Un sanctuaire grec vu d’ailleurs : la représentation de Delphes dans les Éthiopiques d’Héliodore

How does a novelist from Emesa represent through two characters, one Egyptian, the other Ethiopian, the emblematic sanctuary of Hellenism, the « navel » of the world ? Is this representation fictional or factual ? Is it built on intertextuality or does it correspond to something seen ? It is difficult to decide, especially since the dating of the work is uncertain. The description, in the form of ekphrasis, lays emphasis on religious ceremonies where the love of the protagonists is born. Delphi and Apollo play a central role in the plot, even if, outside Greece, their fame and their primacy are questioned, even ignored. Begun in the Delphic sanctuary, the love affair finds its consecration in Ethiopia, in Meroe, where Helios supplants Apollo.