Mount Parnassus
- This article is about the mountain in Greece. For the mountain near San Francisco, California, see Mount Sutro.
| Parnassus | |
|---|---|
| Elevation: | 2,457 m (8,062 ft) |
| Latitude: | 38.533 |
| Longitude: | 22.6167 |
| Location: | central Delphi, Greece |
| Length: | |
| Easiest route: | walk up |
Mount Parnassus (also Mount Parnassos or Liakoura, modern Greek name Παρνασσός, ancient Greek Παρνασός, Παρνησός, or Παρνασσός) is a mountain of barren limestone in central Greece that towers above Delphi, north of the Gulf of Corinth, and offers scenic views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside. According to Greek mythology, this mountain was sacred to Apollo, the Corycian nymphs, and the home of the Muses. The mountain was also favored by the Dorians.
Parnassus in mythology
Mount Parnassus is named after Parnassos, the son of the nymph Kleodora and the man Kleopompous. There was a city of which Parnassos was leader, which was flooded by torrential rain. The citizens ran from the flood, following wolves' howling, up the mountain slope. There the survivors built another city, and called it Lykoreia, which in Greek means "the howling of the wolves."
As the Oracle of Delphi was sacred to the god Apollo, so did the mountain itself become associated with Apollo. According to some traditions, Parnassus was the site of the fountain Castalia and the home of the Muses; according to other traditions, that honor fell to Mount Helicon, another mountain in the same range. As the home of the Muses, Parnassus became known as the home of poetry, music, and learning.
Parnassus was also the site of several unrelated minor events in Greek mythology.
- In some versions of the Greek flood myth, the ark of Deucalion comes to rest on the slopes of Parnassus.
- Orestes spent his time in hiding on Mount Parnassus.
- Parnassus was sacred to the god Dionysus.
- The Corycian Cave, located on the slopes of Parnassus, was sacred to Pan and to the Muses.
Parnassus as metaphor
The name "Parnassus" in literature typically refers to its distinction as the home of poetry, literature, and learning. Thus, it receives mention in such works as the Parnassus Plays (referring to the University of Cambridge); John Clare's "To the Rural Muse," Christopher Morley's Parnassus on Wheels (referring to a mobile bookseller); and the "New Parnassus," the salon of Marguerite of Navarre. In Edward Albee's play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," Parnassus is also mentioned in this manner.
Parnassus today
Today, the slopes of Mount Parnassus are the location of two ski centres. The Parnassos Ski centre is composed of two sections, Kellaria and Fterolakka, which together make up the largest ski center in Greece. A smaller ski centre (only two drag lifts) called Gerontovrahos is across a ridge from Kellaria.
Parnussus is mined for its abundant supply of bauxite which is converted to alumina and then to aluminium.