The biggest
celebration of Delphi was the Pythian games, which were
performed every 4 years to
commemorate the victory of Apollo on Python and the
departure of the god at Tempe.It should lasted 6-8 days,
and apart from the rituals and the sacrifices, athletic
and musical events took place at their
duration. The musical games performed at the theatre,
while the athletics in the stadium and the horse races
at the hippodrome which was somewhere in the Crissaean
field.
For the Pythia ceremonies, as other Pan-Hellenic games
(Olympia, Nemea, Isthmia), were imposed in all the Greek
region a three-month truce, element that played
important role in the political life of ancient Greece.
Reward for the victor was a wreath from the holy plant
of Apollo, the laurel, but the honour was big and
eternal.
Outside the
sanctuary and at the highest point of the slope around
the Phaedriades builted the stadium for sporting events
at Pythia games. It was founded at 5th cent b.c. but its
current form was taken at 2nd cent B.C. where with money
of Herodus Atticus the stone wedges and the 3 arches at
the entrance were constructed. On the northen 12 rows of
seats and on the 6 southern were seated 7.000 about
spectators. The length of track was 1 stadion(stage) ie
180 about metres, as long as it was the length of the
foot race - road speed is. The name of the principal
sporting establishment , the "stadion", comes precisely
from the length of speed road in the ancient athletic
games.
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