Tour of Delphi
	Click on the aerial map for more detailed photos and a brief description. You can also pick from this list:   Agora and Treasuries   Temple   Theater   Stadium
Agora and Treasuries:
	The agora, or marketplace, is the first stop along the Sacred Way, the main road that winds through the lavish complex of buildings at Delphi. The extant remains of this part of Delphi (seen above) date from the 4th Century A.D. when the Romans refurbished the agora (making more of a Roman forum than Greek agora), and built the large, covered portico pictured here. The agora had a series of shops, and provided a place for visitors to stop before ascending the Sacred Way. Wealthy Greek city-states built numerous "treasuries" along the Sacred Way, between the agora and temple. A treasury demonstrated a city's loyalty and faith to the oracle; it also provided a convenient location for the city's travelers to stop and meet with fellow countrymen, something like an embassy or cultural center in a foreign land. Most of all, the treasury displayed the city's wealth and power, and cities competed with each other to endow their respective building with the most beautiful sculptures and ornate architecture. The standing building, the treasury of the Athenians, was restored after excavation. In all, some fifteen treasuries populated the slope below the temple.
Temple:
	The Temple of Apollo, the centerpiece of the sanctuary, sat half-way up the mountain. A large polygonal retaining wall, which still survives, provided the temple with a solid foundation. The remains we see today survived from the 4th Century B.C.E., and were the third such temple built on the location. Six Doric columns on the front and back, and fifteen on each side, surrounded the temple. The temple's front pediment sported a scene of Apollo's arrival at Delphi; the back pediment depicted the setting of the Sun god, Helios. The temple's interior, though badly damaged, is known to have housed the omphalos, the traditional "navel" of the world and later claimed as the stone that Kronos swallowed in place of Zeus (See Hesiod, Theogony). Engraved on the temple's walls were the famous proverbs "Nothing in excess" and "Know thyself." Undoubtedly though the adyton, the temple's innermost shrine, was the highlight. It was from there that Apollo spoke his famous prophecies through the Pythia.
Theater:
	Delphi's theater is an excellent example of the basic Greek design. The theater makes use of the natural slope of the mountain for seating, thus minimizing construction. The semi-circular orchestra and wrapping seats are also characteristic of Greek theaters. The theater also has a small, short scene building and offers spectacular views of the valley below as a backdrop. Various musical and dramatic performances accompanied Delphi's many festivals. Paeans (hymns of praise), re-enactments of Apollo's battle with the Python, and celebratory dances all took place in the theater.
Stadium:
	The Sacred Way, snaking its way up Mount Parnassos, culminates in the stadium. Beginning in 509B.C., the stadium hosted the Pythian Games. Modeled on the Olympian Games (so-called for their location at the temple complex of Olympia), the Pythian Games included the popular events of single and double stadium-length sprints, a race in full armor, and chariot races. The stadium is a very well-preserved example, and offers awesome views of the Krisan plain and Gulf of Itea.

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