The Pythia or "The Oracle of Delphi" was the prophetic high priestess who presided over the sanctuary of Delphi, dedicated to Apollo, the Greek God.
In the ancient Greek world, the Oracle of Delphi, located 100 miles northeast of Athens, was considered the center of the world. People from all over the empire flocked there to consult the High Priestess of Apollo, the Pythia, and have their future revealed. The answers that she gave determined the future of individuals and the fate of empires.
Delphi was situated on the southwestern spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis. It was claimed to be the dwelling place of the God Apollo. Greek legend relates that the hill was guarded for many centuries by a giant snake called Python, a worshipper of the cult of Gaia, or Mother Earth. But then Apollo swept in and killed the snake to claim Delphi as his personal sanctuary.
It appears that the legend has some basis, in fact. Between the 14th and 11th centuries BCE, there were villages in the Delphi area that were settled by worshippers of Gaia. Then, over a two-hundred-year period, they were supplanted by worshippers of Apollo. By the 8th century BCE, the Pythia had gained international renown as a revealer of divine truths directly from the great God Apollo.
Pythia was the title given to the woman who occupied the position of High Priestess of Apollo. The word Pythia comes from Pytho, that being the original mythical name of Delphi.
Most of what we know about the Pythia comes from 1st Century CE writer Plutarch, who served as a priest at the Temple at Delphi. The Pythia had to be a free-born citizens of the town of Delphi. For the first few hundred years, the Pythia had to be a young unmarried virgin who would dedicate her life to Pythia. This apparently changed when a man who was brought to consult the Pythia tried to seduce her. From then on, she had to be a post-menopausal woman over the age of 50 who lived apart from her husband. She was required to dress in the style of a maiden, including wearing a veil. In keeping with the virginal theme, the Pythia would wear a simple white tunic.
Credits:
Illustration - Jonathan Benbow bongwedesign.com
Script - Steve Theunissen
Voice Actor - James Fowler
Video Editor - Julia Nazario
