PYTHIA or Pythoness. (Greek) Modern dictionaries explain that this term means the one who made predictions in the Delphic temple, as well as “any woman who is considered to have the gift of prediction is a witch” (Webster). This is neither true, nor fair, nor right. Pythia, according to the authoritative statements of Iamblichus, Plutarch and others, was a priestess chosen among the sensitives of the poorest strata and placed in the temple, where her prophetic abilities developed. There she had a room secluded from all except the supreme Hierophant and Seer, and, once received, was, like a nun, lost to the world. She sat on a tripod of yellow copper over a cleft in the soil through which intoxicating vapors rose; these underground vapors, penetrating her entire body, caused prophetic mania, and in this abnormal state she uttered predictions. Aristophanes in Vaestas, I, reg. 28, calls Pythia ventrilogus vatas, or "ventriloquist seer", because of her ventriloquism. The ancients believed that the soul of a person (lower Manas), or his personal self-consciousness, was located in the navel. In the fourth verse of the second hymn "Nabhanedishta" of the Brahmins we read: "Listen, O sons of the gods, to him who speaks through his navel (nabha), for he welcomes you to your dwellings!" This is a somnambulistic phenomenon of modern times. In ancient times, the navel was considered the “circle of the sun,” the seat of the divine inner light. Therefore the oracle of Apollo was located at Delphi, the city of Delphus, which means womb or belly - while the place where the temple was located was called omphelos, the navel. Many hypnotized subjects are known to be able to read, hear, touch and see through this area of their body. In India to this day there is a belief (and also among the Parsis) that in the navels of adepts there is a flame that illuminates all the darkness for them and reveals the spiritual world. The Zoroastrians call this the lamp of the Deshtur or "high priest"; and the Hindus by the light or radiation of Dikshit (initiate).
Source: Blavatskaya E.P. - Theosophical Dictionary
PYTHIA or PYTHONESES- Webster's Dictionary gets rid of this word very briefly, reporting that this was the name for those who uttered predictions, served as oracles in the Delphic temple, as well as “any woman in whom the gift of a fortuneteller is supposed - witch" which is neither flattering, nor accurate, nor fair. Pythia, according to the authoritative words of Plutarch, Iamblichus, Lamprias and others, was a nervous sensitive; she was chosen among the poorest classes, young and pure. Attached to the temple, within which she had a room remote from all others and into which no one except a clergyman or seer was allowed, she led a more strict and ascetic life than a Catholic nun. She sat on a tripod of yellow copper over a gap in the soil through which intoxicating vapors rose; These underground vapors, penetrating her body, produced prophetic mania. In this abnormal state, she uttered oracular sayings. Sometimes she was called ventriloqua vates, ventriloquist prophetess.
The ancients believed that a person's astral soul, ψυχη, or his self-consciousness was located in the navel. The Brahmins shared this belief along with Plato and other philosophers. We also find in the fourth verse of the second hymn of Nabhanedishta the following words:
“Listen, O sons of the gods (spirits), to the man who speaks through his navel (nabha) for he welcomes you to your abodes!”
Many of the Sanskrit scholars agree that this belief is one of the most ancient in India. Modern fakirs, just like the ancient gymnosophists, unite with their Atman and deity, becoming motionless in contemplation and in concentrating all their thoughts on their navel. As in modern somnambulistic phenomena, the navel is seen as the “circle of the sun,” the seat of the inner divine light. Should the fact that many modern somnambulists have the ability to read letters, hear, smell and see through this part of the body - should this fact again be considered as a mere "coincidence", or should we assume that the ancient sages knew something? then more about physiological and psychological secrets than our modern academics? In modern Persia, when in cases of theft and other difficult cases they turn to a magician (often simply a mesmerizer) for advice, the latter performs his manipulations over the navel of his abdomen, thereby bringing himself into a state of clairvoyance. Among modern Parsis, says the translator of the Rig Veda, the belief has been maintained to this day that their adepts have a flame in their navels, which illuminates all darkness for them and reveals the spiritual world in the same way as everything invisible or at long distances. They call it a lamp Deshtura, or high priest; it is also called the lamp of Dikshit (the initiate) and many other names.
Pythia
(Capital), Pythia, w. (Greek Pythia) (book). In ancient Greece, a priestess at the temple of Apollo, seated on a tripod above a cleft in the rock, from which stupefying vapors rose, and under their influence uttered incoherent words, which in a mysterious, ambiguous form were interpreted by the priests as divinations, prophecies (historical). The heralds of the “new word” seemed to me like ventriloquists who take the rumbling of their own womb for the prophecies of the Pythia. Saltykov-Shchedrin.
New explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
Pythia
and. A priestess-soothsayer in the temple of the ancient Greek god Apollo in Delphi, who sat above a rock crevice from which intoxicating vapors rose, and under their influence uttered incoherent speeches that were used by the priests as prophecies.
Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998
Pythia
in Dr. Greek priestess-soothsayer in the temple of Apollo at Delphi.
Mythological dictionary
Pythia
(Greek) - priestess of the Delphic oracle, making divinations.
Pythia
V Ancient Greece priestess-soothsayer of the Delphic Oracle at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi.
Wikipedia
Pythia
Pythia(, lat. Pythia) - in Ancient Greece, the priestess and soothsayer of the Delphic oracle in the temple of Apollo in Delphi, located on the slope of Mount Parnassus. Naming Pythia comes from the serpent Python, the guardian of the Delphic oracle until it was occupied by Apollo, who killed the serpent with arrows.
Pythia (Matrix)
Pythia, in original Oracle - fictional character in the universe of the film trilogy "The Matrix". The role of Pythia in the first two parts was played by actress Gloria Foster. The second part of the trilogy was the last film in Foster's life. In the third part, the role of Pythia was played by Mary Alice.
Pythia is a program specially created for studying the human psyche. In the original, the character's name was Orakul, due to the fact that in Russian the word Orakul is masculine, and the character is female. IN English language The Oracle does not have such a rigid connection to gender. It should be noted that translations into other languages also did not always use a direct translation of the word “Oracle”.
According to critics, the relationship between the Pythia and the Architect corresponds to the relationship between the concepts of “reflective” and “primary” scientification, which Ulrich Beck outlined in his work “Risk Society” (1986). Pythia, from a rational-critical position, evaluates the techno-scientific civilization that is contained in the Matrix. In fact, it is trying to determine the risks that this civilization faces, as well as the degree of danger of these risks. This approach is similar to the actions of modern scientists who analyze our “Matrix-like” popular culture.
As the Architect explains in the film, he tried to create the ideal design of society - but at the same time he was a complete failure. The world was built anew, taking into account the history of mankind and its “grotesque”, but without trying to find exactly the “ideal” solution. As a result, the Pythia came closest to such a solution to the problems of this civilization - a program that was created to study certain aspects human psychology. “If I am the Father of the Matrix, then she is, without a doubt, its Mother,”- says the Architect.
While the goal of the Architect is to reconstruct nature and society in the Matrix, the Pythia tries to reconfigure the already created “Matrix” so that a variety of options for human individuality are acceptable. At the same time, she realizes that her actions have a significant impact on the development of human society within the Matrix.
In the second film, the Pythia program tells Neo: “I am only interested in one thing - the future. And believe me, we [machines and people] will survive only by uniting.”
After the meeting between Neo and the Architect, she says that she sided with humanity due to the fact that if the Architect is trying to “balance the equation” or simply set a clear cyclical cycle of the revival and destruction of Zeon to control the human population of those who do not agree with the System, then the goal of the Pythia - an imbalance, because in her observations she realized that people are not machines, they cannot be programmed for one specific goal, which gives rise to freedom of choice that the Architect cannot understand.
Examples of the use of the word Pythia in literature.
“But the priestess should not know anything,” said Belza, the mentor pythia in Oracle.
This means that those who talk about Forbantus, Hyakinthos and Admetus, lovers of Apollo, and also about Hippolytus of Sicyon, do not sin against the truth, since every time Hippolytus set sail from Sicyon to Cyrrhus, God, they say, rejoiced, feeling its approach, and Pythia Among other prophecies, she invariably uttered the following verse: Once again, my beloved Hippolytus enters the waves of the sea.
Before the Entrances on a tripod Pythia sat Koblenz, his brother, but not the one who was lying there on his deathbed, but another, full of strength.
Tell the priests about all these events and ask Pythia Heron from Megalopolis, one of the court scribes, was sent to Delphi.
Covering her ears so as not to hear the buzzing of her friends, babbling in a whisper about what they had passed, Natochka utters how Pythia from a tripod, rocking from side to side on his stool, numbers after numbers, names after names.
“No richer than the heir of Norna of Fitful Head will be,” answered the old woman. Pythia, - and no better and no more ancient blood than that which flows in your veins and inherited from your mother, for I descend from the same earls and Vikings as the proud Magnus Troil.
However, turning to the Bible, we, contrary to expectation, see that the prophets did not at all look like frenzied pythia, or somnambulists: in moments of the highest mystical tension, self-awareness did not fade away in them.
Of course, Rabelais could not pass by this without parodying Pythia in the form of the ventriloquist Ostensibly Rododzhine, who was possessed by an unclean spirit.
Which wisest of the wise pythia Will the unhypocritical story be told to us about the Jewish woman Judith, about the Babylonian Holofernes?
Dawn, Palm, Sycamore, Bee, Poetry, Narcissus, Pythia, Snake, Temple Columns, Sleeping Woman, Grenades, Rower, etc.
I hope that the spirit that commands the winds does not have such power over those who are created in the image and likeness of God as to knock down strong house on our heads only because some noisy woman,” here she threw a daring glance towards the Shetland Pythia, - boasts to us of her witchcraft, as if we were just dogs and should crawl in front of her at her orders!
Every decent person in Zenith had to belong to at least one, or even two or three, of the countless orders and clubs that moved life forward: to the Rotarians, Kiwanis or Pushers, to the Orders of Independent Singles, Elks, Elks, Masons, Redskins , Lesovikov, Owls, Eagles, Maccabees, Knights Pythia, the Knights of Columbus - in a word, to one of the many secret organizations where cordial goodwill, strict morality and complete respect for the constitution flourished.
Wanting to check how Pythia Perspicacious and able to guess the truth, Croesus sent envoys to various oracles.
Pythia She answered like this: “If Croesus undertakes war, he will crush a vast kingdom.”
Pythia meant that he physically moved his hands: Mima rubbed the ointment all over her body, even the most intimate places.
Πῡθία , lat. Pythia) - in Ancient Greece, the priestess-soothsayer of the Delphic oracle in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, located on the slope of Mount Parnassus. Naming Pythia comes from the serpent Python (ancient Greek. Πύθων ), guardian of the Delphic oracle until it was occupied by Apollo, who killed the serpent with arrows.Cult
The Delphic Oracle was founded in the 8th century BC. e. and lasted until 393 AD. e., when Emperor Theodosius I ordered the destruction of pagan temples. Throughout his existence, he was the most authoritative, and people from all over Greece came to ask for prophecies, among them was the great Alexander the Great.
According to ancient descriptions, at the Delphic sanctuary in ancient times, when they turned to the oracle, apparently only once a year, there were two Pythia and one of their substitutes. Subsequently, with more frequent questioning of the oracle, there was only one Pythia. Pythia was a priestess, chosen among sensitives from the lower strata and placed in the temple where she, estranged from worldly life, developed her prophetic abilities. She prepared for divination by fasting for three days and bathing in. Before divination I put on luxury clothes, placed a laurel wreath on her head, drank the water of the Kassotis spring and chewed a leaf of the sacred laurel. Then she sat on a colossal tripod (made of yellow copper, according to another varnish in gold) standing over the chasm, and, falling into ecstasy from the stupefying vapors, she prophesied. These fumes were harmful. There is one known case when a Pythia, having jumped off a tripod, fell unconscious and died. According to the description of the explanatory dictionary by L.P. Krysin, “she sat over a crevice in the rock, from where intoxicating fumes rose, and under their influence uttered incoherent speeches, which were interpreted by the priests as divinations and prophecies.”
The Pythia most often uttered incoherent words, which were clothed by the Delphic priests in the form of the prophecies of Apollo, or in poetic form, rearranged and interpreted by the priests and then conveyed in unclear, vague or ambiguous expressions to those inquiring of the oracle. This is where the expression (obsolete) “speaks like a Pythia” comes from - meaning. speak darkly, ambiguously (Dictionary of F. Pavlenkov, 1907).
Her prophecies to various heroes are repeatedly mentioned in myths.
According to one myth, she refused to give an answer to Hercules, but then agreed.
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see also
- Cassandra, oracle, Sibyl.
- Phemonoia - the first Pythia at Delphi.
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Notes
Literature
- Shchukarev A. N.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Excerpt characterizing Pythias
“Mais assez de bavardage comme cela. Je finis mon second feuillet, et maman me fait chercher pour aller diner chez les Apraksines. Lisez le livre mystique que je vous envoie et qui fait fureur chez nous. Quoiqu"il y ait des choses dans ce livre difficiles a atteindre avec la faible conception humaine, c"est un livre admirable dont la lecture calme et eleve l"ame. Adieu. Mes respects a monsieur votre pere et mes compliments a m elle Bourienne. "Je vous embrasse comme je vous aime. Julie."“P.S. Donnez moi des nouvelles de votre frere et de sa charmante petite femme.”
[All of Moscow is talking about the war. One of my two brothers is already abroad, the other is with the guard, which is marching to the border. Our dear sovereign leaves St. Petersburg and, it is assumed, intends to expose his precious existence to the accidents of war. May God grant that the Corsican monster, which disturbs the tranquility of Europe, may be cast down by the angel whom the Almighty, in His goodness, has made sovereign over us. Not to mention my brothers, this war has deprived me of one of the relationships closest to my heart. I'm talking about young Nikolai Rostov; who, despite his enthusiasm, could not bear inaction and left the university to join the army. I confess to you, dear Marie, that, despite his extreme youth, his departure for the army was a great grief for me. IN young man, which I told you about last summer, so much nobility, true youth, which you see so rarely in our age among twenty-year-olds! He especially has so much candor and heart. He is so pure and full of poetry that my relationship with him, despite all its fleetingness, was one of the sweetest joys of my poor heart, which had already suffered so much. Someday I will tell you our farewell and everything that was said at parting. All this is still too fresh... Ah! dear friend, you are happy that you do not know these burning pleasures, these burning sorrows. You are happy because the latter are usually stronger than the former. I know very well that Count Nikolai is too young to become anything other than a friend to me. But this sweet friendship, this so poetic and so pure relationship was the need of my heart. But enough about that.
“The main news occupying all of Moscow is the death of old Count Bezukhy and his inheritance. Imagine, three princesses received some small amount, Prince Vasily received nothing, and Pierre is the heir to everything and, moreover, is recognized as the legitimate son and therefore Count Bezukhy and the owner of the largest fortune in Russia. They say that Prince Vasily played a very nasty role in this whole story, and that he left for St. Petersburg very embarrassed. I confess to you that I understand very poorly all these matters regarding spiritual wills; I only know that since the young man, whom we all knew under the name simply Pierre, became Count Bezukhy and the owner of one of the best fortunes in Russia, I am amused by observing the change in tone of the mothers who have brides’ daughters, and the young ladies themselves in attitude towards this gentleman, who (in parentheses it should be said) always seemed very insignificant to me. Since for two years now everyone has been amusing themselves with finding suitors for me, whom I mostly do not know, the marriage chronicle of Moscow makes me Countess Bezukhova. But you understand that I don’t want this at all. Speaking of marriages. Do you know that recently everyone’s aunt Anna Mikhailovna entrusted me, under best kept secret, a plan to arrange your marriage. This is nothing more or less than the son of Prince Vasily, Anatole, whom they want to settle down by marrying him to a rich and noble girl, and the parents’ choice fell on you. I don’t know how you look at this matter, but I considered it my duty to warn you. He is said to be very good and a big rake. That's all I could find out about him.
But he will talk. I’m finishing my second piece of paper, and my mother has sent for me to go to dinner with the Apraksins.
Read the mystical book I am sending you; it has been a huge success with us. Although there are things in it that are difficult for the weak human mind to understand, it is an excellent book; reading it calms and elevates the soul. Farewell. My respect to your father and my greetings to m lle Bourrienne. I hug you from the bottom of my heart. Julia.
PS. Let me know about your brother and his lovely wife.]
PYTHIA
PYTHIA
(Greek, from pythios - nickname of Apollo of Delphi). A prophetess priestess of Delphic Apollo, chosen from the lower class and placed on a tripod from which intoxicating vapors emerged.
Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. - Chudinov A.N., 1910 .
PYTHIA
Greek pythia, from Pythios, nickname of Apollo of Delphi. Priestess of Apollo in the Delphic Temple, foretelling the future.
Explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language, with the meaning of their roots. - Mikhelson A.D., 1865 .
PYTHIA
priestess of Apollo, soothsayer in the Delphic temple (Delphic oracle). To do this, she sat down near the temple on a tripod placed over a crevice from which stupefying fumes were released, and under the influence of the latter she uttered incoherent words, which were interpreted by the priests. Hence the expression “speaks like a Pythia” - meaning. speak darkly, ambiguously.
Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. - Pavlenkov F., 1907 .
PYTHIA
priestess-soothsayer in the temple of Apollo at Delphi; she sat on a tripod over a cleft in the rock and, stupefied by the fumes coming out of it, uttered incoherent words, which were rearranged and interpreted by the priests and then conveyed in unclear, foggy or ambiguous expressions to those questioning the oracle.
Complete dictionary foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. - Popov M., 1907 .
Pythia
(gr. pythia) Other Greece - a priestess-soothsayer in the temple of Apollo in Delphi, who sat above a crevice in the rock, from where intoxicating vapors rose, and uttered incoherent words under their influence, which were interpreted by the priests as oracles and prophecies.
New dictionary foreign words.- by EdwART,, 2009 .
Pythia
[P capital ], pythia, w. [Greek Pythia] (book). In ancient Greece, a priestess at the temple of Apollo, who sat above a cleft in the rock, from where intoxicating vapors rose, and uttered incoherent words under their influence, which were interpreted by the priests as oracles and prophecies.
Big dictionary foreign words.- Publishing house "IDDK", 2007 .
Pythia And, and., shower, with a capital letter ( Greek Pythia).
IN Dr. Greece: a priestess-soothsayer in the temple of Apollo in Delphi, seated above a cleft in the rock, from where intoxicating vapors rose, and under the influence of this uttered incoherent speeches, which were used by the priests as oracles and prophecies.
||
Wed. Cassandra, oracle, Sibyl.
Dictionary foreign words by L. P. Krysin. - M: Russian language, 1998 .
Synonyms:
See what "PYTHIA" is in other dictionaries:
Cm … Synonym dictionary
- (Pythia), (P capital), pythia, female. (Greek Pythia) (book). In ancient Greece, a priestess at the temple of Apollo, seated on a tripod above a cleft in the rock, from which stupefying vapors rose, and uttering incoherent words under their influence,... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
PYTHIA, in Ancient Greece, a priestess and prophetess in the temple of Apollo at Delphi... Modern encyclopedia
In Dr. Greek priestess prophetess in the temple of Apollo at Delphi... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Priestess prophetess in the temple of Apollo at Delphi. (Source: “Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary reference book.” EdwART, 2009.) ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
- (PuJia) soothsayer in Delphi. At the Delphic sanctuary in ancient times, when they turned to the oracle, apparently only once a year, there were two P. and one deputy; subsequently, with more frequent questioning of the oracle, there was only one P... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Pythia- PYTHIA, in Ancient Greece, a priestess and prophetess in the temple of Apollo in Delphi. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
This term has other meanings, see Pythia (meanings). Pythia, John Collier ... Wikipedia
Or Python. (Greek) Modern dictionaries explain that this term means the one who uttered predictions in the Delphic temple, as well as any woman who is considered to have the gift of divination, a witch (Webster). This is neither true nor... Religious terms
In Ancient Greece, the priestess was a prophetess in the temple of Apollo at Delphi. * * * PYTHIA PYTHIA, in Dr. Greece priestess prophetess in the temple of Apollo (see APOLLO (god)) in Delphi (see DELPHI) ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Pythia (Greek Πυθία) is a soothsayer at the temple of Apollo in Delphi, where the famous Delphic oracle operated. Unlike the Sibyl, with whom she is often identified, she did not give conscious prophecies, but was, so to speak, Apollo’s medium, his instrument. The predictions of the Pythia were “deciphered” by the priests, who gave the answer in poetic form. According to other sources, the Pythia answered the questioner herself, in poetry or prose.
The word "Pythia" first appears in Herodotus. Authors of the classical period describe it as an elderly woman. Diodorus writes that at first the Pythia was a young maiden, but after Echecratides of Thessaly, having fallen in love, kidnapped the Pythia, the Delphians decided to choose the Pythia from among women at least fifty years old, but she had to wear the clothes of a virgin.
Delphic Oracle. John William Godward, 1899
How the elections of the Pythia took place is unknown. The main criteria, in addition to age, were an impeccable life and simple origin. Authors of the 2nd century, including Plutarch, who was a priest of Apollo at Delphi, emphasized that the Pythia was a simple village woman, uneducated, rude, without any abilities or experience until she was inspired by Apollo. In his old life she could be a wife and mother, but after taking office she was prohibited from meeting her family. Pythia lived in a special fenced area sacred place, led a chaste life and observed other ritual restrictions. In case of disqualification, she returned to her previous lifestyle. In addition to the Pythia, there were other women in the temple, whose duty was to maintain the unquenchable sacred fire, as well as staff.
During the heyday of the temple in Delphi, there were up to three Pythia at the same time: two worked alternately, and the third was in reserve, which made it possible to reduce the load on the soothsayers.
Initially, the Pythia prophesied only once a year - on the seventh day of the month of Bisia (mid-February - mid-March). It was believed that on this day Apollo was born, the oracle was founded and on the same day Apollo returned from the Hyperboreans. Since it was believed that in winter Apollo flew away on swans to the Hyperboreans, leaving Delphi in the care of Dionysus, during this time the oracle was inactive (Plutarch, Pindar). When consultations began to be given monthly (perhaps in the 6th century BC), the oracle worked nine days a year. During the heyday of the oracle, it was possible to prophesy on any day, except for those specifically agreed upon.
Apollo sitting on Omphale ("navel of the earth"). On the left is a tripod. Coin of Delphi
The details of the procedure are difficult to determine. In general, they boiled down to the following. At dawn, the Pythia purified herself by washing herself in the Kastalsky stream, fumigating herself with laurel leaves, and sprinkled herself with barley flour at the sacred hearth. The pilgrim had to pay for the consultation and perform a preliminary sacrifice. Then the priests sacrificed a goat to Apollo. If, after sprinkling an animal with sacred water, it trembled all over, then it was believed that the sacrifice was pleasing to God and he was ready to give an oracle. Otherwise, the day was considered unfavorable for fortune telling. The goat was sacrificed on a large altar outside the temple. Meanwhile, the Pythia, wearing luxurious gold-woven clothing, loosening her hair, with a laurel branch on her head, went to the sanctuary, drank the sacred water of Cassotis and chewed laurel leaves. Finally, she sat down on the tripod.
The questioner was warned that his thoughts must be pure and his words must have good value. Then there was silence. The Pythia, mounting a tripod, inhaling the vapors penetrating from a cleft in the rock, uttered predictions in poetic form or prose, which were written down by the priests (Strabo). Since the Pythia was temporarily replaced by God, she prophesied in the first person.
It is believed that the Pythia went into ecstasy by inhaling intoxicating vapors emanating from the deep cleft of the rock on which the temple stood.
Pythia. John Collier
Pythia. J.-F.-A. Löwe
Currently, the chasm does not exist, and the possibility of underground evaporation is debatable. Geological and archaeological research by the French Archaeological School in Athens, carried out after 1892, did not reveal either a depression or any evaporation here. It is believed that the crack could disappear as a result strong earthquake, not uncommon in this region.
The meager remains of the heavily destroyed temple date back to the 4th century. BC. Particularly affected West Side temple, so its detailed reconstruction is impossible. Traces of not only a strong earthquake, but also intentional destruction were revealed. This was probably the work of Christians during the period of the prohibition of paganism.
The idea has taken root in literature that the Pythia, inhaling intoxicating vapors, fell into a trance, “sacred madness.” This understanding is now being questioned. It is indicated that in the vase painting the Pythia is depicted calmly sitting on a tripod (but, note, this is only the beginning of the procedure), classical authors describe her as normal and reasonable.
Plutarch in his Pythian treatises speaks of poisonous fumes, sometimes leading to the death of the Pythia. Inhaling them, the Pythia came into such a frenzied state that, upon completion of the divination, she gave the impression of a warrior after a battle, or a bacchante or corybantus after a dance. According to Plutarch, it is the depletion of the earth's power that explains the decline in the authority of the oracle. This interpretation fits perfectly into the tectonic picture (the crack closed, evaporation stopped). Pausanias reported about one of these cracks, which formed after an earthquake and where the third temple of Apollo fell through (X, 5, 12). And the landscape of Delphi itself was formed as a result of such earthquakes. Thus, final conclusions are still far away.
Sibyl of Delphi. Michelangelo B. Fresco of the Sistine Chapel. Rome, Vatican
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