What is the oracle of Delphi?

2018-07-23

As already mentioned in this article, the oracle refers to the answer of a Divinity to a personal question about the future, a question to which it is most often possible to answer with a yes or a no. This word also refers to the intermediary (also called priest or priestess) who asks the question and transmits the answer. Among the most famous oracles can be found the Oracle of Delphi in Ancient Greece.

Story of the Pythia of Delphi in Ancient Greece

The most famous priestess is indeed the Oracle of Delphi. She operated in Apollo’s Temple, sanctuary perched on the flanks of Mount Parnassus.

Who was the Oracle of Delphi? She was called The Pythia, because of the python that was the guardian of Temple. Chosen by two priests of Apollo among young virgin girls, The Pythia officiated sitting down on a three-legged stool above an abyss where prophecies answering personal questions came from, in the form of vapor.

Ask the Oracle of Delphi

Every time a prophecy came to her, The Pythia, whom no one was able to see as a veil kept her hidden, entered a frenetic trance and pronounced the divine answer in a mysterious language that could only be understood and interpreted by the two priests who had chosen her.

Originally, the Oracle of Delphi, also called the Delphic Oracle, was only carried out once a year. But as time went by, and as her laudatory reputation had caused a considerable influx of requests, the task was eventually performed once a month.

According to some beliefs, The Pythia owes its powers of prophecy to the sanctuary of the Temple of Apollo and to the priests of this sacred location.
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