Parnassus is a mountain with a history

Greece is an ancient and abundant country not only with beautiful, purely visual, but also historically remarkable places. One of them is Parnassus, a mountain that has not lost its significance so far, although it has changed its role in the life of Greece.

Why the mountain is called Parnassus

Very interesting is the etymology of the name of one of the greatest Greek sights. Disputes between scientists have not abated until now. The overwhelming majority of them believe that the name "Parnassus" mountain received back in pre-Greek times and has Hittite roots. In the language of this people, the word "boyfriend" meant "home, refuge, coziness". However, some researchers insist that the mountain received its name from the Greek word Παρνόπιος. Translate it can be as "locust" - this is one of the nicknames of Apollo: his statues were placed in places suffering from the attack of these insects, in the hope that the god will protect the crops.

Historic Landmark

At one time the mountain Parnas was considered the favorite peak of the gods, which they visited for rest and from where, with the highest probability of the answer, one could turn to one of the inhabitants of Olympus. The ancient Greeks called this place the navel (focus) of the Earth. On the slopes of it was located (and to some extent preserved to this day) the world-famous Delphic sanctuary, in which the oracle of Apollo, the Pythia, was accepted. Here is located a miraculous source, and at the foot were sung by ancient Greek authors Delphic games. Moreover, when Zeus became angry and decided to flood the earth for the destruction of mankind, Deucalion, the son of Apollo, on the advice of his father built a ship (an analogy with Noah is seen, although apart from Deucalion, only his wife was on board) and after a dozen days of travel, Parnassus. The sacrifices offered to Zeus propitiated the god, and the human race was reborn.

Parnassus is a mountain from ancient times considered to be a refuge of muses and an inspiration for poets, even after the extinction of Hellenic culture. With its mention began the study in schools of the Ancient Greek up to the 19th century.

The modern value of Parnassus

To begin with, note that they are now considered not to be a separate peak, but the entire chain to which it refers. In modern times, Parnas is a mountain on which the National Park covers an area of 3.5 thousand hectares. On the territory of Greece it is the largest and oldest, with the richest collection of fauna and flora.

Since 1976, the mountain Parnas is attractive and a wonderful ski resort. It is named similarly to the location and is the most extensive and best equipped in Greece. The ski season is open from the beginning of December to the middle of April. The skiing center offers twenty. Of these, 20% are complex, which can not be overcome even by some professionals, and the rest are approximately equally divided into lungs, for beginners, and medium - for quite experienced skiers. It is curious that the prices for the day of skiing are quite democratic: for an adult - 15 euros, for children 5-17 years - 14, and for old people and kids - and at all one euro.

A feature of the resort is the lack of hotels on it. This nuance in some ways makes it even more attractive: people spend the night in a historically and aesthetically attractive Delphi or a very curious resort village of Arachova, which is famous for its lively nightlife and cuisine for all tastes, hand carpets and exclusive cheeses and wines.

Where is Mount Parnassus

The current reference point is the eponymous resort, which is very beloved by the metropolitan inhabitants: from Athens it is only 150 kilometers away. In general, the mountain Parnas in Greece lies on the northern coast of the Corinthian Gulf and serves as the natural boundary between Locrida, Phocis and Beotia. Geographically, this mountain chain belongs to central Greece.

An amusing geographic fact can be considered that Parnas-gora exists also near St. Petersburg. And there are two of them in this area. One since 1755 is located in the Tsarskoe Selo (Alexandrovsky Park), and the second - on the Pargolovo Manor, where Shuvalovsky Park is located. Even the metro station near the St. Petersburg version of the Greek mountain is called "Parnassus". Despite the fact that they are not in Greece at all, they are tourist objects and are visited by visitors from all over the world.