The Temple of Apollo, also known as Apollonion,[1] (Greek: Ἀπολλώνιον, romanized: Apollṓnion) was a major part of the Panhellenic religious sanctuary located in Central Greece at Delphi. The temple and sanctuary at large were dedicated to one of the major Greek deities, Apollo, the god of archery, music, light, prophecy, the arts, and healing. There have been several temples built at Delphi throughout the history of the site, though the visible ruins seen in modernity are those of the temple built in the 4th century B.C.E. before its destruction under the orders of Theodosius I in 390 C.E..[2] During antiquity, the temple was home to the famous Greek prophetess the Pythia, or the Oracle of Delphi, making the Temple of Apollo and the sanctuary at Delphi a major Panhellenic religious site as early as the 8th century B.C.E., and a place of great importance at many different periods of ancient Greek history.[3] References to Delphi, the sanctuary, the temple, and the prophecies of the Pythia are made throughout ancient Greek mythology and historical accounts from the periods of its use.
The Temple of Apollo at Delphi functioned as a Panhellenic sanctuaryserving all Greek settlements, though Apollo was not the only deity worshiped at the temple.[35] For nine months out of the year the cult of Apollo would be the dominant sect within the temple at Delphi, then during the winter months oracularpractice is paused, and focus shifts to the cult of Dionysus as the Thyiadesstaged festivals and rituals to honor the god.[36][37] As the cult of Dionysus was largely a mystery cult, these practices are not entirely well known, though they reference the reincarnation of Dionysus from a mortal into a god and the temple at Delphi housing the mortal remains of Dionysus.[38][37] Outside of the winter months, ritual practice at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi would largely focus on Apollo and the Pythia.
The priestesses of Apollo, known as the Pythia, served as the oracle for the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Greeks and non-Greeks alike would go to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi from across the Mediterranean and beyond to consult the Pythia on a variety of different topics, ranging from the state level like the establishment of new colonies to the personal level like marriage, children, and health.[3] The Pythia was typically regarded as the foremost oracle within the Greek world, with Herodotus making emphasis on this claim when recounting the story of the Lydian king Croesus.[39] However, prophecies throughout Greek history and mythology were notably vague, and misinterpretation of prophesies would remain a major theme across historical accounts, literature, and myth. Famous examples of these'misunderstandings include Croesusincorrectly assuming he would win and defeat the Achaemenid Empirewhen told that a great empire will fall if he went to war with the Persians and Oedipus incorrectly assuming the prophecy from Pythia was about his adopted parents from Corinth in Oedipus Rex.[40][41]
The women selected to be the Pythia were originally selected among the women of Delphi.[42] This was supposedly changed when one of the Pythia were violated by Echecrates the Thessalian when he came to Delphi for a prophecy, and following this future priestess were required to be at least fifty years old though they intentionally dressed like a young woman.[43]
The oracular process of the Pythia is not entirely well known nor without debate, though there are ancient accounts of several different aspects of the process. The inquirer came to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi and offered a gift upon the altar located outside the building, typically sacrificial animals such as goats, sheep, or bulls.[44] If the Pythia decided an offering was sufficient, she would proceed to enter Apollo's temple and descend into a chamber below the sanctuary ground.[34] She would then sit on a tripod in the chamber and be cleansed by water from the Castalian spring, which is said to have entered the chamber through a large chasm in the rock floor.[33] Various accounts describe the emission of gases also arising from the chasm while others say burnt bay laurel leaves created the fumes.[citation needed] Reports also state the Pythia inhaled the gases or fumes, drank from a silver bowl containing water from the Castalian spring, and held a branch of the bay laurel plant in her hand and in doing so brought to a state of delirium.[citation needed] In this tranced psychological state came the knowledge of Apollo which the Pythia would begin to voice in words that could not be understood.[45] A priest standing above in the temple hears her voice through an opening in the floor and interprets the prophecy, which was then delivered either verbally to the inquirer or, often in more important cases, written by the priest on a bay laurel leaf.[34] This interpretation has been challenged by some scholars, such as Joseph Fontenrose and Lisa Maurizio, who argue that the ancient sources uniformly represent the Pythia speaking intelligibly, and giving prophecies in her voice.[46]
The legitimacy of the oracular process which took place at the Temple of Apollo has been a topic of much debate among modern scholars. Research on this topic does not seem to suggest any evidence of a large fissure or chasm in the ground under the temple, nor any indication that consuming bay laurel leaves or water from the Castalian spring can induce an intoxicated state.[47]
While prophecy and the consultation of the oracle were major aspects of religious practice at Delphi, Apollo was likely also worshiped for his capacity as a healer. Inscriptions along the polygonal wall refer to a tax levied to pay for medical attendance for people coming to the temple for healing.[26] Capable of inflicting and relieving civilizations of plague, the Temple of Apollo at Delphi was also visited when seeking Apollo's help during large health disasters.[6]
Treasury of Athens situated along the Sacred Way leading to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
The offering of sacrificial animals and material goods to the gods were major ritualistic practices in Ancient Greek religion, especially in the form of votive offering. Several ancient writers make reference to major offerings from individuals or states that would have been stored at the temple or the nearby treasuries within the sanctuary. Their exact placement within the temple is unclear and in some cases inconsistent with other authors, though some are more specific in their origins and objects offered. A detailed example of this includes the wealth that Croesus, King of Lydia, dedicated to the temple before the Greco-Persian Wars and his loss to Xerxes I or the silver bowl and its iron stand made by Glaucus of Chios and dedicated by Alyattes, father of Croesus, both of which Herodotus mentioned in his Histories.[48][49] The offerings that accumulated at the temple and the treasuries within the sanctuary made Delphi an incredibly wealthy city, a wealth that was so renown that Herodotus made remarks that Xerxes I would have been more familiar with the Delphic wealth than his own in Persia.[50]
At several different points during the period of 595 B.C.E. and 290 B.C.E., the city of Delphi became a place of major contention with multiple parties vying for control of the city, resulting in a series of Sacred Wars, several of which saw the looting of the treasuries and the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. While sometimes including the same states, the wars were not directly connected to or continuations of prior conflicts, and are typically used to refer to instances when multiple parties vied for control of Delphi. Several of the Sacred Wars saw the transitioning of control over Delphi and its religious sites, such as the conflict between Sparta and the Athenian-backed Phocians during the Second Sacred War that saw Sparta return autonomy to the Delphians before Athens returned control to the Phocians.[51] Notably, the Third Sacred War in 357 B.C.E. saw the seizing and looting of the Temple of Apollo by the Phocians after they refused to pay a fine levied by the Amphictyonic League for cultivating sacred land, goods that were then used to fund a mercenary army for the Phocians.[52] At this point, the accumulation of treasures donated or sacrificed to Apollo was sizable, and it is estimated that the Phocians were able to spend 10,000 talents because of the looted Temple.[53]
As a teacher, I refused to use it back in 1998. It upset me terribly. We were required to use it. I quietly did my own thing, and shared the meaning of both to my students. May God have mercy on those that love Him.🙏🇺🇸
Don't use the term BCE, it gets rid of God. Before Common Era was created for that very thing, to remove God.
As a teacher, I refused to use it back in 1998. It upset me terribly. We were required to use it. I quietly did my own thing, and shared the meaning of both to my students. May God have mercy on those that love Him.🙏🇺🇸