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Summary
Parnassus, the mountain of grandeur, always hidden in
clouds, has always been a source of inspiration to the poets and
was sung in folk songs. Its tall and steep summits are mentioned
in all ancient myths. Because of its geographic spot it is related
with many historical events.
However, its glamour and glory were gained from the famous
oracle of Delphi, one of the greatest oracles of the ancient world,
founded in the mountain’s slope.
Even in the early ancient years Delphi was considered
as a sacred place. At that time Delphi was an oracle of the evil
forces which was guarded by the dragon, called Python. One day however
Apollo, the god of light, order, ethics and clarity came down to
earth and killed the dragon, cutting the mountain into two pieces.
He enforced his own religion and his altar became a Panhellinic
Center of Worship. Even today people who visit Delphi are overwhelmed
with a magical atmosphere, as if Apollo drove their mind towards
the “absolute”, an idea conceived in this sacred place referring
to gods and humans, along with the idea of the amphictyony, the
idea of coexistence of the people.
The broken marbles of Delphi, the rocks, the earth represent
the whole essence of the ancient world.
Observing carefully the area, one realizes that the strong
belief held by ancient Greeks about the area as being the “CENTER
OF THE WORLD” was probably no exaggeration. A sense of the “incomparable”
and the “absolute” elevate the spirit, sending out chills to the
body. It seems as though gates of immortality open and man though
mortal may enter as equal among gods. The scenery includes the temple
of Apollo, treasures, the theatre, the stadium and shadows of heroes
who had passed by in the past. In addition one is enchanted by the
plenty of beautiful and rare plants, found on the way up to the
mountain, while the most interesting of them is Peonia, a very impressive
plant for its color and size. Walking across endless firry woods
the visitor reaches a summit called “Marmara”, known for the marble
ruins of a great monument. A group of French visitors studied with
great respect and attention these ruins, recorded them, discovered
the origin of the material used and published this interesting study
into a book, giving us a more specific picture of the monument.
Moreover, according to Pafsanias who had passed by the area on his
way to the “Corykeio Andro”, there was a shiny reflection coming
from the summit of the mountain, which leads us to the conclusion
that quite possibly there was a big bronze statue on top of the
marbles which was seen from the distance.
The route to the “Corykeio Andro” reveals huge precipices
of great depth and unknown end. “Corykeio Andro”, the altar of the
Nymphs, was the place of worship of the Nymphs. The archaeological
findings and offerings reveal that people sacrificed to the Nymphs.
Corykeio was a labyrinthic cave which was called “sarantavli” by
the ancient Greeks, because it had forty compartments. Ancient Greeks
used to sacrifice to the Nymphs after a successful labor, as we
conclude from the great tragic poet Euripides in his tragedy “Electra”,
while our other great tragic poet Aeschylus underlines the fertilizing
power of the Nymphs. He calls them “viodori” *.
Parnassus hides many secrets. The purling water of Castalia
which runs for ages may “speak” again with the help of Pythia. And
Apollo may reveal more secrets about the people -us mortal humans:
about their existence on earth and beyond this...
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