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The Tholos is a small, circular building at the sacred sanctuary site of Delphi
in Greece. It was created around 360-380 BC, and had 20 Doric columns on its
exterior, with interior columns of the Corinthian order. It rests on the slopes
of Mount Parnassus.
Greek mythology holds that Zeus decided to find the centre of the
earth, and in order to do so he had two eagles released at either
end of the ancient Greek world. When the eagles met in the centre
they crashed to earth locked together. There they were buried, with
their two-headed image marking their single tomb - the image of a
double-headed eagle later coming to symbolise world power and
strength.
The place where they fell was, of course, Delphi.
It was here that people from all over Greece came to ask questions
of the Oracle. A priestess, called Pythia, gave answers based on
hearing the voice of the god Apollo in the murmuring of a sacred
brook.
Find out
more at:
http://www.ancient-greece.org/architecture/delphi-tholos.html
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