Delphi – Crete: first-degree relatives

Arahova and Delphi are two historical, ancient cities, built in distance of 8 km between them. But who imagines that the area of ​​Delphi and Arahova have affinity… first degree with Crete?

Delphi – Arahova – Crete

According to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo Pythion, the god Apollo built the first temple in Delphi, after having killed the dragon in the form of Python snake, from whose name seems to be emanated later the names Pytho, Pythia etc.

In this place Apollo was giving oracles by the mouth of Pythia, which was sitting on a earth chasm, from which came fumes. Indeed, according to the hymn, the first priests of the temple were Cretans, who were saved by the god with the dolphin form, by dragging them on his back in that area.

Cretans and Delphi

In their question to the Apollo god, how they manage to survive in this place, those who were accustomed to living close to the sea, God answered that they will live by the offerings of the faithful.

So, it seems that the Cretans brought to the place of worship of Apollo Delphinios and rather than those named party Delphi. This myth survived in various festive representations that took place in Delphi culminating in the Pythian Games, which comprised musical and athletic competitions and were held every four years.

Other versions for Delphi

In tragedy Eumenides, Aeschylus shows us a different version. The first prophetess at Delphi was the goddess Earth succeeded her daughter Themis. Then came the Titan Phoebe, daughter of the Earth also, and then came Apollo, who apparently named Phoebus from Phoebe. In Aeschylus’ myth, Apollo seems to come from Delos and installed on site without having to kill the Python.

In Iphigenia in Tauris of Euripides, author states that Apollo was still an infant arrived with his mother Leto of Delos in Parnassos and there occupied the oracle, after having killed the huge monster that guarded. The Earth angered because thus expelled violently from the oracle daughter of Themis and began sending prophetic dreams to people concerned in order to weaken the power of the god Apollo. The problem was finally resolved with the intervention of Zeus, who took the part of Apollo.

We see through these examples that there are several myths about by whom and under what conditions began operating the Delphic oracle, which over time became a religious center of ancient Greece.

One of the most famous myths create the Oracle, who was rescued by Diodorus of Sicily tells of a shepherd who was grazing his flock as the region found that an opening next to Phaedriades, came various fumes. He observed that animals approaching the opening acquire a very strange behavior. So when he approached on the gap to see what happens, he started telling various unintelligible things falling into a trance, words which retrospectively found that foretold things to come. Since then, he settled at that point a priestess, Pythia and began work the oracle. Another myth, the hero Parnassus, whose name was given to the homonymous mountain, n ‘discovers in that area the augur, guessing by the way the birds were flying in the area.

In Homer’s Odyssey, the Rhapsody IX refers to the Oracle of Delphi, but be given additional information on the manner and time of its foundation.

The oracle of Delphi

How and by whom originally the Oracle created is not easy to find, since many scholars believe that the action goes back to the antediluvian era, which is reinforced by the different deities that protected the course of history: the Earth, then the Themis, after Apollo and Dionysus. As the story spread out the elaborate veil over the Oracle of Delphi, they created several myths that tell of the beginnings. It is therefore very difficult up to impossible for the historical researcher to determine whether there are nuggets of truth in these stories, and decode them.

Watch the documentary for Delphi:

Delphi: The navel of the Earth

Legend has it that Delphi was the point they met two eagles, when Zeus sent them to fly from two different directions. At this point Zeus threw the sacred rock and Delphi became known all over the world then as the navel of the Earth, the center of the world.

“Delfis” means Dolphin in ancient Greek, and so Delphi named in honor of the dolphin, and that’s why this format took Apollo during the journey of return, driving the boat with Cretan seafarers in order to stay Delphi to build the sanctuary and become priests. With the return of Apollo crowned officially protector and lord of Delphi. At the point where slaughter took place of Python, the navel rock placed. The navel means “center of the earth” and there was the Sacred Oracle of Delphi.

Adapted from conspiracyfeeds.blogspot.gr