The oracle of Delphi was the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. Its role in Greek politics was vital as Kings and statesmen sent representatives to consult its human representative, the Pythia about decisions of war and peace.
During the height of the oracles fame, between the 8th and 4th century BC, the Pythia was housed in the temple of Apollo, the god of the oracle. But the history of the oracle stretched to a time before the Olympians when the oracle was sacred to the earth goddess, Gaia.
The Delphic Oracle of Mother Earth
Greek mythology has several tales that link divination and Delphi. The hero, Delphos, after whom some believed the sanctuary was named, was reputedly taught to make predictions from entrails. Another local hero who gave his name to the mountain of Delphi, Parnassus, was taught to read the future from the flight of birds.
Divination by drawing lots or pebbles was also linked to a group of local women called the thriaia. Their name was preserved in the special divination stones used by the later oracles.
The exact origins of Delphi’s oracle are unknown but extremely ancient. What can be established is that in the 9th century BC, the oracle was sacred not to Apollo but to the earth goddess, Gaia. She and her son, the snake Pytho were the original inspiration for the prophetess of the site.
Greek legend states that the site passed to Apollo Delphinious when he came from his original home in Crete and shot Pytho dead, so taking over the shrine. The legend no doubt preserves the memory of the takeover of Delphi by one religion from another.
The Oracle of Greek Apollo and the Pythia
The mouthpiece of the oracle was a woman known as the Pythia, after the snake Phytho. Originally a young virgin, by the time of the height of Delphi’s fame she was a woman in middle age that dressed in the garments of a young girl and wore her hair loose. Old or young, the Pythia devoted her life to her role of oracle
The location of the oracular shrine moved after the takeover by Apollo. In Gaia’s day, the shrine was a simple cave with an opening into the earth and the Pythia prophesied from a nearby rock. Both the sibylline rock as it was known and the shrine of Gaia survived at Delphi. But they were supplanted by the man made temple of Apollo which was built literally over and above them, further up the terraced sides of the sanctuary.
The oracular room of the temple was built just behind the cella of the temple. It was directly over the sacred cave of Gaia, its floor at a lower level than the rest of the temple and opening into the earth itself. Here the Pythia sat upon a tripod rather than a rock and answered the questions of those who came to question Apollo through her.
The Ceremony of Consulting the Oracle
Originally, the oracle only spoke on Apollo’s birthday in February. But the demand for Apollo’s wisdom led to prophecies being given once a month for nine months of the year- the supposed length of time the god was in residence at Delphi. Quick fix prophecies could be obtained in-between, with yes or no answers given to questions by the drawing of black or white beans.
For a full prophecy, inquirers drew lots to see who would consult the Pythia first, although powerful states paid to jump the line. Before the consultation, an offering of cake was made, followed by the sacrifice of a sheep or goat. The inquirer was then required to purify himself in water.
The Pythia herself was similarly purified in the sacred Castilian spring and in the smoke of laurel leaves and barley. A goat was sacrificed to ensure the auspiciousness of the occasion and then the Pythia would enter the temple. To entering her trance, she would drink water and chew laurel leaves before sitting on her tripod to answer the question.
There is some debate as to how her answers were given. Some sources say that her replies were unintelligible and so translated into comprehensible, elegant poetic verses by a priest. Others state she gave them directly.
Delphi’s Significance to Ancient Greek Politics
The oracle was greatly respected by every state in Greece. Kings and rulers such as Oedipus, Agamemnon, Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great are said to have consulted the oracle. Whilst answering direct questions, the oracle did not predict the future. The Pythia’s replies were also tactfully phrased to retain the reputation and neutrality of Delphi. When asked by King Croesus if he should go to war against the Persians, the oracle replied if he did he would destroy a might empire. Croesus went to war-and the empire that was destroyed was his own.
Sources
Gates, C, 2003 Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge: London and New York
Ingpen, R and Wilkinson, P, 1990 Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places-The life and legends of ancient sites around the world. Guild publishing: London
Natasha Sheldon - A writer since 2000, Natasha Sheldon holds a BA Hons in ancient history and archaeology and MA in ancient history and historiography.
Join the Conversation