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THE ORACLE OF DELPHI
Contributed by
RAJNANDY
on
Thursday, 8th July 2010 @ 10:24:46 PM in AEST
Topic:
mythology
|
Friends , the Oracle at Delphi , is shrouded in part myth , part legend and
part Greek History ! Kindly read its interesting story along with the Foot Notes !
THE ORACLE OF DELPHI :
PART LEGEND PART HISTORY!
LOCATION
Nestled on the south western spur of the fissured
hillside of Mount Parnassus,
Overlooking the picturesque valley of Phocis;
North of Gulf of Corinth in lower Central Greece;
Lies Delphi, - the home of the ancient Oracle of
Greece!
LEGEND OF DELPHIS ORIGIN
And as an old legend goes, around 1400 BC,
A goat herder had noticed that his sheep behaved
rather strangely,
After peering into a particular chasm in Mount
Parnassus!
And curiously enough when he had looked inside,
He found himself agitated like one frantic kind' !
The mysterious vapor emanating there was attributed
to a Divine source!
So a tripod* was set up and a virgin girl was chosen
to sit in due course;
By those ancient high priests, and to make divine
forecasts, -
Under influence of the mystic vapor as she went into
a state of trance ! **
But one day the girl eloped with a Thessalian mate!
So a priestess more than 50 years of age, was appointed
from that date!
PART LEGEND PART HISTORY
Delphi became a major site of the classical Greek world,
After Apollo slew the Python, a dragon snake who
had conquered the world, -
And at Delphi ruled over the navel of the earth!
Delphi is the site of the Omphalos Stone - symbol
of the center of the universe! #
Where in the inner hearth of Apollos Temple an
eternal flame forever burned!
Legend has it that after Apollo killed the Python,
He had set up the famous Oracle at Delphi as his
very own!
And the Pythian Games were held every four years
to commemorate Apollos victory!
This game also featured competitions for Music
and Poetry! !
And later inspired the Olympic games as we read
in recorded history!
DIVINE FORECASTS
People in those ancient times, suffered from
insecurities like our modern times!
Therefore, Monarchs, farmers and peasants - all
alike,
Went to Delphi to seek guidance and advice!
They believed that Apollo had the answer to their
problems and woes,
And the Pythia became the sacred voice of god
Apollo! ***
The visitors first washed themselves in the cool
waters of the Castalian springs,
And on the holy altar sacrificed an animal as an
offering!
They also offered a pelanos - Greek for a levy,
For divine prophesy always came with a price tag,
and was never free!
Both questions and answers to the Pythia was
transcribed by a male priest,
As eye contact was forbidden with the Pythia , -
Who was Apollos lady priest!
FEW SAMPLES OF PROPHESIES
The divine prophesies were at times ambiguous
and cryptic,
The individual had to interpret the meaning he
desired to seek!
In 440 BC the Oracle had pronounced that Socrates
was the wisest of the Greeks;
A meaning easy to understand and not difficult to
seek!
But in 560 BC when Croesus King of Lydia,
Asked the Oracle if he should attack Persia,
The Oracle said that if he did so, he would be destroying
a Great Empire!
So Croesus waged war and lost the battle!
The empire was his own, which he failed to interpret!
In 359 BC the Oracle told King Phillip II of Macedonia,
That whoever tamed and rode his black colt Bucephalus, -
Will one day conquer the world!
His young son Alexander realizing that the horse dreaded
its own shadow,
Tamed and rode upon it to conquer Asia Minor and Asia, -
which was centuries ago!
In 303 AD Emperor Diocletian was told that the quality
of the Oracle had declined at Delphi,
Due to the corrupting influences of Christianity!
The Emperor started his persecution of the Christians!
And less said the better - since this animosity at a later
date,
Led to the sealing of Delphi Oracles fate!
For in 389 AD, Theodosius-I closed all pagan temples ,
including Delphi!
CONCLUSION
Thus we see that the Oracle at Delphi, -
Remains shrouded in myth, legend and history!
I have not touched upon its amphitheatre, statues and
other building structures, -
Which form a marvelous exhibit of Doric Architecture!
These historic ruins are now being protected by
UNESCOS Cultural and Heritage Program since
1987 ;
One can find many beautiful artifacts preserved
inside Delphis Museum!
-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
FOOT NOTES: -
*TRIPOD = Greek for seat. At Delphi, Pythia the priestess of Apollo,
Sat on a great bronze Tripod in a spot above a crevice in the rocks from which vapors rose!
** Archeologist later discovered that the bedrock beneath the
temple had petrochemicals including Ethylen, which caused
an anesthetic effect! ***The mutterings of lady Priestess were relayed by a male priest in Apollo's Temple! Eye contact was not permitted with Pythia!
# OMPHALOS STONE = Considered the belly-button of the Ancient World,
Was located in the sanctuary of Apollo, where Pythia delivered Gods Oracles!
Centuries later - when Romans conquered Greece, Emperor Nero is
said to have looted 500 Statues from the shrines of Delphi!
First Archeological excavations began in 1832 revealing the Oracles site to the world!
**** ALL COPY RIGHTS RESERVED BY RAJ NANDY **
Copyright ©
RAJNANDY
... [
2010-07-08 22:24:46]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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Re: THE ORACLE OF DELPHI
(User Rating: 1 )
by nobodyJQ on
Friday, 9th July 2010 @ 04:44:35 AM AEST
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Info | Send
a Message)
|
Very interesting.
reminds me of the Shroud of Turin.
Thanx a lot! |
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Re: THE ORACLE OF DELPHI
(User Rating: 1 )
by Eagle on
Friday, 9th July 2010 @ 02:07:09 PM AEST
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a Message)
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| I like Greek mythology, I intend to study it more when I have time. |
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Re: THE ORACLE OF DELPHI
(User Rating: 1 )
by Voyager on
Friday, 14th January 2011 @ 01:31:57 AM AEST
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a Message)
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| Although this was more prosaic than poetry, narratives are very diffuclt to write nonetheless espeically picking a subject of History or myth due to the many sub-plots and characters involved. But I must say a very good attempt and a great way to enlighten people about lost or forgotten mythos and history. |
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