PYTHIA 6.4 Physics and Manual

plays an important rôle in many of the other Greek myths, such as those of Heracles andof King Oedipus.Questions were to be put to the Pythia, the ‘Priestess’ or ‘Prophetess’ of the Oracle. Infact, she was a local woman, usually a young maiden, of no particular religious schooling.Seated on a tripod, she inhaled the obnoxious vapours that seeped up through a crevice inthe ground. This brought her to a trance-like state, in which she would scream seeminglyrandom words and sounds. It was the task of the professional priests in Delphi to recordthose utterings and edit them into the official Oracle prophecies, which often took theform of poems in perfect hexameter. In fact, even these edited replies were often less thaneasy to interpret. The Pythic oracle acquired a reputation for ambiguous answers.The Oracle existed already at the beginning of the historical era in Greece, and wasuniversally recognized as the foremost religious seat. Individuals and city states came toconsult, on everything from cures for childlessness to matters of war. Lavish gifts allowedthe temple area to be built and decorated. Many states supplied their own treasury halls,where especially beautiful gifts were on display. Sideshows included the Omphalos, astone reputedly marking the centre of the Earth, and the Pythic games, second only tothe Olympic ones in importance.Strife inside Greece eventually led to a decline in the power of the Oracle. A seriousblow was dealt when the Oracle of Zeus Ammon (see below) declared Alexander the Greatto be the son of Zeus. The Pythic Oracle lived on, however, and was only closed by aRoman Imperial decree in 390 ad, at a time when Christianity was ruthlessly destroyingany religious opposition. Pythia then had been at the service of man and Gods for amillennium and a half.The rôle of the Pythic Oracle prophecies on the course of history is nowhere betterdescribed than in ‘The Histories’ by Herodotus [HerBC], the classical and captivatingdescription of the Ancient World at the time of the Great War between Greeks andPersians. Especially famous is the episode with King Croisus of Lydia. Contemplating awar against the upstart Persian Empire, he resolves to ask an oracle what the outcomeof a potential battle would be. However, to have some guarantee for the veracity of anyprophecy, he decides to send embassies to all the renowned oracles of the known World.The messengers are instructed to inquire the various divinities, on the hundredth dayafter their departure, what King Croisus is doing at that very moment. From the Pythiathe messengers bring back the replyI know the number of grains of sand as well as the expanse of the sea,And I comprehend the dumb and hear him who does not speak,There came to my mind the smell of the hard-shelled turtle,Boiled in copper together with the lamb,With copper below and copper above.The veracity of the Pythia is thus established by the crafty ruler, who had waited untilthe appointed day, slaughtered a turtle and a lamb, and boiled them together in a coppercauldron with a copper lid. Also the Oracle of Zeus Ammon in the Libyan desert is ableto give a correct reply (lost to posterity), while all others fail. King Croisus now sends asecond embassy to Delphi, inquiring after the outcome of a battle against the Persians.The Pythia answersIf Croisus passes over the Halys he will dissolve a great Empire.Taking this to mean he would win, the King collects his army and crosses the border river,only to suffer a crushing defeat and see his Kingdom conquered. When the victorious KingCyrus allows Croisus to send an embassy to upbraid the Oracle, the God Apollon answersthrough his Prophetess that he has correctly predicted the destruction of a great empire— Croisus’ own — and that he cannot be held responsible if people choose to interpretthe Oracle answers to their own liking.8