The Branchidae Didyma

the adyton of temple



a stone-carved medusa head

until destruction persians in 494 bc, didyma s sanctuary administered family of branchidae, claimed descent eponymous branchos, youth beloved of apollo. priestess, seated above sacred spring, gave utterances interpreted branchidae. both herodotus , pausanias dated origins of oracle @ didyma before ionian colonization of coast. branchidae expelled darius persians, burned temple in 493 bc , carried away ecbatana archaic bronze statue of apollo, traditionally attributed canachus of sicyon in 6th century; spring dried up, reported, , archaic oracle silenced. though sanctuaries of delphi , ephesus swiftly rebuilt, didyma remained ruin until first steps of restoration undertaken in 334 bc. callisthenes, court historian of alexander, reported spring began once more flow after alexander passed through, there had been complete break in oracles personnel , tradition. inscriptions, including inquiries , responses, , literary testimony record didyma s role oracle, grim epilogue of apollo s supposed sanction of diocletian s persecution of christians, until closing of temples under theodosius i.

a map of main sanctuaries in classical greece

after capture of miletus in 334 bc, alexander great reconsecrated oracle , placed administration in hands of city, priest in charge annually elected. 300 bc, seleucus nicator brought bronze cult image back, , milesians began build new temple, which, if had ever been completed, have been largest in hellenic world. vitruvius recorded tradition architects paeonius of ephesus, whom vitruvius credited rebuilding of temple of artemis there, , daphnis of miletus. peripteral temple surrounded double file of ionic columns. pronaos of 3 rows of 4 columns, approaching visitor passed through regularized grove formed of columns. door leading cella replaced blank wall large upper opening through 1 glimpse upper part of naiskos in inner court (adyton). entry route lay down either of 2 long constricted sloping passageways built within thickness of walls , giving access inner court, still open sky isolated world high walls of cella. location of ancient spring, naiskos—which small temple, containing in own small cella bronze cult image of god—and grove of laurels, sacred apollo. inner walls of cella articulated pilasters standing on base height of man (1.94 m). turning again, visitor saw monumental staircase led 3 openings room roof supported 2 columns on central cross-axis. oracular procedure documented @ delphi unknown @ didyma , must reconstructed on basis of temple s construction, appears several features of delphi adopted: priestess , answers delivered in classical hexameters. @ delphi, nothing written; @ didyma, inquiries , answers written; small structure, chresmographion featured in process; meticulously disassembled in christian period.

anta capital @ temple of apollo in didyma. 4th century bce.

the annual festival held there under auspices of miletus didymeia; made panhellenic festival in beginning of 2nd century bc.

pausanias visited didyma in later 2nd century ad. pliny reported worship of apollo didymiae, apollo of didymus, in central asia, transported sogdiana general of seleucus , antiochus inscribed altars there still seen pliny s correspondents. corroborating inscriptions on amphoras found i. r. pichikyan @ dilbergin.

clement of alexandria quotes leandrios saying cleochus, grandfather of eponymous founder miletus, buried within temple enclosure of didyma.