Parnassus

Parnassus commonly refers to Mount Parnassus, a prominent mountain range in central Greece. It lies near the town of Delphi, and its highest peak reaches about 2,457 meters (8,061 feet). The range has long been associated with Greek culture and mythology and is linked to the surrounding sacred sites and landscapes.

In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus is sacred to Apollo and the Muses, who were believed to reside there and bestow poetic inspiration. The Castalian Spring on its slopes was said to inspire poets, and the Corycian Cave on its northern side features in various myths. Delphi, the renowned oracle, sits on the northern foothills of Parnassus, reinforcing the mountain’s symbolic connection to prophecy, art, and learning.

Culturally, Parnassus has become a symbol of poetry and scholarly aspiration. The name is often invoked to denote the world of poets and the pursuit of artistic excellence. The term Parnassian is associated with a 19th-century French literary movement that valued formal craft and restrained beauty, reflecting the mountain’s legacy as a source of aesthetic ideals.

Beyond geography and myth, the word Parnassus has been used in various institutional, literary, and cultural contexts, drawing on the mountain’s enduring association with inspiration, the Muses, and the cultivation of the arts.