DELPHI Flashcards
1
Q
BACKGROUND CONTEXT OF DELPHI
A
- Apollo, god of prophecy, sun and music main god worshipped
- Panhellenic sanctuary
- Dionysus also occupied Delphi for 3 winter months when Apollo went to live with the Hyperboreans, mythical people who lived at the very edges of the world.
- Sanctuary = renowned for its oracle and theatrical and athletically events and Pythian Games took place here every 4 years.
- Ran by the Amphictyonic League, local association of the Greeks.
- Greeks from all over the Greek-speaking world had the right to gather and worship as a source of info and guidance for personal and political decisions, the oracle had to be as neutral as possible.
- Herodotus however suggests that a noble Athenian family, Alcmaenids bribed the Pythian priest to bid any Spartans who should come to inquire of her on a private or a public account to set Athens free.
- However, Delphi only accused of bribery and political bias handful of occasion. Had a reputation for neutrality and fairness, or Delphi would not have been so popular and trusted throughout its history.
2
Q
SANCTUARY OF DELPHI
A
- Upper sanctuary = Sacred Way which led worshippers from entrance to Temple of Apollo. Theatre was located above and at top = stadium.
- Myth associated with the location of this sanctuary: ZEUS SENT 2 EAGLES, one to the east and one to the west. They met each other above DELPHI; DELPHI THEREFORE CONTAINED AN OMPHALOS, the navel of the world and Delphi = believed to be the centre of the world.
3
Q
TEMPLE OF APOLLO
A
- CENTRE
- ENORMOUS ALTAR at front dedicated by people of CHIOS - privilege of consulting oracle first (promanteia) –> Oracle only open few days a year so this HIGHLY PRIZED HONOUR
- hexa-style (6 columns along front) and 15 columns down flanks
- elongated style to accomodate ADYTON where PYTHIA would speak the oracle.
- Adyton location = debated, walled room within NAOS?
- Within NAOS = stood a stone OMPHALOS, navel and wooden and golden statue of Apollo, laurel tree whose legs Pythia chewed on to reach her prophetic state
- Temple = inscriptions and sculpture
” Know THYSELF “ & “ NOTHING IN EXCESS “
- Eastern pediment = marble sculpture , Arrival of APOLLO by CHARIOT, with the gods beside him. Corners, lions eating other animals –> perhaps symbolising hierarchy of the gods
- West pediment = Gigantomachy zeus in centre
4
Q
SACRED WAY
A
- Entrance to sanctuary of Apollo = south-east. No single way for ancient worshippers to reach Temple of Apollo, theatre and stadium during antiquity unlike TODAY.
- Sacred Way = constructed in FINAL PHASE. Unites series of buildings e.g treasures and stoas.
- Natural terrain = slope, sacred way walk = STEEP. Whole sanctuary built on SLOPES of Mount Parnassus. Arrangement of buildings had to work around this uneven ground.
- Physical challenge, –> journey up to temple of Apollo was beyond visionally exciting at every step of the way, visitors had oversight of sanctuary
5
Q
THE SACRED WAY WAS FLANKED BY: treasuries, stoas and monuments, these were significant because..
A
- Set up by city-states all over the Greek world, reflecting Panhellenic nature of the site
- Also way of showing casing and promoting their individual military victories despite Panhellenic status.
- Start of sacred way –> ATHENS SET UP MONUMENT which MAY have commemorated their victory against the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490.
- Towards the end of the century, when Spartans = defeated the Athenians at the end of PELOPONNESIAN WARS, they set up a monument directly opposite Athenian monument 3x size of Athenian one.
- Spartan supremacy = not only celebrated and credited to the god APOLLO but also visually dominated the area and most significantly the Athenian monument opposite.
- SERPENT COLUMN = COMMUNITY, Battle of Platea in 479 Greeks finally won war against Persian army and so they set it up to thank APOLLO for his guidance for their success. 31- Greek cities that were involved in the fight against Persia were inscribed on this monument –> DISPLAY OF UNITY AND COMMON WORSHIP –> also exposed and shamed those who had not joined against Persians.
6
Q
SIPHINIAN TREASURY
A
- located on the left side of the pathway as one walked up towards the Temple.
- marble
- decorated with elaborate sculptures
- impressive appearance was a great way to promote AEGEAN ISLAND in PANHELLENIC SETTING
- majority of treasuries erected by faraway polies, who required greater efforts to show their inclusion in the Hellenic sphere.
7
Q
ATHENIAN TREASURY
A
- likewise eye-catching
- sharp turn of the sacred way
- most worshippers likely to pass or perhaps take a rest
- marble
- heavily sculpted exterior
- in front of it = STOA, set up by the Athenians on the pleat directly below TEMPLE OF APOLLO –> PRIME LOCATION worshippers wanting to consult oracle would have waited here for their turn.
- PRACTICAL BUILDING = EXCELLED WAY FOR ATHENIAN SELF-PROMOTION.
8
Q
Sacred Way, POLITICS AND RELIGION.
A
SACRED WAY = Surrounded by buildings and monuments that celebrated both individual city states and alliances.
In each case, distinction between politics and religion = impossible; victory monuments and treasuries were just as much self-promotion as they were about expressing gratitude to the gods.
9
Q
THE THEATRE
A
- presence of Dionysus, god of theatre
- only competition space within the temenos
- 35 rows of seats, 5000 attendants
- kithara and kithara-playing and flute-playing musical contests happened here
10
Q
STADIUM
A
- north-west of sanctuary of Apollo
- just outside Yemenis wall
- originally built 5th century but restored in 2nd century AD
- track = 177.5m long
- 6500 spectators on both sides
- athletic contests were not distinct from religious practice
- one inscription, forbids the removal of sacrificial wine out of the stadium
- Pythian games took place here
- running races, javelin and discus
11
Q
ORACLE CONSULTATION
A
Consulting Pythia - 7th day of month for 9 months as Apollo absent for remaining 3
- Visited by everyone around the world individuals and representatives of city-states, nine days per year not v much.
- alternative ‘yes’ or ‘no’ consultation too
- 1st day of every month Pythia purify herself and perform offerings to Apollo and priests would verify that divine consultation could take place. Goat was then sacrificed.
- DELPHIANS allowed to dress Pythia first. Then lots. PROMANTEIA granted by the AMPHICTYONY, supreme council in charge of sanctuary, based on relationship a city/individual had with DELPHI.
- CHIOS dedicated enormous ALTAR to SANCTUARY and granted PROMANATEIA in response. While worshippers waiting turn assembled in buildings which = meeting opportunity for ppl all over the world to discuss ideas and queries.
- SHARING INFO = DELPHI = SPECIAL PLACE = INTELLIGENCE DISCUSSED IN A POLITCALLY NEUTRAL SETTING
- PAYMENT - PELANOS - SMALL SACRIFICIAL CAKE BURNED ON ALTAR FROM DELPHIANS
- Different for state and individual consultations and where each person from. Athens = more because it was wealthy.
- Some weren’t expected to pay at all KING CROSEUS had made lots of offerings to the sanctuary and to APOLLO.
- PLUTARCH : records that people ask ‘if they will be victorious, if they will marry, if a profitable to sail, if to farm, if to travel’. = RELIGION CRUCIAL PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE.
12
Q
WHY DID THE ANCIENT GREEKS, PEOPLE KNOWN FOR LOGIC AND INTELLIGENCE, BELIEVE THE MAD RAVINGS OF A PRIESTESS?
A
- ) ECONOMIC, PHYSICAL AND TIME COST for individuals and city-states to consult the oracle suggest that there must have been a genuine trust in appreciation of the advice given by the oracle. “when I have disobeyed in the past I have been punished for it” - XENOPHON
- ) PRIVATE CONSULTANTS valued journey to DELPHI as much as response to Pythia. Discussing with strangers = helped them work through dilemmas.
- ) STATE QUERIES likewise benefited from gathering of people around world. An Athenian e.g –> coming to consult the oracle about the impending Persian invasion might meet a Greek from Abydos where Xerxers fathered his army and navy before attacking. He could ask if rumours were true. String of info = HELPFUL to those who needed eyewitness accounts to report their decisions.
GREEKS DID NOT VIEW MAD AS PURELY INSANE… believed them to obtain SPECIAL INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING.
13
Q
Explain how the location, layout and features of the Sacred Way, as depicted in Source A, make the site of Delphi appear impressive. (10 marks)
A
Location Mountainside - views of Greece Parnassus - theatre Closer to the gods - impressive
Location - site dominates - high up - easier to see Temple of Apollo - dominates Important and impressive
Sacred Way Pathway along - monuments, structures - visually packed Shows the honour of the god - impressive
Steep climb of sacred way - achievement and more unique experience to the site • Climb to the temple - effort • Important and impressive
Sacred Way - organize treasuries - maximum visual impact Siphnian Treasury - impressive
