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Aug 30, 2013 · The Pythia (or Oracle of Delphi) was the priestess who held court at Pytho, the sanctuary of the Delphinians, a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. Pythia were highly regarded, for it was believed that she channeled prophecies from Apollo himself, while steeped in a dreamlike trance. Originally the god was channeled only once a year ...
May 9, 2018 · Damon a legendary Syracusan of the 4th century whose friend Pythias (also called Phintias) was sentenced to death by Dionysius I. Damon stood bail for Pythias, who returned just in time to save him, and was himself reprieved. The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES.
- Delphic Oracle in Greek Mythology
- Who Was Pythia?
- Achieving An Altered Consciousness
- Traveling to Delphi
- Pythia's Role in Mythology
- Architectural Elements at Delphi
- The Oracle's Structures
- When Was The Oracle at Delphi active?
- Appearance and Reputation
- Sources
The earliest surviving story about the founding of the Delphic oracle is in the Pythian section of the "Homeric Hymn to Apollo," probably written in the sixth century BCE. The tale says that one of the first tasks of the newborn god Apollo was to set up his oracular shrine. In his search, Apollo first stopped at Telphousa near Haliartos, but the ny...
While most of the priests at Delphi were men, the one who actually channeled Apollo was a woman—an ordinary woman chosen when necessary at the Festival of the Stepteria from the village of Delphi by the Amphictyonic League (an association of neighboring states). The Pythia served for life and remained chaste throughout her service. On the day when ...
The Roman historian Plutarch(45–120 CE) acted as the head priest at Delphi and he reported that during her readings, the Pythia was ecstatic, sometimes considerably agitated, bounding and leaping about, speaking in a harsh voice, and intensely salivating. Sometimes she fainted, and sometimes she died. Modern geologists investigating the fissures in...
Pilgrims would travel for weeks to get to Delphi on time, mostly by boat. They would disembark at Krisa and climb the steep path to the temple. Once there, they participated in several ritual procedures. Each pilgrim paid a fee and offered a goat to be sacrificed. Water from the spring was sprinkled on the goat's head, and if the goat nodded or sho...
The oracle at Delphi was not the only oracle in Greek mythology, but it was the most important and appears in several related tales including that of Herakles who visited and got into a battle with Apollo when he attempted to steal the tripod; and Xerxes who was driven off by Apollo. The site wasn't always considered sacred—Phocians plundered the t...
The religious sanctuary at Delphi contains the ruins of four major temples, multiple sanctuaries, a gymnasium and amphitheater where the quadrennial Pythian games were performed, and several treasuries where offerings to the Pythia were stored. Historically, statues of the gods and other works of art were at Delphi, including golden images of two e...
According to the myth, Delphi was chosen because it was the site of the omphalos, the navel of the world. The omphalos was discovered by Zeus, who sent out two eagles (or swans or ravens) from opposite ends of the earth. The eagles met in the sky above Delphi, and the location was marked by a conical stone shaped like a beehive. Inside Apollo's tem...
Some scholars believe that the Delphic oracle was established long before the 6th century, a cult at least as old as the end of the 9th century BCE, and perhaps dated to the Mycenaean period (1600–1100 BCE). There are other Mycenaean ruins at Delphi, and the mention of slaying a dragon or snake has been interpreted as documenting the overthrow of a...
The religious sanctuary of Delphi is perched on the south slope of the foothills of Mount Parnassos, where limestone cliffs form a natural amphitheater above the Amphissa valley and the Gulf of Itea. The site is approached only by a steep and winding path from the shoreline. The oracle was available for consultation one day each month for nine mont...
Chappell, Mike. "Delphi and the Homeric Hymn to Apollo." The Classical Quarterly56.2 (2006): 331–48.de Boer, Jelle Z. "The Oracle at Delphi: The Pythia and the Pneuma, Intoxicating Gas Finds, and Hypotheses." Toxicology in Antiquity.2nd ed. Ed. Wexler, Philip: Academic Press, 2019. 141–49.Hard, Robin. "The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology." London: Routledge, 2003.Harissis, Haralampos V. "A Bittersweet Story: The True Nature of the Laurel of the Oracle of Delphi." Perspectives in Biology and Medicine57.3 (2014): 351–60.Jan 18, 2011 · The ancient temple complex of Delphi, which dates back at least 2700 years, was known throughout ancient Greece and beyond as the home of the celebrated oracle of Apollo, the Greek god of prophecy, music, healing, and light. One aspect of the ancient Oracle at Delphi which has fascinated scholars, scientists and laymen alike, is the nature and ...
- Brian Haughton
Social and cultural anthropology. v. t. e. Pythia ( / ˈpɪθiə /; [1] Ancient Greek: Πυθία [pyːˈtʰíaː]) was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as the Pythoness.
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The Pythia (or Oracle of Delphi) was the priestess who held court at Pytho, the sanctuary of the Delphinians, a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. Pythia were highly regarded, for it was believed that she channeled prophecies from Apollo himself, while steeped in a dreamlike trance. Originally the god was channeled only once a year ...
Definition Source. Noun. Filter. noun. A Greek who rescued his friend Damon, who stood bail for Pythias when he was condemned to die. American Heritage. Synonyms: phintias. Pythias Sentence Examples. Aristotle admired Hermias, and married his friend's sister or niece, Pythias, by whom he had his daughter Pythias.
