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Published: October 10th 2008
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our feet on the marble starting line
the olympic flame begins it's journey from here
(thrilling) Delphi
The drive up through the bare, sparsely inhabited mountains helped to prepare us for the granduer of the area. The day we were here, the sky was clear and the views made us stop in our tracks.
This is Delphi. The Sanctuary of Apollo. This is where the oracle was said to have told fortunes and given advice. The oracle was a priestess who gave "advice" under the influence of the vapors coming from a huge crack in the earth. She was assisted by priests who interpreted for her.
So little is left of ancient Delphi, but even so, the ruins are spectacular.
It was thought of as the "belly button of the world"! Apollo had declared it the center of the universe. With the mountains falling down to the water of the Gulf of Corinth, it does seem to be a place where the "gods" would set up shop!
Even before Apollo and his oracle, citizens were coming here to worship the mother earth dieties from around 1600BC. To hold peoples attention for 2 thousand years, there must have been something to this place. ( the gas?) It is hard to imagine pilgrams making this journey 1000
years ago, the road now is such a twisting turning, hold your breath kind of road!
In AD 394, this site was closed down by Emperor Theodosius I. Centuries of plunder and neglect kept the site hidden, until excavation began in 1892.
We stayed overnight in Delphi. Other than the archeological site, there is this tiny town, whose role is to provide food and accomodation for the pilgrams still making their way up here.
Olympia
Heading to a more well-known site, whose traditions are relived every two years, we are surprized to see how close the fires of 2007 came to Olympia. The hills are still blackened, with a clear cut look to them. The trees have been removed, and even this day the buzz of chain saws are heard in the distance. The site of Olympia fared well, but the fires burned right up to the grounds, damaging trees.
This is another location that out does itself, the ruins and the legends that go along with them have us in awe of the organization that took place so long ago. The first winner was declared in 776 BC. he won a foot race.
Now when that "eternal
high along Mount Parnassos
Keith is at the center of the theatre. Too bad he forgot his banjo! flame" is lit, and carried around the world, we will know exactly where and how it began. As our guide stressed, "real actresses" portraying the high priestesses, light the flame using a parabolic mirror to reflect the sun's rays onto a small cauldron. To insure that there is a true flame, this is rehearsed days ahead of time, when the sun is shining. The ceremony is filmed and the flame is contained and allowed to burn. This would be the backup video incase of cloud cover on the actual day of the lighting ceremony.
In addition to the stadium and the temples, the site of the ancient games had a hotel, and the training area had classrooms for "mental training". They took their competition seriously. Not only the participating atheletes, but their families, signed promises to follow the rules. Cheaters were fined, which funded statues of Zeus, that lined the walk way that led the athletes into the stadium. The cheaters offense was inscribed on the base of the statues, for all to see. Victors of the games received a wreath made of olive leaves, were exempted from paying taxes, and fed in their home towns at the publics'
expense, for the rest of their lives.
Another moment to remember, wandering around the grounds of the ancient Olympics, on a sunny afternoon.
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Brenda DuPree
non-member comment
Fab
Fabulous - good job!