The Greeks believed that communications from the gods were
received from certain inspired persons at places called oracles. The oracle of
Apollo at Delphi in Phocis enjoyed the utmost veneration. It lay within a deep
cave on the rocky side of Mount Parnassus. Out of a chasm rose a volcanic vapor
which had a certain intoxicating power. The Pythia, or prophetess of Apollo,
sat on a tripod over the steaming cleft and inhaled the gas. The words she
uttered in delirium were supposed to come from the god. They were taken down by
the attendant priests, written out in verse, and delivered to the suppliants.
INQUIRIES AT THE ORACLE
The fame of Apollo as the patron of inspiration and
prophecy spread throughout Greece and penetrated to foreign lands. Every year
thousands of visitors made their way to Apollo's shrine. Sick men prayed for
health, childless men prayed for offspring. Statesmen wished to learn the fate
of their political schemes; ambassadors sent by kings and cities sought advice
as to weighty matters of peace and war. Above all, colonists came to Delphi in
order to obtain directions as to the best country in which to settle. Some of
the noblest cities of the Greek world, Cyrene and Byzantium, for example,
had their sites fixed by Apollo's guidance.
