Pictures photos images of the archaeological site of Delphi, with images & photos of Delphi Museum. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a dragon who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth. Apollo spoke through his oracle: the sibyl or priestess of the oracle at Delphi was known as the Pythia, who sat on a tripod seat over an opening in the earth. The great and the good of the ancient world travelled to Delphi to ask the Oracle important questions. The Oracle would breath in gasses that came from the opening and go into a violent trance. Her rantings or babbling were translated by priests into eloquent statements that could be interpreted by the questioner in several ways. Many famous misinterpretations by the questions led to disaster such as when Croesus, the fabulously rich Lydian King, asked if he should go to war with Persia. He was told that if he did so a great empire would fall. So he went to war and lost as it was his great Empire not the Persian Empire that fell. So the Delphic Oracle would have been right either way. Apollo's sacred precinct in Delphi was a panhellenic sanctuary, where every four years, starting in 776 BC[4] athletes from all over the Greek world competed in the Pythian Games, the precursor of the Olympic Games. Buy as high resolution stock royalty free images of travel images to download on line or buy as photo art prints.

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