Half a mile below the Sanctuary of Apollo was the circular Temple of Athena, which was built as the gateway to Delphi. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena, whose duty was to protect the sacred sanctuary of her half-brother Apollo. She performed her task well, because in 480 B.C. invading Persians were stopped in their tracks by an earthquake on their way to pillage the Delphi. Today, it is the second most photographed ancient temple in Greece next to the Parthenon. Oddly, the three reconstructed pillars have a militaristic "camouflaged-look" to them.
However, prior to descending down to Athena's temple, my eyes riveted to a stately olive tree that was estimated to be over 600 years old! Ironically, the olive tree is one of Athena's symbol.
What was interesting about this site was that I felt more of a mystical aura there, real or imagined, than at the Sanctuary of Apollo. I later discovered that this site had been occupied during the Neolithic period (5000-3000 B.C.), and may have predated the Delphi as a sacred place, by serving as a place of worship to the Earth Goddess. Regardless, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck were raised the entire time I was there. Too Spooky!
