Topographical indications for the site of the hippodrome of Delphi

Abstract

Locating the position of the Delphic hippodrome is a long‑standing question in the archaeology of the site. The suggestions made so far by early modern travellers and contemporary researchers have not yielded results, and thus it is considered to be lost in the alluvial soils of the Chrisso olive groves. In general, our inability to spot ancient Greek hippodromes is due to their lack of monumental structures, as they were situated in any suitable, naturally landscaped space. The site of Gonia, 1 km north of Itea in the southwestern part of the Kirrha plain, matches the information gleaned from the ancient literary sources for this monument, from Pindar to Pausanias, and brings together all the features required for an ancient hippodrome: the elongated space of about 1 km in length would easily fit the racing grounds themselves, its dimensions corresponding to those known from the Olympic racecourse. The flat area is surrounded by natural slopes on three of its four sides, ideal for spectators' stands, where stone seats have been spotted, carved into the bedrock. At the northern end, the grounds appear amphitheatrical; a roughly‑made column drum found there appears similar to that from the Lykaion racecourse, generally identified as the base of a turning‑post. The new find signals a breakthrough in our knowledge of ancient Greek hippodromes, calls for a re‑evaluation of the question of the Archaic stadium at Delphi and its location, and, further, invites consideration regarding the number of participants in equestrian events.