goGreece.com: Delphi Museum and The Sanctuary of Apollo

The Delphi Museum houses what survives of the vast number of sculptural dedications, made of marble and bronze, and other votives of precious materials (gold, silver and ivory), that adorned the sanctuary of Apollo.

In front of the Museum are displayed the sarcophagus of Meleagros, votive inscriptions, and architectural members from buildings and monuments in the sanctuary of Apollo.

I. VESTIBULE

Marble copy of the omphalos at Delphi, dating from Hellenistic or Roman times, part of the frieze from the proskenion (stage) of the Delphi theatre, pottery, tools, weapons, vessels, etc.

II. ROOM Of THE SHIELDS

Bronze shields (first half of the 17th c. BC), bronze statuettes of Apollo, appliques for bronze vases (7th and 6th c. BC), a perirrhanterion (6th c. BC).

III. ROOM OF THE SIPHNIAN TREASURY

The sphinx of the Naxians (570-560 BC). The sculptural decoration from the Treasury of the Siphnians (525 BC). Architectural members.

IV. ROOM OF THE KOUROI

Two Archaic kouroi depicting Kleobis and Biton (610-580 BC), metopes from the Treasury of the Sikyonians (560 BC), kouroi.

V. ROOM OF THE BULL

Finds from a storage pit in the Sacred Way: silver Archaic bull (6th c. BC), a variety of ivory objects, two gold plaques, jewellery and bronze statuettes.

VI. ROOM OF THE ATHENIAN TREASURY

Pieces of the sculptural decoration from the monument - metopes and pediments (490-489 BC).

VII. FIRST ROOM OF THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO

Remains from the west pediment of the Archaic temple of Apollo (6th c. BC), with a scene of a Gigantomachy, part of the south wall of the Treasury of the Athenians, on which are inscribed two hymns to Apollo.

VIII. SECOND ROOM OF THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO

Sculptures from the east pediment of the Archaic temple of Apollo (510 BC), depicting the arrival of Apollo at Delphi, statue of a winged Nike and headless Sphinx, acroteria of the Archaic temple of Apollo, kouros (555-540 BC), inscribed stelai (361-310 BC) etc., sculptures from the west pediment of the 4th century temple of Apollo, depicting Dionysos surrounded by Thyiades (Maenads), and the Sun god setting in the west.

IX. THOLOS ROOM

Architectural members and pieces of the sculptural decoration from the Tholos (380-375 BC).

X. ROOM OF THE FUNERARY MONUMENTS

Circular altar from the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia (second half of the 2nd c. BC), funerary stelai, headless statue of Apollo playing the kithara (early 3rd c. BC), clay female protomes, statues, pottery, etc.

XI. ROOM OF AGIAS

Group of three dancing girls (335-325 BC), six statues from the group dedicated by the Thessalian hieromnemon Daochos 11 (336-332 BC), marble statue of an old man (280-270 BC).

XII. ROOM OF THE CHARIOTEER

Bronze statue of the Charioteer, from a chariotgroup dedicated by Polyzalos, tyrant of Gela in Sicily (478 or 474 BC), parts of the horses and the base of the group; white kylix with a scene of Apollo (ca. 480 BC).

XIII, ROOM OF ANTINOOS

Statue of Antinoos (AD 130-138), sculptures, pottery, bronze objects and jewellery from Delphi and the surrounding area.

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The sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi extends over a series of terraces in the foothills of Mount Parnassos, between two enormous rocks. called the Phaidriades. For many centuries this was the religious and spiritual centre of the ancient Greek world. According to tradition, Delphi was the geographical centre of the world, the omphalos ("navel"), the meeting point of the eagles dispatched by Zeus from the ends of the universe to find the centre of the world.

The first traces of inhabitation in the region of Delphi go back to Mycenaean times (14th-11th c. BC). At this period, the main deity worshipped at the small settlement was Ge ("Earth"). In the following period 11th-9th c. BC) the cult of Apollo became established I Delphi, when the god installed himself there, having first killed the Python, the snake that guarded the oracle of Ge. During the 8th and 7th c. BC, the sanctuary of Delphi took shape. The first stone temples were built towards the end of the 7th c. BC, one dedicated to Apollo and the other to Athena.
At the beginning of the 6th c. BC Delphi became a member of the Amphiktyony - a union of city-states with common political aims -, which protected the sanctuary from the designs of conquerors. With the passage of time, the Delphic Amphiktyony acquired the major responsibility for the administration of the sanctuary of Apollo, and in 582 BC it reorganised the Pythian games, which were held every four years thereafter in honour of Apollo, to commemorate his victory over the Python.
The period from the 6th to the 4th c. BC was a flourishing one for the sanctuary at Delphi, which was adorned with buildings and a large number of votives dedicated to Apollo by the Greek cities and private individuals. Worshippers and theopropoi (public messengers sent to inquire of an oracle) flocked from all over the ancient world to seek the advice of the god and an oracle whenever they were about to take a serious decision or initiative. They purified themselves in the Kastalia spring, paid a set tribute, the pelanos, and sacrificed an animal on the altar of Apollo. The god's oracles were uttered by the Pythia, the priestess
of the shrine, and were interpreted by the priests of Apollo. The formal procedure for the functioning of the oracle acquired its final form in the 6th c. BC and remained unchanged until the reign of Hadrian (2nd c. AD).
The main entrance to the sanctuary was at the south-east corner of the built enclosure wall encircling it. From this point visitors followed the Sacred Way leading to the temple of Apollo, which was at the centre of the sanctuary. Three building phases can be discerned in the remains visible at the present day; the latest dates from between 373 and 330 BC. To left and right of the Sacred Way, the Greek cities erected their dedications: statues, multifigural sculptural groups, small buildings in the form of temples (treasuries) in which to keep their dedications, and so on.
Dramatic and lyric contests were held in the sanctuary theatre, which dates from the 4th c. BC, and the stadium was home not only to the athletic games, but also to musical events.
To the south-east of the sanctuary of Apollo is the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. The most important buildings in it are the goddess's two temples, dating from the 5th and 4th c. and the Tholos, which was built about 380 BC.

1. THE BULL OF THE CORCYREANS
2. THE DEDICATION OF THE SPARTANS
3. THE DEDICATION OF THE ARKADIANS
4. THE DEDICATION OF THE ATHENIANS
5. THE TROJAN HORSE OF THE ARGIVES
6. THE MYTHICAL HEROES OF ARGOS
7. THE EPIGONOI
8. THE KINGS OF ARGOS
9. THE TREASURY OF THE SIKYONIANS
10. THE TREASURY OF THE SIPHNIANS
11. THE TREASURY OF THE MEGARIANS
12. THE TREASURY OF THE ATHENIANS
13. THE BOULEUTERION
14. THE ROCK OF THE SIBYL
15. THE SPHINX OF THE NAXIANS
16. THE STOA OF THE ATHENIANS
17. THE CORINTHIAN TREASURY
18. THE STELE OF AEMILIUS PAULUS
19. THE TRIPOD OF PLATAEA
20. THE STOA OF ATTALOS
21. THE TRIPODS OF THE DEINOMENIDS
22. THE STELE OF PRUSIAS
23. THE BASE OF THE THREE DANCING GIRLS
24. THE DEDICATION OF DAOCHOS
25. THE HALL OF THE KNIDIANS
26. THE THEATRE
27. THE NICHE OF KRATEROS
28. THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO
29. THE WEST STOA

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