The Sanctuary of Apollo is considered the heart of the oracle. From the main entrance, the Sacred Way gradually winds up to the Doric Temple of Apollo . In ancient times the Sacred Way was lined with treasuries and statues given by grateful city-states – Athens, Sikyon, Siphnos, Knidos, Thiva (Thebes) etc – not only as thanks to Apollo, but as a kind of PR machine to show their wealth and might.
Entering the site, you pass several stone bases. The first is the pedestal that held the statue of a bull dedicated by the city of Corfu (Kerkyra). Just beyond it, on the right, are the remains of the Votive Offering of Lacedaemon , commemorating a battle victory. The next two semicircular structures on either side of the Sacred Way were erected by the Argives (people of Argos). To their right stood the Kings of Argos Monument .
To the north of the reconstructed Athenian Treasury are the foundations of the bouleuterion (council house).
The 4th-century-BC Temple of Apollo dominated the entire sanctuary with a statue of Apollo and a hearth where an eternal flame burned. On the temple vestibule were inscriptions from Greek philosophers, such as ‘Know Thyself’ and ‘Nothing in Excess’, known as the Delphic Commandments.
Above the temple is the well-preserved 4th-century-BC theatre , which was restored by the Pergamene kings in the 1st century BC, yielding magnificent views from the top row. Plays were performed here during the Pythian Festival, held, like the Olympic Games, every four years. From the theatre the path continues to the stadium , the best preserved in all of Greece. Check out the sprinters’ etched-stone starting blocks at the eastern end. (Stadium access is currently limited because of possible rockslides).
From the Sanctuary of Apollo, the paved path towards Arahova runs parallel to the main road and leads to the Castalian Spring on the left, where pilgrims cleansed themselves before consulting the oracle.
