Greek Cultural Ethnogenesis

In the process of Greek cultural ethnogenesis a special place is reserved for Delphi. The Delphic temple maintained a pivotal role in the emergences of Archaic and Classical Greek society, regulating the expansion of Greek communities in Mediterranean space, and subsequently, the spread of Greek cultural norms and beliefs. Delphi functioned as a node of communication in the system of Greek poleis, enabling direct and indirect flow of information in spite of the spatial and political fragmentation of the different Greek states. Due to its religious prestige, its influential oracle and prestigious Pan-Hellenic festivals, Delphi served an all-reaching role of a cultural hub, a center of nomima formulation and transmission, diffusing cult practices, social institutions and ideologies throughout the disparate parts of the Greek world.