Pytia
Pythia
Pythia (pronounced: /ˈpɪθiə/ or /ˈpaɪθiə/) is the title of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who also served as the oracle, commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi.
Etymology
The term Pythia is derived from Pytho, which in myth was the original name of Delphi. In etymology, the Greeks derived this place name from the verb, πύθειν (púthein) "to rot", which refers to the sickly sweet smell of the decomposition of the body of the monstrous Python after he was slain by Apollo.
Role and Function
The Pythia was established at the latest in the 8th century BC, and was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by being filled by the spirit of the god, in this case Apollo. The Pythian priestess emerged pre-eminent by the end of 7th century BC and would continue to be consulted until the 4th century AD. During this period the Delphic Oracle was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks, and she was without doubt the most powerful woman of the classical world.
Related Terms
- Oracle: In classical antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by the gods.
- Delphi: An ancient city in Greece, on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus, where the oracle of Apollo answered questions, and was also the site of the Pythian Games.
- Apollo: One of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in ancient Greek and Roman religion, Greek and Roman mythology, and Greco–Roman Neopaganism.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Pytia
- Wikipedia's article - Pytia
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