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During the Mycenaean period, the female deity of Earth was
worshipped in the small settlement of Delphi. The development of
the sanctuary and oracle though, began in the 8th century B.C.
with the establishment of the cult of Apollo. Under the
protection and administration of the Amphictyony, the sanctuary
continued to be autonomous after the First Sacred War and, as a
result, increased its panhellenic religious and political
influence. The Pythian Games were re-organized, the sanctuary
was enlarged and it was enriched with nice buildings, statues,
and other offerings. In the 3rd century B.C. it came under the
domination of the Aetolians and later, in 191 B.C., was
conquered by the Romans. During the Roman occupation the site
was sometimes plundered but was also favoured by some of the
emperors. With the spread of Christianity, the sanctuary lost
its religious meaning and was permanently closed down with a
decree of emperor Theodosius the Great.
The ruins of Delphi were uncovered by the systematic excavations
of the French Archaeological School, which began in 1893. The
village of Kastri, which had occupied the area of the sanctuary
since medieval times, was moved to its present position. After
the removal of huge quantities of earth that had been
accumulated with the landslides, the remains of two sanctuaries,
dedicated to Apollo and Athena Pronaea, were finally uncovered.
The excavations revealed more than five thousands inscriptions
of all kinds, statues, several miniature objects, architectural
decorative pieces, all exquisite works of art, representing the
major cities of Greek antiquity. Outside the area of the
Sanctuary, the Stadium, the Gymnasium, the settlement of Delphi
and its cemeteries have also been excavated.
The only monument that could be fully reconstructed from its own
building material was the Treasury of the Athenians, which was
restored in 1903-1906 by the French excavators, at the expense
of the Municipality of Athens. In 1959, the restoration of the
altar of the Chians was completed by the Greek Archaeological
Service. The gradual reconstruction of parts of the Tholos and
the Apollo Temple since 1938, has resulted in major changes in
the overall appearance of the ancient remains; the Tholos has
been rebuilt up to the marble sima at the base of the roof,
while of the Temple have been restored the north crepis, the
north wall, the columns on the east side, and the ramp of the
entrance
The numerous finds from the sanctuary are housed in the
Archaeological Museum of Delphi .
Some of the most important monuments of the site are:
The Temple of Apollo.
The visible ruins belong to the last temple, dated to the 4th
century B.C., which was peripteral, in Doric order. It was
erected exactly on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to
the 6th century B.C. Inside was the "adyton", the centre of the
Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia. The monument was partly
restored during 1938-1941.
The Treasury of the Athenians.
Small building in Doric order, with two columns in antis, and
rich relief decoration. It was built by the Athenians at the end
of the 6th century B.C. in order to house their offerings to
Apollo. After its restoration, in 1903-1906, it is the best
preserved building on the site.
The Altar of the Chians.
The large altar of the sanctuary, in front of the temple of
Apollo, was paid for and erected by the people of Chios, in the
5th century B.C., according to an inscription cut on the
cornice. The monument was made of black marble, except for the
base and cornice which were of white marble, resulting in an
impressive color contrast. The altar was restored in 1920.
The Stoa of the Athenians.
The stoa, built in the Ionic order, has seven fluted columns,
each made from a single stone. According to an inscription cut
on the stylobate, it was erected by the Athenians, after 478
B.C., to house the trophies taken in their naval victories over
the Persians.
The Theatre of the sanctuary.
It was originally built in the 4th century B.C. but the ruins we
see today date from the Roman Imperial period. The cavea had 35
rows of stone benches; the foundations of the skene are
preserved on the paved orchestra. The theatre was used mostly
for the theatrical performances during the great festivals of
the sanctuary.
The Stadium
was constructed in the 5th century B.C. and was remodelled in
the 2nd century A.D. at the expense of Herodes Atticus. Then
were added the stone seats and the arched monumental entrance.
It was in this Stadium that the panhellenic Pythian Games took
place.
The Castalia spring.
The sacred spring of Delphi lies in the ravine of the
Phaedriades. The preserved remains of two monumental fountains
that received the water from the spring date to the Archaic
period and the Roman era. The later one is cut in the rock and
has niches cut high in the cliff, which probably held the
offerings to the Nymph Castalia.
The Tholos.
Circular building in Doric order, built in ca. 380 B.C. Its
function remains unknown but It must have been an important
building, judging from the multi-coloured stone, the fine
workmanship and the high-standard relief decoration. The
monument was partly reconstructed in 1938.
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