The Temple of Apollo, god of music, harmony and light,

occupied the most important and prominent position in

Delphic Sanctuary. According to the prevailing theory, the
famous oracle operated inside the temple. This location was
possibly chosen because due to the sacred chasm emitting
vapours; these were inhaled by the Pythia, who entered a
state of delirium entering inarticulate cries, which were then
turned into equivocal oracles by the priest.
- Excerpted from an on-site display description outside of the Temple of
Apollo in Delphi, Greece.

Excerpted from full text at http://www.odysseyadventures.ca/index.htm

TWO INSCRIPTIONS LEGIONED TO APPEAR AT
THE ORACLE OF APOLLO
KNOW THYSELF NOTHING IN EXCESS
APOLLO & DELPHI
According to one of the Homeric Hymns to Apollo, the god was born on the island of
Delos in the Cyclades and set out from there to make his way in the world, looking for a
place to make his home until finally he arrived at Mount Parnassos:
...here I am minded to make a glorious temple, an oracle for men, and hither they will always
bring perfect hecatombs [sacrifices, normally of 100 cattle], both those who live in rich
Peloponnesus and those of Europe and all the wave-washed isles, coming to seek oracles. And I
will deliver to them all counsel that cannot fail, giving answer in my rich temple.
Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo
It is little wonder that he chose this particular
site for there is none more spectacular in all of Greece. It is nestled in a broad cleft on
the south slopes of Mount Parnassos, under the twin cliffs, known as the Phaedriadhes
(the Bright Ones), which glow red when they catch the rays of the setting sun. There
are magnificent views in all directions and, with the peak of mountain looming up
behind, it is an enormous natural theatre.

Unfortunately, the site was already sacred to the earth-goddess Gaia (Ge) who had her
oracle there, and was guarded by a dragon (usually depicted as an enormous snake)
known as Python. Apollo slew the monster with an arrow and left the corpse to rot thus
giving the site its other name, Pytho, from the Greek pythein (to rot). This coin from
Croton (above) shows Apollo shooting the Python with the sacred tripod between the
two of them. Even though he was a god and the son of Zeus, he had still committed
murder and had to be cleansed of the blood-guilt by working for eight years as a
shepherd, minding the flocks of King Admetos of Pherai in Thessaly.
Although dispossessed, Gaia was not a god to be treated lightly and she still maintained
a presence at Delphi and continued to be worshipped alongside her successor. The fact
that the sanctuary was one of a handful to have a woman in charge of the cult
undoubtedly has a lot to do with the status of the earth-goddess. Also sharing the site
was her daughter, Themis, and Poseidon, who was worshipped more because of his role
as Earth-shaker (of huge importance in this seismically active region) than as god of
the sea.
THE PYTHIA
The sanctuary of Pythian Apollo was by far the most famous oracle in the world in those
days and was consulted by kings and commoners alike. According to the ancient
accounts, his temple was situated over a crack in the earth from which intoxicating
fumes (from the rotting corpse of Pytho, some say) issued forth. This caused the
priestess who breathed them to go into a sort of trance from which she would
communicate prophetic utterances. She was known as the Pythia At the height of its
fame the sanctuary employed as many as three Pythiai, working in shifts, so great were
the number of petitioners.
The petitioners undertook a series of rituals, including purification in the Castalia
Spring. They then took part in a solemn procession up the Sacred Way to the temple.
There they drew lots to determine the order in which they presented their questions.
Highly esteemed individuals or cities (because of their rich donations in the past) were
able to jump the queue. Each of them had to pay a fee to the temple and sacrifice an
animal, in most cases a goat (in honour of the sites discoverer).
He (the petitioner) was allowed only one question and
this was normally put to the priestess through one of
her attendant priests. Intoxicated by the fumes, the
Pythia gazed into her dish of holy water, shaking her
laurel branch as the spirit of the god passed through
her. She then gave her reply, which was written down by
a priest and given to the questioner.



Many modern scholars take the view that the actual utterances were mainly
unintelligible gibberish and that it was the priests who interpreted her responses and
cast them into verse. Since the site received visitors from all over the world, it was
argued, they were in a position to gather intelligence and make informed decisions.
However, the ancient writers are unanimous in insisting that it was the oracle herself
who made the pronouncements. Many of the questions asked of the Pythia have
survived inscribed on lead tablets but none of the answers were recorded by the priests.
The most famous answer that we know was recorded again by Herodotus when Croesus,
the fabulously wealthy king of Lydia, asked the Pythia whether he should cross the Halys
River and attack the Persian king, Cyrus the Great.
The Pythia's typically enigmatic reply was if Croesus should cross the Halys River, a
great empire would fall. Heartened by this answer he did attack Persia but it was he,
Croesus, who was defeated. The one boon that Croesus requested of Cyrus upon his
capture was to have his manacles sent to Delphi as a rebuke to the oracle that had failed
him after he had bestowed so many luxurious gifts on the sanctuary.
Unabashed, the Pythia retorted that Croesus had failed to follow up on the first response
and ask which empire she meant.