In
Greece, the
Phaedriades ("the shining ones") were the pair of cliffs,
ca 700 m high on the lower southern slope of Mt.
Parnassos, which enclose the sacred site of
Delphi, the center of the Hellenic world.
Strabo,
Plutarch and
Pausanias all mentioned the Phaedriades in describing the site, a narrow valley of the Pleistus (today Xeropotamos) formed by Parnasse and Mt. Cirphis. Between them rises the
Castalian Spring. Even today, at noontime, the rock faces reflect a dazzling glare.
PLEISTOS was a River-God of Phokis in central Greece. The Pleistos stream flowed down from Mount Parnassos forming the vale of Delphoi. The most important neighbouring rivers were the Kephisos to the north, and Euenos in the west Aeschylus, Eumenides 20 ff (trans. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.)&_160; "[The Pythia, prophetess of the oracle at Delphoi, invokes the gods&_160;] These are the gods I place in the beginning of my prayer [Gaia, Themis, Phoibe and Apollon] . . . and I worship [also] the Nymphai where the Korykian rock is hollow, the delight of birds and haunt of gods. Bromios [Dionysos] has held the region--I do not forget him . . . I call on the streams of Pleistos and the strength of Poseidon, and highest Zeus." Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2. 170 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.)&_160; "The daughters of Pleistos, the Korykian Nymphai." Sources o Aeschylus, Eumenides - Greek Tragedy C5th B.C. o Apollonius Rhodius, The Argonautica - Greek Epic C3rd B.C. Theoi Project Copyright © 2000 - 2008, Aaron J. Atsma, New Zealand http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosPleistos.html
