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God-soothsayers

The faculty of Divination, or μαντεία / manteía , is a purely divine capacity. To include/understand mantic Greek, it should be known that the destiny, personified by the three Moires ( Μοῖραι / will mõirai , properly “those which give destiny in division”), is a force independent of the gods, who are subjected there and cannot bend it. At most can they delay it and, especially, to entrapercevoir it and make share of it, in a veiled way, with the mortals. This capacity of divination seems, in the first times of mantic, being dependant strongly with the ground and the forces chtoniennes, from where the oracles returned by incubation , i.e. transmitted to the mortals by the dreams, after one night spent against the ground.

Zeus

The first god-soothsayer is Zeus, of which oracles are returned in many sanctuaries, oldest being that of Dodone, in Épire. The oracular sanctuary of Dodone, moreover quoted at Homère, knew a decline at fourth century BC oracles of Zeus were transmitted, inter alia, by incubation with the Selles priests who, to remain in liaison with the god under an aspect chtonien (what shows its seniority), were to sleep on the ground, to go barefeet and not to wash them. Later, it is by the noise of the wind in the sheets of the oaks of Dodone that the god expressed himself. Interpretation could also be carried out by two named priestesses the Colombes (which practiced perhaps also the catch of auspices, or interpretation of the flight of the birds). Some of the questions put to the god were found thanks to bronze plates on which, more tardily, one wrote them.

Zeus-soothsayer was also consulted in Olympie, and addressed to the Iamides priests via the flames of the sacrifice. Those showed also Haruspice S, by reading the answer of the god in the entrails taken on the victim. At the time traditional, oracular Zeus especially present in Egypt, is identified with Amon.

Other gods

Aphrodite was consulted at Paphos, city of the island of Cyprus, and was expressed in the entrails and the liver of the sacrificial victims; like Zeus with Olympie, this oracular method is connected with the haruspicie. Athéna, as for it, addressed its answers through a set of rollers and ossicles. Asclépios and Amphiaraos, by incubation (see higher), gave therapeutic councils to the consultants, who were to spend at least a night in their sanctuary, mainly with Épidaure and Athens for Asclépios, in Oropos (in the north of Athens) and with Thèbes for Amphiaraos. The answer came in the form of dream to interpret oneself.

Trophonios also has an oracle with Lébadée, in Béotie, evoked in the Clouds of Aristophane, in the work of Plutarque ( the Demon of Socrate or On the disappearance of oracles ) like in an episode of the Vie of Apollonius de Tyane . But it is especially by Pausanias that we know the rite of the descent in the underground cave of this hero, mythical architect, with his brother, of the threshold of the temple pythien of Delphes, according to the Homeric Hymne in Apollon .

Apollo pythien

Apollon became the prototype of the god-soothsayer, whom one consulted by oracle especially with Delphes (but also in Délos, Patara or Claros). Oracles that one returned there are still famous and the importance of the oracular sanctuary of Delphes has enabled to us to follow the evolution of it, like knowing certain important details of them to apprehend mantic Greek.

Vitality of the oracle of Delphes

The oracle of Delphes remained very alive and consulted until second century BC the emperors of Rome came little by little not to ask for oracles, but to plunder the sanctuary. Greece depopulates itself and the sanctuary less and less has customers, one does not build more new monuments for this period, Plutarque is sorry to see the Pythie with work only once a month. Pausanias notes the terrible degradation of the sanctuary of Athéna Pronoia. The Greek world crumbles and Delphes into sudden the tide. The beginnings of the Christian era will carry the death-blow to him. ; the Christians, will convey a false image, that of a hysterical and doped woman, and by forwarding erroneous texts, took part largely in its abandonment. Among the surest testimonys, we have those of Plutarque (v. 46 - v. 120 a. J. - C.), which assumed during 30 years the load of priest of the temple of Apollo, during the plays pythic, i.e. once every four years. We know thanks to the excavations led to Delphes which the sanctuary one of was attended and of richest. For more details on the sanctuary itself, to consult the article which to him is devoted.

Religious organization

The prophetess (προφῆτις/ prophễtis ), with the Greek direction: that which speaks in the place god , is named the Pythie ( Πυθία ἱέρεια / puthía hiéreia , “priestess pythienne”), selected among the women of the area. Its name (in the beginning an adjective, but one often uses Πυθία / puthía only) comes from a épiclèse of Apollo, known as pythien in Delphes, because it had embanked the Python snake there; Delphes, moreover, is often named Πυθώ / puthố (see the article Apollo for more details). The Pythie was often old, and Plutarque teaches us that it could have about fifty years, which, for the time, is a advanced age. This one was expressed in worms (at least it was expressed thus for a long time; Plutarque however points out that at its time it did not do it any more, without being able to explain why), and its confused remarks were to be interpreted by a college of two priests, assisted by five ministers of religion. Exceptional thing, these loads were allotted to life.

The procedure to follow to consult the god was the following one:

the consultant (who could not be a woman), discharged a tax poured with a confederation of quoted; the consultations could be required individually or collectively, for a city, for example. The payment of a surtax or services rendered to the city of Delphes made it possible to acquire the right of promantie (προμαντεία/ promanteía ), i.e. that to consult before the others, and thus to pass in addition to the waiting list which could be all the more long as one could consult the Pythie only one day per month;
one carried out the consultant in the Adyton (ἄδυτον/ áduton ) of the temple of Apollo;
it met there the Pythea, which had purified, had drunk spring water Castalie de Delphes and chewed sheets of bay-tree; this one was installed on a tripod.
the consultant offered a sacrifice strapping to the god, which was led by the two priests and their assistants; beforehand, the victim was sprinkled of cool water and, if it did not tremble, the catch of oracle was cancelled (with the risk, if not, to kill the Pythie: it could not contradict this sign of the god who gave or not his agreement);
the consultant raised his question with the Pythea, question which the priests (each one was a προφήτης/ prophếtês ) often had back in shape (so that it took the form of an alternative);
the Pythea, finally, returned the oracle of the god, who spoke through it; this answer was to be made clear by the two priests of Apollo. According to testimonys, whose those of Plutarque, the Pythie was not visible, and only his voice was heard.

It is seen, the Pythie was in a state of enthusiasm , i.e. of divine inspiration; the legend reported that magic emanations sourdaient in the temple, and that they were responsible for the state second known by the Pythea. According to Greek historians, who do nothing but repeat legends, these emanations would have even thorough with the suicide of the shepherds and simple mortals who would have breathed them by chance, before one intends for this dangerous role the only Pythea. It was appropriate thus that this one, to receive the divine inspiration, the pneuma without suffering from it, was pure, virgin, and carried out a healthy life. Its spirit was to be available, calm and serene, so that the possession by the god is not rejected, with the risk to lead it to death.

Since the end of Antiquity, several assumptions tried to explain alleged fright of the priestess, but the concrete or textual evidence always missed. The Pythea, one said it, was held in the adyton temple. However, if the current excavations with Delphes do not make it possible to reconstitute with precision what was this adyton (it was indeed shaved by various invaders and the Christians), the most common theories admit that it was about a part downwards and not of a secret room located in lower part of the temple, even less than one pit. No crack is either visible.

Another theory reconstitutes the adyton not like a room, but like an open pit. Indeed, if the adyton were a crypt, as it is the case for the temple of Zeus, the excavations would have revealed traces, same negligible, whereas in fact, it of it is nothing. The archeologists broke the spirit on this complete absence of elements. But if nothing is found, it is that perhaps, there was nothing. The adyton is a crowned place, the delphiens built the temple around, but they had to leave the pit to the rough state, without ceiling. The Pythie could see the door of the temple top of its tripod, a 63 meters length temple… However, the ancient authors speak about “descent” in the adyton, of a “gaping”, a “opening”. The adyton was probably a simple cavity, with a hole in the medium and the tripod above. Time stopped the hole, the pit filled of grass. The adyton was sufficiently broad to contain the tripod, the omphalos, a plan of bay-trees, the tomb of Dionysos, a statue of Apollo and a place where the consultant asseoit. Plutarque, Strabon, Plato, Pausanias, Diodore and much of other witnesses left their vision of this place.

It was said, the Christians turned in derision this priestess because what it incarnated was not any more theirs world. They described the Pythie as insane foaming of dribble, enivrée of sulfur vapors, physically had by the Malignant one which were introduced via its vagina. Such remarks are, for example, at Origène or Jean Chrysostome. At all events, this vision does not coincide absolutely with what the Greeks reported to us of their priestess. Moreover, which contradicts the Greeks themselves, one found with Delphes any crack under the temple of Apollo, nor no other natural exhalation. Although incoherent with the fact histories, this image of the Pythie was essential on the imaginary collective. In fact, it is not rare to find such a insane Pythie in the most serious works or some allusion to gas emanations of which there does not exist any real proof. ethylene (soporific gas and anesthetic) on the site of the temple of Apollo) what could explain the states of the Pythea. -->

Political role of the oracle of Delphes

In addition to a major religious role in the ancient world - indeed, the oracle of Apollo was not exclusively consulted by the Greeks - oracles of the Pythie held an important place in the Greek political organization. Three curious facts are notable concerning the opinion that the god was supposed to have Greek power. Oracle, indeed, did not always support the actions of its people.

At the time of the medic Wars (having opposed the Greeks to Mèdes), Athens had consulted oracle, in 490 before the Christian era, in order to ask whether it were good that Sparte helped it. Oracle made an answer negative, whereas it is precisely the intervention of the Léonidas Spartan in Thermopyles in 480 which made it possible to the Athenians to save time to gain the victory with Salamine (which victory would be due, for the blow, with an oracle of the Pythea, which had advised to build a wood wall, which, symbolically, represented the Athenian fleet massed in the narrow part of Salamine). One then showed the Pythie of mêdiser ( μηδίζειν / mêdízdein ), of “speaking in favor of Mèdes”.

The second outstanding oracle takes seat during the Peloponnesian Wars, which opposed Athens to Sparte; this one clearly gave reason to the Spartans. One shows this time the Pythie of lacôniser ( λακωνίζειν / lakônízdein ), of “speaking in favor of Lacédémone”, another name for Sparte.

Lastly, during the conquests of Philippe, oracle, on the side of the “barbarian”, is shown for the blow of philippiser ( φιλιππίζειν / philippízdein ).

In kind, oracle is shown especially being wary with respect to the Athenians. In fact, it was subject to of course the influences of the people of Delphes, pro-aristocrat and enough conservative. That undoubtedly explains why the Pythie often was unfavourable in Athens: the democracy was not in odor of holiness in this area of the Greek world.

Spiritual and intellectual role of the oracle of Delphes

Although often unfavourable on Athens, oracle however supported its colonizing action. Thus the legend reports that the colony of Cyrène, in Libya, was founded thanks to such an oracle: certain Bathos was afflicted with a stammering. Oracle had advised to him for its cure to found a city with Cyrène; by doing this, it saw a lion there. The fear caused by this fortuitous meeting cures it definitively this affliction. There exists many examples of this type.

The city of Delphes, in addition, took in Antiquity an important economic role: very attended city, the money circulated there (that of the taxes of consultation, the many treasures offered by the cities which oracle “had supported”, of the offerings, the purchases of sacrificial victims that only the merchants of the city could sell, etc). Appeared, to manage this monetary flow created by the oracular consultations, of the changers and the lenders. It is besides in Delphes, with the Life century before the Christian era, that the first banks made their appearance.

Apollon was not, moreover, the only god residing at Delphes: Dionysos was known as to spend there the winter and Athéna was also honoured there; the coexistence of these worships made say to old that the presence of oracle was a pledge of mutual respect.

Lastly, the town of Delphes bathed in a climate of piety and intellectual effervescence. One stripped his social masks there, with the image of Apollo who, melting the city, had to purify murder of Python. Philosophy there was practiced and encouraged, and it is an oracle of Delphes which would have pushed Socrate to be taught, after one of its disciples would have learned there that its Master was wisest of the men. Several philosophical currencies decorated the city: “nothing too” ( μηδὲν ἄγαν / mêdén ágan ), inculcating the measurement and the rejection of excesses, “know yourself” ( γνῶθι σεαυτόν / gnỗthi seautón ), on the pediment of the temple of Apollo, maxim teaching the importance of autonomy in the research of the truth (formula that Socrate will begin again on its account in the Charmide ) and that of introspection, as well as a very strange “Ε”, also on the pediment of temple (ref.) and on the significance of which the Greeks lengthily questioned themselves, and who could be a manner of noting the word εἶ / eĩ , “you”, are implied “to you also part of divine”? At all events, the presence of oracle made of Delphes the place par excellence of the revelation to oneself.

See too

Sources used for the knowledge of the Greek religion
basic Concepts
Aspects of the worship
ancient Dodone
Greece

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