ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄνοδος διὰ τῆς Δαυλίδος ἐς τὰ ἄκρα τοῦ Παρνασσοῦ μακροτέρα τῆς ἐκ Δελφῶν, οὐ μέντοι καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ χαλεπή. ἐς δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ Δελφῶν εὐθεῖαν ἀναστρέψαντι ἐκ Δαυλίδος καὶ ἰόντι ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσω, ἔστιν οἰκοδόμημα ἐν ἀριστερᾷ τῆς ὁδοῦ καλούμενον Φωκικόν, ἐς ὃ ἀπὸ ἑκάστης πόλεως συνίασιν οἱ Φωκεῖς.
μεγέθει μὲν μέγα τὸ οἴκημα, ἐντὸς δὲ αὐτοῦ κίονες κατὰ μῆκός εἰσιν ἑστηκότες· ἀναβασμοὶ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν κιόνων ἀνήκουσιν ἐς ἑκάτερον τοῖχον, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀναβασμῶν τούτων οἱ συνιόντες τῶν Φωκέων καθέζονται. πρὸς δὲ τῷ πέρατι κίονες μὲν οὐκ εἰσὶν οὐδὲ ἀναβασμοί, Διὸς δὲ ἄγαλμα καὶ Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ Ἥρας, τὸ μὲν ἐν θρόνῳ τοῦ Διός, ἑκατέρωθεν δὲ ἡ μὲν κατὰ δεξιά, ἡ δὲ κατὰ ἀριστερὰ παρεστῶσα ἡ Ἀθηνᾶ πεποίηται.
προϊὼν δὲ αὐτόθεν ἐπὶ ὁδὸν ἀφίξῃ καλουμένην Σχιστήν· ἐπʼ αὐτῇ τῇ ὁδῷ τὰ ἐς τὸν φόνον τοῦ πατρὸς Οἰδίποδι εἰργάσθη. ἔδει δὲ ἄρα παθημάτων τῶν Οἰδίποδος ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἑλλάδα ὑπολειφθῆναι μνημόσυνα. τεχθέντος μέν γε διαπείραντες διὰ τῶν σφυρῶν κέντρα ἐκτιθέασιν αὐτὸν ἐς τὴν Πλαταιίδα, ὄρος τὸν Κιθαιρῶνα· Κόρινθος δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τῷ ἰσθμῷ χώρα τροφὸς τῷ Οἰδίποδι ἐγένετο· γῆ δὲ ἡ Φωκὶς καὶ ὁδὸς ἡ Σχιστὴ τοῦ πατρῴου φόνου τὸ μίασμα ὑπεδέξατο· Θηβαίοις δὲ καὶ ἐς πλέον γάμων τέ σφισι τῶν Οἰδίποδος καὶ ἀδικίας τῆς Ἐτεοκλέους ἐστὶν ἡ φήμη.
Οἰδίποδι μὲν ὁδὸς ἡ Σχιστὴ καὶ τόλμημα τὸ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ κακῶν ἦρχε, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Λαΐου μνήματα καὶ οἰκέτου τοῦ ἑπομένου ταὐτὰ ἔτι ἐν μεσαιτάτῳ τῆς τριόδου ἐστὶ καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ λίθοι λογάδες σεσωρευμένοι· Δαμασίστρατον δὲ ἄνδρα ἐν Πλαταιαῖς βασιλεύοντα ἐπιτυχεῖν τε κειμένοις τοῖς νεκροῖς καὶ θάψαι φασὶν αὐτούς.
ἡ δὲ λεωφόρος αὐτόθεν ἡ ἐς Δελφοὺς καὶ προσάντης γίνεται μᾶλλον καὶ ἀνδρὶ εὐζώνῳ χαλεπωτέρα. λέγεται δὲ πολλὰ μὲν καὶ διάφορα ἐς αὐτοὺς τοὺς Δελφούς, πλείω δὲ ἔτι ἐς τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος τὸ μαντεῖον. φασὶ γὰρ δὴ τὰ ἀρχαιότατα Γῆς εἶναι τὸ χρηστήριον, καὶ Δαφνίδα ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τετάχθαι πρόμαντιν ὑπὸ τῆς Γῆς·
εἶναι δὲ αὐτὴν τῶν περὶ τὸ ὄρος νυμφῶν. ἔστι δὲ ἐν Ἕλλησι ποίησις, ὄνομα μὲν τοῖς ἔπεσίν ἐστιν Εὐμολπία, Μουσαίῳ δὲ τῷ Ἀντιοφήμου προσποιοῦσι τὰ ἔπη· πεποιημένον οὖν ἐστιν ἐν τούτοις Ποσειδῶνος ἐν κοινῷ καὶ Γῆς εἶναι τὸ μαντεῖον, καὶ τὴν μὲν χρᾶν αὐτήν, Ποσειδῶνι δὲ ὑπηρέτην ἐς τὰ μαντεύματα εἶναι Πύρκωνα. καὶ οὕτως ἔχει τὰ ἔπη· αὐτίκα δὲ Χθονίης φωνὴ πινυτὸν φάτο μῦθον, / σὺν δὲ τε Πύρκων ἀμφίπολος κλυτοῦ Ἐννοσιγαίου. / χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον, ὅσον τῇ Γῇ μετῆν, δοθῆναι Θέμιδι ὑπʼ αὐτῆς λέγουσιν, Ἀπόλλωνα δὲ παρὰ Θέμιδος λαβεῖν δωρεάν· Ποσειδῶνι δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ μαντείου Καλαύρειαν ἀντιδοῦναί φασιν αὐτὸν τὴν πρὸ Τροιζῆνος.
ἤκουσα δὲ καὶ ὡς ἄνδρες ποιμαίνοντες ἐπιτύχοιεν τῷ μαντείῳ, καὶ ἔνθεοί τε ἐγένοντο ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀτμοῦ καὶ ἐμαντεύσαντο ἐξ Ἀπόλλωνος. μεγίστη δὲ καὶ παρὰ πλείστων ἐς Φημονόην δόξα ἐστίν, ὡς πρόμαντις γένοιτο ἡ Φημονόη τοῦ θεοῦ πρώτη καὶ πρώτη τὸ ἑξάμετρον ᾖσεν. Βοιὼ δὲ ἐπιχωρία γυνὴ ποιήσασα ὕμνον Δελφοῖς ἔφη κατασκευάσασθαι τὸ μαντεῖον τῷ θεῷ τοὺς ἀφικομένους ἐξ Ὑπερβορέων τούς τε ἄλλους καὶ Ὠλῆνα· τοῦτον δὲ καὶ μαντεύσασθαι πρῶτον καὶ ᾄσαι πρῶτον τὸ ἑξάμετρον.
πεποίηκε δὲ ἡ Βοιὼ τοιάδε· ἔνθα τοι εὔμνηστον χρηστήριον ἐκτελέσαντο / παῖδες Ὑπερβορέων Παγασὸς καὶ δῖος Ἀγυιεύς. / ἐπαριθμοῦσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλους τῶν Ὑπερβορέων, ἐπὶ τελευτῇ τοῦ ὕμνου τὸν Ὠλῆνα ὠνόμασεν· Ὠλήν θʼ, ὃς γένετο πρῶτος Φοίβοιο προφάτας, / πρῶτος δʼ ἀρχαίων ἐπέων τεκτάνατʼ ἀοιδάν. / οὐ μέντοι τά γε ἥκοντα ἐς μνήμην ἐς ἄλλον τινά, ἐς δὲ γυναικῶν μαντείαν ἀνήκει μόνων.
ποιηθῆναι δὲ τὸν ναὸν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι τὸ ἀρχαιότατον δάφνης φασί, κομισθῆναι δὲ τοὺς κλάδους ἀπὸ τῆς δάφνης τῆς ἐν τοῖς Τέμπεσι· καλύβης δʼ ἂν σχῆμα οὗτός γε ἂν εἴη παρεσχηματισμένος ὁ ναός. δεύτερα δὲ λέγουσιν οἱ Δελφοὶ γενέσθαι ὑπὸ μελισσῶν τὸν ναὸν ἀπό τε τοῦ κηροῦ τῶν μελισσῶν καὶ ἐκ πτερῶν· πεμφθῆναι δὲ ἐς Ὑπερβορέους φασὶν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος.
λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἕτερος λόγος, ὡς τὸν ναὸν κατεσκευάσατο ἀνὴρ Δελφός, ὄνομα δὲ αὐτῷ Πτερᾶν εἶναι· κατὰ τοῦτο οὖν γενέσθαι καὶ τῷ ναῷ τοὔνομα ἀπὸ τοῦ οἰκοδομήσαντος· ἀπὸ τούτου δὲ τοῦ Πτερᾶ καὶ πόλιν Κρητικὴν προσθήκῃ γράμματος Ἀπτερεούς φασιν ὀνομάζεσθαι. τὸν γὰρ δὴ λόγον τὸν ἔχοντα ἐς τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν αὐξομένην πτέριν, ὡς ἐκ τῆς πόας ταύτης χλωρᾶς ἔτι διεπλέξαντο ναόν, οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν προσίεμαι τὸν λόγον τοῦτον.
τὰ δὲ ἐς τὸν τρίτον τῶν ναῶν, ὅτι ἐγένετο ἐκ χαλκοῦ, θαῦμα οὐδέν, εἴ γε Ἀκρίσιος μὲν θάλαμον χαλκοῦν τῇ θυγατρὶ ἐποιήσατο, Λακεδαιμονίοις δὲ Ἀθηνᾶς ἱερὸν Χαλκιοίκου καὶ ἐς ἡμᾶς ἔτι λείπεται, Ῥωμαίοις δὲ ἡ ἀγορὰ μεγέθους ἕνεκα καὶ κατασκευῆς τῆς ἄλλης θαῦμα οὖσα παρέχεται τὸν ὄροφον χαλκοῦν· οὕτω καὶ ναὸν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι οὐκ ἂν ἄπο γε τοῦ εἰκότος εἴη γενέσθαι χαλκοῦν.
τὰ μέντοι ἄλλα με οὐκ ἔπειθεν ὁ λόγος ἢ Ἡφαίστου τὸν ναὸν τέχνην εἶναι ἢ τὰ ἐς τὰς ᾠδοὺς τὰς χρυσᾶς, ἃ δὴ Πίνδαρος ᾖσεν ἐπʼ ἐκείνῳ τῷ ναῷ· χρύσειαι δʼ ἐξύπερθʼ αἰετοῦ / ἄειδον Κηληδόνες. / οὗτος μὲν δὴ ταῦτα ἐς μίμησιν ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν τῶν παρʼ Ὁμήρῳ Σειρήνων ἐποίησεν· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τρόπον ὅντινα ἀφανισθῆναι συνέπεσε τῷ ναῷ, κατὰ ταὐτὰ εἰρημένα εὕρισκον· καὶ γὰρ ἐς χάσμα γῆς ἐμπεσεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπὸ πυρὸς τακῆναι λέγουσιν.
τέταρτος δὲ ὑπὸ Τροφωνίου μὲν εἰργάσθη καὶ Ἀγαμήδους, λίθου δὲ αὐτὸν ποιηθῆναι μνημονεύουσι· κατεκαύθη δὲ Ἐρξικλείδου μὲν Ἀθήνῃσιν ἄρχοντος, πρώτῳ δὲ τῆς ὀγδόης Ὀλυμπιάδος ἔτει καὶ πεντηκοστῆς, ἣν Κροτωνιάτης ἐνίκα Διόγνητος. τὸν δʼ ἐφʼ ἡμῶν τῷ θεῷ ναὸν ᾠκοδόμησαν μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν οἱ Ἀμφικτύονες χρημάτων, ἀρχιτέκτων δέ τις Σπίνθαρος ἐγένετο αὐτοῦ Κορίνθιος.
There is a way up through Daulis to the top of Parnassus ; the ascent is longer than that from Delphi, but not so difficult. Returning from Daulis to the straight road to Delphi, and going forward, you come to a building on the left of the road called the Phocicum, where the deputies from all the Phocian cities meet. The edifice is large. In the interior are pillars running along the length of the building, and from these pillars steps rise to each wall. On these steps the Phocian deputies sit. At the end of the building there are neither pillars nor steps, but images of Zeus, Athena, and Hera. Zeus is seated on a throne, Hera is represented standing on his right, and Athena on his left.
Going on from here you will come to what is called the Cleft Way. On this road was perpetrated Oedipus’ murder of his father. It was decreed, apparently, that memorials of the woes of Oedipus should be left all over Greece. At his birth they ran goads through his ankles, and exposed him on Mount Cithaeron in the land of Plataea. He was nurtured at Corinth and in the country about the Isthmus; and Phocis and the Cleft Way were stained with the blood of his murdered father. Thebes is still more famous for the wedlock of Oedipus and the crime of Eteocles. To Oedipus the Cleft Way and the dark deed he did there were the beginning of sorrow. The tombs of Laius and of the servant who attended him are at the very middle of the place where the three roads meet : unhewn stones are heaped upon them. They say that Damasistratus, king of Plataea, found the bodies lying and buried them.
From this point the high road to Delphi grows steeper and more difficult to a man on foot. Many and diverse are the tales told about Delphi, and still more about the oracle of Apollo. For they say that in the most ancient times the oracle was an oracle of Earth, who appointed Daphnis, one of the nymphs of the mountain, to be her prophetess at the oracle. In a certain Greek poem called Eumolpia, and attributed to Musaeus, son of Antiophemus, it is said that the oracle belonged to Poseidon and Earth in common, that Earth gave the oracles in person, but that Poseidon employed a certain Pyrcon to give the oracles. The verses run thus :— And straightway the Earth goddess spake a wise word, And with her Pyrcon, the attendant of the famed Earth-shaker. In after time, they say, Earth resigned her share to Themis, and Themis made a present of it to Apollo, and Apollo gave Poseidon the island of Calauria off Troezen in exchange for the oracle. I have also heard that shepherds feeding their flocks lit upon the oracle, and that they were inspired by the vapour, and prophesied at the prompting of Apollo.
But the most generally received opinion is that Phemonoe was the first prophetess of the god, and first sang in hexameters. But Boeo, a woman of the country, in a hymn which she composed for the Delphians, says that the oracle of the god was instituted by Olen and others who came from the land of the Hyperboreans, and that Olen was the first to give oracles and sing in hexameters. The verses of Boeo run thus :— Here verily a mindful oracle was established By Pagasus and divine Agyieus, sons of the Hyperboreans ; and in enumerating other Hyperboreans she names Olen at the end of the hymn :— And Olen, who was the first prophet of Phoebus, And first composed a song in ancient verses. But as far back as tradition goes it mentions no other man, but only women as the mouth-pieces of the oracle.
They say that the most ancient temple of Apollo was made of laurel, and that the boughs were brought from the laurel in Tempe. This temple must have been in the shape of a shanty. The Delphians say that the second temple was made by bees out of wax and feathers, and that it was sent to the Hyperboreans by Apollo. Another story is that the temple was built by a man of Delphi named Pteras, and that hence the temple got its name from its builder. They say that a city in Crete was named Apteraei after this Pteras, with the addition of a letter. As to the story that they made a temple out of the fern that grows on the mountains by twining the stalks together while they were still fresh and green, I do not admit it for a moment. Touching the third temple, it is no marvel that it was made of bronze, since Acrisius made a bronze chamber for his daughter; and the Lacedaemonians have a sanctuary of Athena of the Bronze House to this day; and the Forum at Rome, a miracle of size and style, has a roof of bronze. So it cannot be improbable that Apollo should have had a temple of bronze. However, as to the rest of the legend, I do not believe that the temple was a work of Hephaestus, nor the story about the golden songstresses which the poet Pindar mentions in speaking of this particular temple :— And from above the gable Sang charmers all of gold. Here, it seems to me, Pindar merely imitated the Sirens in Homer. Again, as to the way in which the temple vanished, I found that accounts differed. Some say it fell into a chasm in the earth, others that it was melted down by fire. The fourth temple was built by Trophonius and Agamedes, and tradition says that it was made of stone. But it was burnt down when Erxiclides was archon at Athens, in the first year of the fifty-eighth Olympiad, in which Diognetus of Crotona was victorious. The present temple was built for the god by the Amphictyons out of the sacred treasures: the architect was Spintharus of Corinth.
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