Goes with Apollo to Delphi and hears the Oracle speak.
And Jesus did accompany him.4. The masters went in haste; and when they came to Delphi, great excitement reigned.5. And when Apollo stood before the Oracle it spoke and said:6. Apollo, sage of Greece, the bell strikes twelve; the midnight of the ages now has come.7. Within the womb of nature ages are conceived; they gestate and are born in glory with the rising sun, and when the agic sun goes down the age disintegrates and dies.8. The Delphic age has been an age of glory and renown; the gods have spoken to the sons of men through oracles of wood, and gold, and precious stone.9. The Delphic sun has set; the Oracle will go into decline; the time is near when men will hear its voice no more.10. The gods will speak to man by man.
The conception of justice as the union of temperance, wisdom, courage (Laws; Republic): the latent idea of dialectic implied in the notion of dividing laws after the kinds of virtue (Laws); the approval of the method of looking at one idea gathered from many things, 'than which a truer was never discovered by any man' (compare Republic): or again the description of the Laws as parents (Laws; Republic): the assumption that religion has been already settled by the oracle of Delphi (Laws; Republic), to which an appeal is also made in special cases (Laws): the notion of the battle with self, a paradox for which Plato in a manner apologizes both in the Laws and the Republic: the remark (Laws) that just men, even when they are deformed in body, may still be perfectly beautiful in respect of the excellent justice of their minds (compare Republic): the argument that ideals are none the worse because they cannot be carried out (Laws; Republic): the near approach to the idea of good in 'the principle which is common to all the four virtues,' a truth which the guardians must be compelled to recognize (Laws; compare Republic): or again the recognition by reason of the right pleasure and pain, which had previously been matter of habit (Laws; Republic): or the blasphemy of saying that the excellency of music is to give pleasure (Laws; Republic): again the story of the Sidonian Cadmus (Laws), which is a variation of the Phoenician tale of the earth-born men (Republic): the comparison of philosophy to a yelping she-dog, both in the Republic and in the Laws: the remark that no man can practise two trades (Laws; Republic): or the advantage of the middle condition (Laws; Republic): the tendency to speak of principles as moulds or forms; compare the ekmageia of song (Laws), and the tupoi of religion (Republic): or the remark (Laws) that 'the relaxation of justice makes many cities out of one,' which may be compared with the Republic: or the description of lawlessness 'creeping in little by little in the fashions of music and overturning all things,'—to us a paradox, but to Plato's mind a fixed idea, which is found in the Laws as well as in the Republic: or the figure of the parts of the human body under which the parts of the state are described (Laws; Republic): the apology for delay and diffuseness, which occurs not unfrequently in the Republic, is carried to an excess in the Laws (compare Theaet.): the remarkable thought (Laws) that the soul of the sun is better than the sun, agrees with the relation in which the idea of good stands to the sun in the Republic, and with the substitution of mind for the idea of good in the Philebus: the passage about the tragic poets (Laws) agrees generally with the treatment of them in the Republic, but is more finely conceived, and worked out in a nobler spirit.
In carrying out the distribution of the land, a prudent legislator will be careful to respect any provision for religious worship which has been sanctioned by ancient tradition or by the oracles of Delphi, Dodona, or Ammon.
The laws which are to regulate matters of religion shall be brought from Delphi, and interpreters appointed to superintend their execution.
These shall be elected in the following manner:—The twelve tribes shall be formed into three bodies of four, each of which shall select four candidates, and this shall be done three times: of each twelve thus selected the three who receive the largest number of votes, nine in all, after undergoing a scrutiny shall go to Delphi, in order that the God may elect one out of each triad.
In the elections to the priesthood, Plato endeavours to mix or balance in a friendly manner 'demus and not demus.' The commonwealth of the Laws, like the Republic, cannot dispense with a spiritual head, which is the same in both—the oracle of Delphi.
And ten are to be selected from the younger sons of the other citizens—one of whom is to be chosen by the oracle of Delphi to be heir of the lot.
To him who is careless of such consequences, and, despising the word of the wise, takes up a treasure which is not his—what will be done by the hand of the Gods, God only knows,—but I would have the first person who sees the offender, inform the wardens of the city or the country; and they shall send to Delphi for a decision, and whatever the oracle orders, they shall carry out.
Whether the legislator is establishing a new state or restoring an old and decayed one, in respect of Gods and temples,—the temples which are to be built in each city, and the Gods or demi-gods after whom they are to be called,—if he be a man of sense, he will make no change in anything which the oracle of Delphi, or Dodona, or the God Ammon, or any ancient tradition has sanctioned in whatever manner, whether by apparitions or reputed inspiration of Heaven, in obedience to which mankind have established sacrifices in connexion with mystic rites, either originating on the spot, or derived from Tyrrhenia or Cyprus or some other place, and on the strength of which traditions they have consecrated oracles and images, and altars and temples, and portioned out a sacred domain for each of them.
Now the laws about all divine things should be brought from Delphi, and interpreters appointed, under whose direction they should be used.
As for the interpreters, they shall be appointed thus:—Let the twelve tribes be distributed into groups of four, and let each group select four, one out of each tribe within the group, three times; and let the three who have the greatest number of votes (out of the twelve appointed by each group), after undergoing a scrutiny, nine in all, be sent to Delphi, in order that the God may return one out of each triad; their age shall be the same as that of the priests, and the scrutiny of them shall be conducted in the same manner; let them be interpreters for life, and when any one dies let the four tribes select another from the tribe of the deceased.
And out of the citizens who have more than one son of not less than ten years of age, they shall select ten whom their father or grandfather by the mother's or father's side shall appoint, and let them send to Delphi the names of those who are selected, and him whom the God chooses they shall establish as heir of the house which has failed; and may he have better fortune than his predecessors!
If any one in an athletic contest, and at the public games, involuntarily kills a friend, and he dies either at the time or afterwards of the blows which he has received; or if the like misfortune happens to any one in war, or military exercises, or mimic contests of which the magistrates enjoin the practice, whether with or without arms, when he has been purified according to the law brought from Delphi relating to these matters, he shall be innocent.
When information has been received the city shall send to Delphi, and, whatever the God answers about the money and the remover of the money, that the city shall do in obedience to the oracle; the informer, if he be a freeman, shall have the honour of doing rightly, and he who informs not, the dishonour of doing wrongly; and if he be a slave who gives information, let him be freed, as he ought to be, by the state, which shall give his master the price of him; but if he do not inform he shall be punished with death.
To Apollo at Delphi and to Zeus at Olympia and to Nemea and to the Isthmus, citizens should be sent to take part in the sacrifices and games there dedicated to the Gods; and they should send as many as possible, and the best and fairest that can be found, and they will make the city renowned at holy meetings in time of peace, procuring a glory which shall be the converse of that which is gained in war; and when they come home they shall teach the young that the institutions of other states are inferior to their own.
Delphi Oracle: It often announced the spiritual ascension of Greek heroes, revealing ancient knowledge about reincarnation and spiritual evolution.
Athletes and musicians gathered every few years in the Greek city of Delphi to compete in the Pythian Games, which may have begun even earlier than the Olympics, which according to tradition began in 776 BC.
Delphi was also home to the Oracle of Delphi, a famed figure in classical Greek mythology.
He [Manias] took a pair of compasses, placed the point on Delphi and drew a circle through theAcropolis.
Apollodorus then records her death and burial, and the turn that sends Cadmus toward Delphi and the founding of Thebes:
When Telephassa died, Cadmus buried her, and after being hospitably received by the Thracians he came to Delphi to inquire about Europa.
After the burial, Cadmus’s road runs to Delphi, the cow, and the city that becomes Thebes.
The Oracle of Delphi was one of ancient Greece's most significant religious institutions, known for its prophetic insights and deep spiritual authority.
Located at Delphi, a sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the oracle played a central role in Greek religious life for over a millennium, attracting individuals and city-states seeking divine guidance.
Geographic Location: The Temple of Apollo at Delphi is located in central Greece, on the southwestern spur of Mount Parnassus.
Delphi was regarded as the most important oracle in ancient Greece.
According to Greek mythology, Apollo chose Delphi as the site for his oracle after defeating a Python, a serpent or dragon that guarded the area.
The omphalos stone, symbolizing the center of the world, was kept at Delphi, marking its central religious importance.
It was believed to have been placed there by Zeus after releasing two eagles from opposite ends of the earth that met at Delphi.
The Oracle of Delphi was significant not only for its religious impact but also for its political influence.
Treasuries at Delphi: Several Greek city-states built treasuries at Delphi to store offerings and showcase their wealth.
Under Roman rule, Delphi continued to be revered, but its influence gradually waned as political dynamics shifted.
By the end of the 4th century CE, Emperor Theodosius ordered the closure of pagan temples, and Delphi’s oracle was eventually abandoned.
The legacy of the Oracle of Delphi is far-reaching, inspiring myths, literature, and philosophical thought throughout Western culture.
Delphi became a symbol of the pursuit of knowledge, epitomized by the famous aphorism inscribed at the temple: "Know thyself" (Greek: gnothi seauton).
The Oracle of Delphi, dedicated to Apollo, was a revered religious institution in ancient Greece.
Over time, three distinct oracles operated in Delphi:
The Pythia was chosen from among the local women of Delphi, who were required to lead sober lives.
According to Plutarch, who served as a priest at Delphi, the Pythia could be from a variety of backgrounds—rich or poor, educated or illiterate.
After 200 BCE, Delphi was overseen by two priests, one of whom was Plutarch.
Despite this, the Oracle of Delphi remained a central and authoritative religious institution in Greek antiquity, its influence reaching deeply into political, cultural, and personal decision-making across the Greek world.
Details: Ancient Greek sources often cite Phemonoe as the very first priestess to serve Apollo at Delphi.
Details: According to Diogenes Laërtius, Themistoclea was a priestess of Apollo at Delphi and, interestingly, is said to have been a teacher or influencer of Pythagoras, the famous philosopher.
Role: Another name occasionally associated with Delphi.
Details: Herophile is sometimes described as one of the sibyls (female prophets) and was said to have connections with Delphi.
King Croesus of Lydia consulted the Oracle of Delphi using a double-blind method to gain insights about future events.
Poseidon seems to have had settlements at Corinth, Ægina, Naxos, and Delphi.
She begins by reflecting on the ancient saying, "Know Thyself," which was written at the entrance of the temple in Delphi, Greece.
The famous sanctuary of Delphi, located on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, further emphasizes the mountain's connection to Apollo.
Delphi was home to the Oracle of Delphi, one of the most important religious sites in ancient Greece, where the priestess Pythia delivered prophecies inspired by Apollo.
Mount Parnassus was historically significant due to its proximity to Delphi, one of the most important religious and cultural centers in the ancient Greek world.
Delphi was believed to be the "navel" of the world, and its sanctuary attracted pilgrims from across Greece and beyond.
The Pythian Games, held in honor of Apollo, were one of the four Panhellenic Games and took place every four years at Delphi.
The Oracle of Delphi, situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, played a crucial role in Greek history.
Delphi, located on its slopes, remains a popular archaeological site, drawing visitors who wish to connect with the ancient world and the myths that have shaped Western culture.
Phoebe: Wife of Coeus, associated with the oracle of Delphi and the goddess of prophetic radiance.