Delphic oracle
Delphic oracleoracle of Apollo. Its origins are dated to the very end of the 9th cent. bc and eventually it developed into the most important Greek oracle. It was consulted by poleis (see polis) as well as individuals, and played an important guiding role in the formation of the Greek poleis and in colonization; it gave guidance on pollution, ‘release from evils’, (rarely) laws, and, above all, cult. The story that Apollo was not the original owner of the oracle, but replaced an earlier deity (different versions naming different deities, but all including Gaia or Themis, or both) does not reflect cult history; it is a myth, expressing the perception that at Delphi the chthonian (lit. ‘of the earth’), dangerous, and disorderly aspects of the cosmos have been defeated by, and subordinated to, the celestial...
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