Ruins at Delphi

Delphi, Greece, was considered by the ancients to be the center of the world. Private citizens and public officials would come to consult the oracle there, who was said to speak the words of the god Apollo. The temple brought great wealth to the town and was repeatedly attacked from as early as 595 bc. Excavations began in 1892 and many fine buildings were uncovered. Shown here is the sanctuary of Athena Pronaos, with its remaining three columns topped with a section of the frieze and cornice.

David Ball/The Picture Cube

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Greek Art and Architecture; Delphi; Oracle; Greece

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