Though oracles were commonplace throughout ancient Greece and Rome, the most famous dwelled at Delphi, a limestone temple on the western face of Mount Parnassus. Built in the 6th century BC, the complex was presided over by a chaste and elderly priestess called the Ptyhia who channeled the “breath” of the sun god Apollo into prophecy.

According to legend, Apollo claimed Delphi as his own after slaying its original inhabitant, Python — a dragon born of the earth goddess Gaia – in a battle between the gods of the earth and sky. He then took the seas to conscript sailors into his first order of priests, though he would require a female virgin to serve as earthly mouthpiece.

Supplicants to Delphi would be first required to bathe themselves in the waters of the temple’s Castalian spring — later a popular inspirational spot for Roman poets — to purify themselves before entering the Oracle’s sacred presence. Only after paying a fee would they then be permitted to ask their questions of the presiding Pythia. She would then retire to her personal her chamber and enter shamanic trance. Accounts differ as to the method by which this was achieved, though the drinking blood, the chewing of laurel leaves, the inhalation of smoke or the breathing of hallucinogenic vapors emitted by the temple’s cavernous rock –a phenomenon recently confirmed by modern day geologists – have all been suggested. The Pythia would then speak in a cryptic tongue, which would be converted into hexameter verse by the temple’s priests.

Those seeking divination at Delphi came from all social strata. From criminals to kings, many sought advice from the Oracle, though how they interpreted her predictions differed wildly. Legend holds that King Croesus of Lydia went to war over the Oracle’s prediction that if he battled the Persians a great army would fall. Unfortunately for him, the army in question turned out to be his own.

Tales of the Oracle’s supposed prescience became so ingrained in Grecian culture that she appears as a character in the three most well known pieces of Greek literature, Virgil’s Aeneid, Homer’s Odyssey, and Sophocles’ Oedipus saga, along with dozens of others. Despite her role in these quasi-mythical epics, the Oracle’s existence as an authentic historical figure is confirmed by the more than five hundred recorded prophesies of the Pythia that survive to this day.

History Store History DVDs Replica Guns Replica Swords Scale Model Kits

History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history.

Tags: 6 B.C., ancient rituals, Apollo sun god, Castalian spring, chewing laurel leaves, delphi, drinking of blood, Gaia, Greek culture, hexameter, History DVDs, History Store, Homer's Odyssey, inhalation of smoke, King Croesus of Lydia, Mount Parnassus, oracle, oracle at delphi, Ptyhia, Python, replica guns, Replica Swords, Roman poets, scale model kits, shamanic trance, Sophocles’ Oedipus saga, temple priests, Virgil's Aeneid