Ancient Delphi Both the sites of the temple of Apollo and Athena Pronaia were considered sacred sites as early as the Mycenaean period, but it was not until the Archaic Greek period when the above gods were honoured there. The Delphic complex including the temple of Apollo and surrounding structures comprises of buildings from the classical period. The remains of the temple of Apollo currently found are that of the second rebuilding of the temple which was completed in 330 B.C.E. The first temple had been constructed in the middle of the 7th century B.C.E. and the second completed in 510 B.C.E. Both previous temples had been destroyed by earthquakes; the current temple also underwent serious damage by both earthquakes and Christian fanatics. The sanctuary of Athena Pronaia also saw its first temple to the goddess in the archaic period in the 7th century B.C.E., which was destroyed in the 6th century B.C.E. by falling rocks. The second temple was completed in 500 B.C.E. and too took serious damage from falling rocks. After being seriously damaged in an earthquake in 373 B.C.E., the temple was rebuilt. Its 15 columns remained intact until a storm in 1905 when 12 of the 15 columns were destroyed by falling rocks. |