The Pythia

The Pythia or Oracle of Delphi is easily the most famous ancient seer in all of history. According to legend Apollo came down to the land surrounding Delphi. The people of the surrounding villages told tales of a fierce dragon who was the child of Gaea. This dragon lived in a cave and abducted young women from the villages. The dragon would lay with the women in his cave and they would be given the gift of prophecy. 

Apollo sought to slay this dragon and end the abductions so he grabbed his great silver bow and went to the cave. He slew the great dragon Python and freed the current oracle. The villagers were so gracious that they constructed a great temple complex around the cave and instated annual games to honor Apollo. In return Apollo gave the mortals a moral code to help them live more virtuous lives. This code is comprised of a 130ish phrases carved throughout the temple complex. 

The Pythia had to audition for the job. Women from all across Greece would come and attempt to horse the god Apollo. If he chose the woman she would treated as his mortal bride. She was expected to remain celibate until her death. She was not allowed to own land or property. Instead she was expected to live within the temple and surrounding area. Once a month on the full moon she would venture into the cave system under Apollo's most holy shrine. There she would sit on a brass seat supported by three legs. This seat suspended her over a crack in the earth where the god would enter the sanctuary. Once there she would place laurel in her mouth and enter a trance. 

The Pythia would utter answers to the questions posed to her. Often times these answers were in a hexameter format. This format can't really be done in English because of the phonetics of our language. The answers would be interpreted by an attending priest and then given to the inquirer. The inquirer was expected but not compelled to give an offering to the god and to the temple. 

This ritual would repeat itself until winter. Once winter came Apollo retreated from earth and went to Olympus. This meant that he was absent and unable to ride the Pythia. In his stead Dionysus gave the Pythia her power. This is just one way that the relationship of Apollo and Dionysus is illustrated. 

Some archaeologists speculate the volcanic fumes seeped up from the chasm and allowed the Pythia to enter trance. Personally I think this is a very likely explanation of the depths of her trance and accuracy of her prophecies. I have noticed that shallow trance only allow for a shallow possession and thus a weak connection between yourself and the divine. I very powerful entheogen like volcanic fumes would be powerful enough to account for the aforementioned things. 

The Temple of Delphi was officially closed in 389 AD by Emperor Theodosius. The temple was soon burned. However the Pythia gave us two things one she prophesied the return of the Gods and she said this to Emperor Theodosius 

"Tell the king; the fair wrought house has fallen. 
No shelter has Apollo, nor sacred laurel leaves; 
The fountains are now silent; the voice is stilled. 
It is finished." 

Interestingly enough a violent earthquake shut the chasm just days before the temple burned effectively causing the fountains to be silent and the voices stilled. 

Most Hellenes hold to the last prophecy that Apollo will return and take back his house. I for one look forward to that day.