Pythia

E79286

Pythia was the high priestess and oracle of Apollo at the ancient Greek sanctuary of Delphi, famed for delivering prophetic pronouncements to individuals and city-states.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Delphic oracle 1
oracle of Delphi 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf oracle
priestess
religious office
abolishedBy Theodosius I in context of banning pagan cults
associatedWith Amphictyonic League
surface form: Delphic Amphictyony

Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi
surface form: Delphic sanctuary

Oracle of Apollo
surface form: Oracle of Delphi
consultationFrequency later on the seventh day of each month during the nine warmest months
originally once a year on the birthday of Apollo
consultedFor colonization ventures
military campaigns
personal problems
political decisions
religious matters
decline lost importance in late Roman Empire
etymology derived from Pytho, an older name for Delphi
function answered questions of city-states
answered questions of individuals
delivered prophetic pronouncements
gender female
influence Greek city-state policy
Panhellenic religious life
myth and literature
interpretationBy Delphic priests
language Greek
locatedIn Delphi
Greece
Phocis
mythologicalAssociation Python (serpent slain by Apollo)
positionHeldAt Panhellenic sanctuary of Delphi
surface form: Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
religion ancient Greek religion
ritualLanguage uttered responses often in ecstatic or trance-like state
ritualPractice burned barley and laurel on an altar
chewed laurel leaves in some accounts
drank water from the Castalian spring
sat on a tripod over a chasm or fissure
role high priestess of Apollo
Oracle of Apollo
surface form: oracle of Apollo
selectionCriteria chosen from local women of Delphi or surrounding region
sourceMention Herodotus
Pausanias
Plutarch
timePeriod Archaic Greece
Classical Greece
Hellenistic period
Roman period
title Pythia self-link
veneratedDeity Apollo

Referenced by (10)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

subject surface form: Temple of Apollo at Delphi
Python connectedTo Pythia
this entity surface form: oracle of Delphi
subject surface form: Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
this entity surface form: Delphic oracle
subject surface form: Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Oracle of Apollo servedBy Pythia
subject surface form: Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Pythia title Pythia self-link