G
reek myth holds that the thunder
god Zeus once dispatched two ea-
gles flying in opposite directions
across the sky. Where their paths
crossed would be the center of the
world. Legend says that the birds met over Del-
phi, seated on the slopes of Parnassós. Zeus
marked the spot with a stone called theompha-
los(navel), to signify the location’s centrality.
According to another myth, this impressive
spot in central Greece (about 100 miles north-
west of Athens) was originally sacred to Gaea,
mother goddess of the earth,who placed her son
Python, a serpent, as a guard for Delphi and its
oracle. Apollo, god of light and music, slew the
serpent and took over the site for himself.Priest-
esses who served Apollo there were called the“Pythia,”named in honor of Gaea’s vanquished
son. Throughout the classical world spread the
belief that these priestesses channeled prophe-
cies from Apollo himself.
The cult of Apollo seems to have been func-
tioninginDelphiasearlyastheeighthcenturyB.C.
About two centuries later, leaders from all over
Greece were consulting the oracle on major is-
sues of the day: waging war, founding colonies,
and religious rituals. Since it was a place used
by different—and often rival—Greekstates,
Delphi soon became not only a sacred space but
also a place where a city-state could exhibit its
status to the wider Greek world. If a particular
city wanted to flaunt its success in war or trade,
it could build a commemorative monument
at Delphi. This practice led to an astonishingDISCOVERIES
FROM
THE BIG DIGAFTER A DECADEof nego-
tiations, Greece grants France
exclusive access to excavate
at Delphi. The village of Kastri
must be relocated before exca-
vation can begin.1891
THE “BIG DIG”begins under
the direction of Théophile Ho-
molle. The Altar of the Chians,
the Athenian Treasury, and the
statues of Kleobis and Biton are
some notable early finds.1892-94
ABRONZE statue of a chari-
oteer is found in the sanctuary
of Apollo. In 1897 the theater
and the stadium are excavated,
and in 1898, work begins on
the Tholos of Delphi.1896-98
THE VILLAGE OF KASTRI
SITS ABOVE THE ONGOING
EXCAVATION OF DELPHI IN A
PHOTOGRAPH FROM 1893.N.C./ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE D’ATHÈNES. MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS/EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF PHOKIS28 MARCH/APRIL 2019