... REGION: Central Greece ... Prefecture: Fokida
... / Delphi \ ...

Deplhi can be reached by road through Viotia via Livadia and Arachova. This is the site of the famous Oracle, where rulers of Greece came for many centuries for political and moral guidance. The centre of the complex of temples is the Doric Temple of Apollo dating from the 4th century BC. The Delphi Museum contains the superb statue of the Charioteer, circa 475 BC. The Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi had been one of the most glorious oracles in antiquity, along with these of Zeus in Olympia and of Apollo in Delos. It is situated on the slope of Mount Parnassus, above the valley of Plisto. It was built during the archaic period to host the cult of the snake Python, son of Mother Earth. The place took its contemporary name from the cult of Apollo Delphinios, i.e. the god worshipped in the shape of a dolphin. Only very few elements of this cult survived. Even the priestess who delivered the oracles preserved the ancient name Pythia, whereas later she was also referred to as Sibyl. The sanctuary soon gained political importance, as it became the seat of one of the mightiest amphictyoniae, or holy alliances, and an essential reference point for all the Greek cities wishing to establish colonies on western Europe. It was honoured even by Kroisos, the extremely rich king of Lydia, as well as by the Pharaoh of Egypt, Amasis. The sanctuary has been the cause of many sacred wars for its control, but its prestige remained intact. When in 373 BC it suffered serious damages by an earthquake, many city-states collaborated in order to restore it. During the Roman period it was honoured by the first Roman leaders and later by emperors such as Augustus, Nero and Hadrian. Gradually, however, it fell in decline. In 385 AD Theodosius outlawed paganism and forbade the existence of oracles. Since then, "the voice of the water faded away", as its last priests allegedly have said. In contemporary times, the excavations at the archaeological site began in 1892 by a group of French archaeologists and are still under way.

The Temple of Apollo: The Sacred Way runs along the protective wall of the platform of the Temple of Apollo, which in the ancient times covered an Ionic row of columns made of Parian marble, financed by the Athenians after the Persian wars had ended. It is a petipteral temple of Doric order, 60.32 x 23.82 meters, with poros stone pillars plated with marblestone, 6 on the small sides and 15 on the large ones. The cella had two pillars, both on the porch as well as on the opisthodrome, whereas inside there was the adyton, the most sacred of all spaces that no one could enter, since it contained the omphalos, the centre of the world. The pillars architraves were adorned with the shields of Persians from the battle at Plataeae and of the Gauls of the third century BC. The roof was covered with marble tiles. It is believed that there was an underground space where only the pythian soothsayer could enter, in order to obtain the oracles from the gods. The side of the platform close to the mountain, on the temple's right side, suffered serious landslides. During one of them, probably in 373 BC, the bronze chariot dedicated in 474 BC by the tyrant of Syracuse Polyzalos was buried. The statue of the Charioteer, in natural dimensions, is one of the most famous masterpieces of archaic art and was brought to light during excavations; today, it adorns the Delphi Museum.

The Theatre: A small scale connected this platform with the theatre, which was built in the fourth century BC and was restored during the Hellenistic and the Roman period. A terrace wall called Ischegaon from the verb ischo which means "to retain the earth" supported the cavea on the hillside. The cavea consisted of 35 rows of seats and had a capacity of 5000 spectators. One can still see the cobblestone orchestra and the foundations of the stage, adorned with a marble frieze depicting the Labours of Hercules, today kept in the Museum. Above the sacred yard a clear path leads to a small valley where the stadium is. A part of it was built during the fifth century BC, but it was subsequently restored several times. On the north side, towards the mountain, there are 12 rows of columns carved in the rock. On the opposite side, another 6 rows stand upon earlier foundations. In this stadium there took place every four years the Pythian Games, which included musical and theatrical competitions, held at the theatre, as well as chariot races, held at the valley. In 528, right after the sacred war, the Pythian Games were reorganized with a new set of rules. Thereafter, they took place more often and went on until the end of antiquity.

Itea, ancient Chalkion, lies on the northern coast of the Gulf of Korinthia. There is an excellent beach that skirts the olive trees and a good road leads to Kira where the remains of the ancient pier can still be seen at the bottom of the sea. Good bathing spots in Fokida include Itea, Kira, Galaxidi, Eratini, and the small islands of Trizonia and Ai-Giannis.