sb-€18-22, Db-€26-30, mini-fridge, basic breakfast supplies-€1.50, free Wi-Fi, Pavlou-Friderikis 9, tel. 22650-82335, www.sibylla-hotel.gr, info@sibylla-hotel.gr, Christopoulos family).
(See “Delphi Overview” map, here.)
Delphi’s eateries tend to cater to tour groups, with vast dining rooms and long tables stretching to distant valley-and-gulf views. The following restaurants distinguish themselves by offering high quality and good value. Look for the regional specialty, fried formaela cheese (spritz it with fresh lemon juice, then dig in). Most places close for a midafternoon siesta (roughly 16:00-18:30).
Taverna Vakchos is homey and woody, with down-home, family-run charm. The focus is on tasty traditional dishes, such as kokoras kokkinisto (rooster cooked in red wine) and baked lamb with lemon sauce. For dessert, try the locally produced, farm-fresh yogurt with honey or grapes (€4-7 starters, €5-8 pastas and salads, €8-18 main dishes, open daily for lunch and dinner, Apollonos 31, tel. 22650-83186).
To Patriko Mas (“Our Family’s Home”) is a bit more upscale, with a classy stone-and-wood interior and a striking outdoor terrace clinging to the cliff face (€4-7 starters, €8 salads, €8-20 main dishes plus some splurges, open daily for lunch and dinner, Pavlou-Friderikis 69, tel. 22650-82150, Konsta family).
Taverna Dion serves standard Greek fare at reasonable prices and specializes in grilled meats (€4-8 starters and salads, €6-10 main dishes, open daily for lunch and dinner, Apollonos 30, tel. 22650-82790).
Taverna Gargadouas is proud not to cater to tour groups (it’s too small). This simple taverna has a blaring TV in the corner and locals mixed in with the tourists, all here for affordable, unpretentious, traditional cuisine (€4-7 starters, €6-10 main dishes, €13-14 fixed-price meals, dinner only, on main drag at end of town farthest from sanctuary, tel. 22650-82488).
Picnics: Grocery stores and bakeries are well-marked along the main street. And though picnics are not allowed inside the archaeological site, you could choose a perch along the road overlooking the vast valley.
Delphi’s one disadvantage, from a traveler’s perspective, is its distance from the other attractions described in this book. Delphi is well-connected by bus to Athens (as of my last visit buses left Delphi at 6:00, 11:00, 15:00, and 18:45—but be sure to check locally, 3-hour trip, €15.10 one-way). Connecting to the Peloponnese is long and complicated. For destinations in the eastern Peloponnese (such as Nafplio), it’s best to go via Athens (see Athens bus connections on here). To the western Peloponnese, you’ll connect through Patra (only one convenient bus per day from Delphi, departs around 18:15, arrives Patra 21:00, €13.60 one-way). From Patra you can continue on to Olympia (via Pyrgos) or Kardamyli (via Kalamata). Either one is a very long trip, and the Delphi-Kardamyli trip can’t be done in one day. For details on connections from Patra, see here.
KTEL, the national bus system, has a minimal website (www.ktelbus.com); for better information, try this helpful, unofficial website in English: http://livingingreece.gr (under “Best of...,” click on “KTEL Buses of Greece”).
From Athens to Delphi: Head north (toward Lamia/Λαμία) on national road 1/expressway E-75 (there are two toll booths). Take the second exit for ΘEBA/Theba/Thiva, which is also marked for Livadia/Λιβαδειά. From the turnoff, signs lead you (on road 3, then road 48) all the way to Delphi/Δελφοί. As you get farther up into the mountains, keep an eye out for ski resorts—Athenians come here to ski from December to March.
From Delphi to the Peloponnese: As with the bus, for sights in the eastern Peloponnese (such as Nafplio or Monemvasia), it’s faster to backtrack through Athens. (See here for driving tips.)
To reach the western Peloponnese (such as Olympia or Kardamyli/Mani Peninsula), first follow the twisting road from Delphi down toward Itea (Iτέα) on the Gulf of Corinth, then follow signs toward Galaxidi/Γαλαξίδι and trace that body of water on a magnificently scenic, two-hour westward drive along road E-65 (toward Nafpaktos/ναύπακτος). Take your time and use the pullouts to enjoy the views. In Antirrio, follow signs for Patra/Πάτρα across the Rio-Antirrio suspension bridge (€13.20 toll) to the town of Rio. You’ll enter the Peloponnese just north of the big port city of Patra (Πάτρα, described on here); ideally, skirt this city and head south another 1.5 hours along road E-55 toward Pyrgos/Πύργος—be sure to get on the faster highway, with a green sign, instead of the slower regional road. (Note that attempting to “shortcut” through the middle of the Peloponnese takes you on some very twisty, slow, and poorly signed mountain roads—avoid them unless you value scenery more than time.)
Once at Pyrgos, you can head east/inland to Ancient Olympia (Αρχαία Ολυμπία, well-marked with brown signs); or continue south to Kiparissia and Pilos, then eastward to Kalamata/Καλαμάτα (about two hours beyond Pyrgos; note that the Kalamata turnoff, just before Kiparissia, is not well-marked). From Kalamata, continue south another hour to Kardamyli.
Temple of Apollo
Theater
