The Temple of Apollo

One of the most important monuments in Delphi is the Temple of Apollo which was located at a prominent and central position inside the Sanctuary. In the temple, rituals were carried out that were related to worship, the greatest of which was the preparation of the prophecy.

According to mythology, the first temple of Apollo that was built in the area was a draft structure from bay leaves, the second was made from bee wax and wings, the third one from copper and the fourth was built by the mythical architects Trophonios and Agamedes with the help of Apollo himself and it was built from stone.

Before the temple took its current form from the ruins we can see today it was destroyed twice (in 548 B.C. by a fire and it was rebuilt in 519 B.C. by the great Athenian family of Alcmaeonidae and by an earthquake in 373 B.C. and was rebuilt in 330 B.C. by the architects Spintaros the Corinthian, Xenodoros and Agathon).

At the deeper level of the temple, the adyton was located, where the prophecy procedure took place and where only the priests who would interpret Pythia’s words had access and today we have very few evidences regarding its adornment.

Today, the temple has undergone restorations while some parts of the pediments are accommodated at Delphi Archaeological Museum.

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Using information by the Ministry of Culture.