Although Delphi originally honored Gaia, it was rededicated to Apollo around 800 BC. The mythological explanation is that Gaia's son Python, a great serpent, was causing trouble on Mount Parnassos and was slain by Apollo. This is why the oracle in the Temple of Apollo was called the Pythia, and the contests held here every four years were known as the Pythian Games, honoring Apollo's victory over Python.
The Sacred Way was the path leading from the entrance to the sanctuary of Apollo. (There is also a sanctuary of Athena some distance from the main site, which we unfortunately didn't have time to visit.) This is the marketplace, where pilgrims could buy offerings for the gods, and treasury buildings where some of the city-states deposited the offerings of their citizens.
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