escape to pARKadia

ARCHAEOLOGYAthena Temple walk
TEMPLE OF ATHENA
On the western edge of Ancient Phigaleia at Kourdoubouli is a temple dedicated to Athena and Zeus the Saviour. No longer a religious centre, the temple has what looks like an altar - more probably, a plinth for a missing statue.
     Beneath the temple is a chasm in the rock that could be a clue as to why the temple was built in this position. When ancient Greeks had to make decisions they consulted the Pythia, a woman appointed to sit over a cleft and give prophecies. She derived her power from the place and was a mouthpiece for Apollo, the god of revelation who possessed her for the duration of her oracles.