To the Greeks, every formal social gathering was also a religious gathering and the Panhellenic sanctuaries were the great meeting places. No sanctuary in Greece was as sacred as that of Delphi, a city-state situated on the lower slopes of Mount Parnassus (image) in Phocis, an ancient province of Central Greece. According to the ancients, Delphi's status as a legendary site began with Zeus. Wishing to find the center of the Earth, Zeus let loose two golden eagles from the two ends of the world. The sacred birds met at Delphi believed to be the navel of the earth. Therefore, since remotest times, Apollo's sanctuary has contained a sacred omphalos, or navel-stone, surmounted by the two eagles of Zeus that flew from the ends of the world to meet at its center, at Delphi.¹

Delphi derived its historic importance from its claim to rights over the shrine and sacred oracle of Apollo; in actuality, the town of Delphi existed under the shadow of the sanctuary.² The engravings of the famous proverbs, "Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess," are found on the walls of the most important building in the sanctuary the Temple of Apollo. Located at the base of Mount Parnassus, the temple was first built in the seventh century BCE. In addition to the temple, the sanctuary of Apollo included a theater, stadium and bouleteuerion, or council house. East of the temple is the Castalian spring and fountain where both priests and pilgrims cleansed themselves before entering the temple. Parnassus was the site of worship of the gods Pan, god of fertility, and Dionysus, god of wine who ruled the Delphic sanctuary for the three winter months. Mount Parnassus was also sacred to the Muses and a center of musical and poetic inspiration a majestic reminder of the Delphic contribution to poetry and song, drama and art.³

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