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Oracle of Delphi

Type Object Region Europe Time c. -800–393

Priestly advisory sanctuary at Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus in Phocis, Greece, famed for the Pythia's delivery of Apollo's oracles;…

Timeline

  1. c. -800–-600Temple of Apollo at Delphi · PhocisDelphi's status as the center of Apollo worship was established and the Pythia's oracle institution took shape; the 'navel (Omphalos)' motif in the Homeric and Hesiodic traditions reinforced its symbol as the center of the universe, and the city-states began regularly sending envoys to consult.
  2. c. -600–-323Delphi · GreeceThe Delphic Amphictyony coordinated defense and sacrifice around the sanctuary; records of consultations appear for the Greco-Persian Wars, colonization, and major decisions of tyrannies and democracies, with the oracle answering in ambiguous verse, interpreted and conveyed by the priesthood.
  3. c. -323–393Delphi · GreeceMacedonian and Roman rulers also sought the oracle's legitimacy; as Christianity became the state religion and pagan sacrifices were banned, oracular activity at Delphi ceased and the sanctuary became ruins, though its historical memory as a symbol of Greek culture endured.

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