Roman Delphi and its Pythian Games

Description

The purpose of this monograph is to alleviate the gloom that has obscured the ongoing vitality of Greece following the Roman conquest. This is realized by shedding light upon Delphi, and specifically her Pythian Games. These were a sacred festival of athletics, horsemanship, music, and drama held once every four years. One generally supposes that with the advent of the Roman Empire these games continued, but only because a notice that they ceased would have been more conspicuous. This work argues against such a murky supposition. The games did continue and were a means of continuity for Delphi. They were more than just sports or talent contests but religious festivals too, performing a social function that lent stability and continued relevance in the new political structure of the Roman Imperial period. In a more general sense, this study is a refutation of the notion of decline as applied to Delphi in this period.