Essay - The Verdant Hills of Delphi Were a Perfect Place to...

The verdant hills of Delphi were a perfect place to perform rituals and ceremonies in honor of the gods. Olive groves, cypress trees, flowing waters, and distant mountains added ***** the magnificent aura of that sacred ground. While the origins of Apollonian festivals at Delphi are obscured by time, it is certain that Apollo was the presiding de*****y at this ancient site. By the eighth century BC, Apollo reigned over the hills of Mount Parnassus; his cult was in full force. Homer mentioned ***** in his Iliad, and the myths surrounding him ***** plentiful. Apollo was *****ed in ***** many aspects as Delphi through religious rites and festivals, as well as ***** the Oracle of Delphi, who channeled the god's wisdom in order to advise peasants and politicians alike. Apollo was the presid*****g god ***** ***** three seasons of ***** year, and only in the winter did Dionysian ***** replace those of the sun *****. ***** was worshipped in Delphi as the god of music, poetry, ***** the *****. His festivals included the Septeria, held once every eight or nine years, and the Pythian Festival, held every four years. These festivals served as much ***** a political and cultural purpose as a religious and mythological one. Apollo was honored at ***** through these festivals, the Oracle, ***** the name of ***** site itself.

*****, the mighty son of Zeus and Le*****, slaughtered the Python, a dragon-snake that guarded Delphi. ***** brave ***** murderous act ***** celebrated and punished at the same time; Apollo was made to serve King Admetus as a cowherd for violating ***** precept of not killing. However, his return ***** Delphi after his exile w***** marked ***** revelry and ***** once every eight or ***** years as the Septeria, or "feast of purification." This festival, usually celebrated with a holy dr*****ma or play, commemorated Apollo's killing of the ***** as well as his nine-year ***** exile. The drama was probably en*****ed on the Halos, a rock-paved area otherwise used as a threshing floor for gr*****in. The Halos is located on the ***** of Delphi, along ***** Sacred Way leading to the main sanctuary. Within that main sanctuary sat the Oracle ***** Delphi, known also as the Pythia.

The Python lends its name ***** only to the well-***** snake but also to the Oracle of Delphi herself. The Pythia ***** called such because of her connection with the Python and to Apollo, its killer. Furthermore, Delphi w***** named after the god. ***** cult title was "*****nos," meaning dolphin. Myths of his transforming himself into a dolphin gave him this title, and ***** Greeks paid ***** respect by naming a sacred site after *****.

The shrine ***** Apollo at Delphi was considered to be the center of the earth. Zeus asked two eagles to fly in opposite directions, and wherever they met would be the earth's center. They joined ***** Delphi shrine to Apollo, hence called ***** Omphalos, or the navel of the world. ***** also served as political