Palaestra at Delphi

The palaestra at Delphi is part of a gymnasium at the sanctuary [1]. It is the oldest existing gymnasium from the Greek world, dating to the second half of the fourth century B.C. It was built on two terraces, with the palaestra and baths on the lower terrace [1]. The palaestra is small, measuring thirty-two metres square [1]. The central court is 14 metres square with an Ionic peristyle in blue limestone [1]. Several rooms open onto the north and west sides of the court [1]. Inscriptions have been found indicating that among these rooms were an apodyterion (undressing room) and two sphairisteria (ball play courts or rooms) [1]. The palaestra itself did not include any bathing rooms because a bathing facility was built directly to the north along the same terrace [1]. The bathhouse or loutrón had eleven animal head spouts, through which water flowed from a nearby spring into ten basins and a large plunge bath 9.70 metres in diameter and 1.904 metres deep [1].