"The lord whose is the oracle at Delphi neither utters nor hides his meaning, but shows it by a sign." - Heraclitus
Drawing of The Sacred Way of Delphi:
(Source)
An informational plaque on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi as it was possibly then.
The Temple of Apollo now:
An offering built by Crateros, one of the generals of Alexander the Great:
If memory serves, this was the stone from which the oracles were give. A tripod was put in the three triangular holes on which the Pythia sat; the hole in the center is from which the gases would emanate.
Delphi also had a theater, originally built in the 4th century B.C.
Probably uncomfortable seats, but great views.
Above the temple complex and the theater complex was a stadium where the Pythian Games were held every four years in honor of Apollo. They were one of the four great Panhellenic Games and ran for almost 1,000 years (6th Century B.C. to 4th Century A.D.).
Again - Uncomfortable seats, but what a view.
I wonder if they didn't bring their own cushions or blankets when they attended the theater or stadium.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I will certainly envision the oracle of Delphi differently now, compared to the Hollywood type versions.
Leigh, I really have no idea. One would have hoped someone would have thought of this.
DeleteThe great part about going to these places and actually seeing them is that it does change how we view what our modern story telling does to them. It makes it both more real and less without the "flash" that we as moderns think needs to infuse everything.
To answer Leigh, I suspect their performances weren't very long like the latest Scorsese flick coming in at 3 1/2 hours.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you are right as well, Ed, although I have no idea how long an Ancient Greek tragedy currently clocks in at.
DeleteHmmmm, whatever plays were put on had to have been interesting since the views were commanding and right there! Enjoying your Greek travelogue TB.
ReplyDeleteNylon12, it certainly would have been a thing to see.
DeleteAnd thank you. Revisiting all these memories is a happy thing for me too.