Serpent Column
The Serpent Column, also known as the Plataean Tripod or the Delphi Tripod, is an ancient Greek bronze monument consisting of three intertwined serpents forming a twisting column approximately 5.18 meters tall, originally surmounted by a large golden tripod cauldron that supported a sacrificial bowl. Dedicated in 479 BC at the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi by thirty-one allied Greek city-states—including Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and others—it commemorates their decisive victory over the Persian forces at the Battle of Plataea during the Greco-Persian Wars, with the structure cast from the melted-down bronze weapons and armor of the defeated enemy.[1][2] Originally erected as a votive offering to the god Apollo, the monument's serpentine design symbolized guardianship and divine protection, while its inscription—carved into the coils of the serpents—listed the contributing city-states, initially crediting the Spartan commander Pausanias before being revised to honor the collective Greek alliance due to political sensitivities. The golden tripod, which served as a libation bowl, was removed and melted down during the Third Sacred War in the mid-4th century BC amid the plundering of Delphi's treasures, leaving only the bronze column intact. By the 4th century AD, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great relocated the column to the spina (central divider) of the Hippodrome in the newly founded city of Constantinople, where it was repurposed as a fountain and positioned alongside other ancient obelisks to evoke the grandeur of classical antiquity.[1][2][3] Throughout the Byzantine era, the Serpent Column endured as a prominent landmark in the Hippodrome, surviving events such as the Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople in 1204, possibly due to its functional role in supplying water. Following the Ottoman conquest in 1453, it sustained minor damage, including to one serpent's jaw, but remained standing until the late 17th century, when the three serpent heads—depicted with open jaws and inlaid eyes—mysteriously disappeared around 1700, with only a fragment of one head recovered in 1848 and now housed in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Today, the headless column, standing at about 3.75 meters, is a key surviving relic in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square (formerly the Hippodrome), underscoring the enduring cultural and historical ties between ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, and modern Turkey.[2][3]Origins
Battle of Plataea
The Battle of Plataea, fought on August 27, 479 BC near the town of Plataea in Boeotia, marked the decisive land victory of a Greek coalition over the Persian forces during the second Persian invasion of Greece.[4] Led by the Spartan regent Pausanias in overall command, with Athenian contributions under Aristides and Xanthippus, the Greeks fielded an army of approximately 38,700 hoplites supported by 35,000 light troops and helots, totaling around 108,000 men, drawn from city-states including Sparta, Athens, and Tegea.[5] Opposing them was the Persian army under Mardonius, estimated by ancient sources at 300,000 infantry including elite Immortals, archers, and cavalry, bolstered by 50,000 allied Greek troops from Thebes and other Boeotian cities, though modern analyses suggest lower figures closer to 100,000–150,000 combatants.[4][6] The battle unfolded after weeks of maneuvering, with Mardonius retreating from Attica to Boeotia and fortifying positions along the Asopus River to exploit Persian cavalry superiority.[5] Initial clashes involved Persian cavalry raids disrupting Greek supplies and water sources, culminating in the death of the Persian commander Masistius, which boosted Greek morale.[4] As the standoff persisted, Pausanias ordered a tactical withdrawal to higher ground known as "the Island," drawing the Persians into pursuit; this maneuver fragmented the enemy lines, allowing the Spartan and Tegean right wing to engage Mardonius directly.[6] The Greeks employed their signature hoplite phalanx formation—heavy infantry in tight ranks with spears and shields—to counter Persian archery and cavalry, exploiting terrain that neutralized the latter's mobility.[5] Mardonius was killed in the melee, triggering a Persian rout; the Greeks stormed the enemy camp, capturing vast stores and eliminating the remaining resistance.[4] Greek casualties were relatively light at around 1,360, including 91 Spartans and 52 Athenians, compared to massive Persian losses exceeding 250,000 according to ancient accounts, though likely exaggerated.[6] This triumph, coordinated with the simultaneous Greek naval victory at Mycale, effectively ended the Persian threat to mainland Greece and shifted strategic momentum to the Hellenic city-states, fostering greater unity among them.[5] In the immediate aftermath, the victors collected extensive spoils from the Persian camp, including gold, silver, weaponry, and bronze artifacts, from which a tithe was set aside to fund commemorative monuments honoring the gods.[7]Dedication at Delphi
Following the Greek victory at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC, the allied Greek city-states dedicated a votive offering to Apollo at his sanctuary in Delphi in 479 BC, crafted from Persian spoils including melted-down bronze weapons captured from the enemy.[8][9] This monument, known as the Delphic Tripod or Plataean Tripod, served as a collective symbol of pan-Hellenic unity and triumph over the Persian invasion.[10] The offering consisted of a large golden tripod cauldron supported by a bronze column formed from three intertwined serpents, their heads extending outward to bear the weight of the vessel, reaching a total height of approximately 8 meters.[8][9] The serpentine design evoked themes of guardianship and victory, with the tripod representing ritual purification and communal gratitude to the god. Technically remarkable for its era, the bronze column was cast as a single hollow piece without visible joints, measuring about 5.5 meters in height, while the tripod added roughly 2.5 meters; it was commissioned by a pan-Hellenic alliance of 31 city-states, initially excluding Athens, which pursued separate dedications.[1] The monument was positioned prominently on the eastern terrace of the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, in front of the Temple of Apollo, to serve as a focal point for pilgrims and a testament to collective Hellenic achievement.[11]Inscription
Content
The inscription on the Serpent Column consists of a dedicatory list in Archaic Greek, recording the participation of 31 Greek city-states in the coalition that defeated the Persians at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC.[10] It begins with a brief introductory phrase, reconstructed as "[The following fought] the war" (το[ίδε τὸν] πόλεμον [ἐπο]λ[έ]μεσσαν), followed by the names of the allied poleis arranged in a spiral pattern around the coils of the three entwined serpents.[10] This list served as a collective dedication to Apollo at Delphi, emphasizing the pan-Hellenic alliance without individual claims of glory.[10] The names were inscribed in a clockwise spiral starting from the upper coils and descending, originally spanning the upper approximately 10 coils (with a total of about 29 coils on the column before partial burial reduced legibility).[10][2] The full list, preserved in fragmented form but reconstructed from ancient reports and epigraphic analysis, is as follows:| Coil | City-States |
|---|---|
| I | Lacedaemonians, Athenians, Corinthians |
| II | Tegeans, Sicyonians, Aeginetans |
| III | Megarians, Epidaurians, Orchomenians |
| IV | Phliasians, Troezenians, Hermionians |
| V | Tirynthians, Plataeans, Thespians |
| VI | Mycenaeans, Ceans, Melians |
| VII | Tenians, Naxians, Eretrians, Chalcidians |
| VIII | Styrians, Eleans, Potidaeans |
| IX | Leucadians, Anactoriians, Cythnians, Siphnians |
| X | Ambraciots, Lepreates |