Omphalos of Delphi

The Omphalos of Delphi is an ancient marble monument that was found at the archaeological site of Delphi, Greece. According to the Ancient Greek myths regarding the founding of the Delphic Oracle, the god Zeus, in his attempt to locate the center of the Earth, launched two eagles from the two ends of the world, and the eagles, starting simultaneously and flying at equal speed, crossed their paths above the area of Delphi, and so was the place where Zeus placed the stone. Since then, Delphi has been considered by Greeks to be the center of the world, as the site of the original omphalos – "navel of the Earth."

Hesiod's telling of the myth in The Theogony says Zeus set up for veneration at Mount Parnassus the same stone given by his mother Rhea to his father Kronos to eat in his place, which had allowed Zeus to begin his reign.

A version of the omphalos once used in the temple is held in Delphi Archaeological Museum; there is also a simplified copy at the site where it was found.