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Hagiography has it that in 362, on behalf of his emperor Julian the Apostate, Oribasius visited the Delphic oracle, now in a rather desolate state, offering his emperor's services to the temple and, in return, receiving one of the last prophecies by the Delphic Pythia:
Well one day he went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether anyone was wiser than myself and the Pythian prophetess answered, that there was no man wiser. Chaerephon is dead himself; but his brother, who is in court, will confirm the truth of what I am saying.
However, her power eventually began to wane, especially after Rome captured Delphi in the early 2nd century bce. The Delphic oracle’s last prophecy was reportedly delivered about 393 ce, when the Roman emperor Theodosius I instituted various laws to end pagan activity.
The Oracle of Delphi was an important Greek priestess and soothsayer who practiced divination in the Temple of Apollo at the ancient sanctuary of Delphi on Mount Parnassus. Also known as the Pythia, the oracle was a real woman carefully selected by the priests of the sanctuary.
The Pythia (or Oracle of Delphi) was the priestess who held court at Pytho, the sanctuary of the Delphinians, a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek god Apollo. Pythia were highly regarded, for it was believed that she channeled prophecies from Apollo himself, while steeped in a dreamlike trance.
The last oracle of Delphi was preserved in the Church History of Philostorgius the Arian, who died ca. 426 AD. Philostorgius’ work itself has not survived, but it still existed, in twelve books and two volumes, when Photius reviewed it in his Myriobiblion in the 9th century.
At the Oracle of Delphi, Apollo’s mysterious priestess, the Pythia, conveyed the god’s prophecies. Here are five fascinating oracular statements which helped to shape ancient Greek civilization.
Pythia (/ ˈpɪθiə /; [1] Ancient Greek: Πυθία [pyːˈtʰíaː]) was the title of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. She specifically served as its oracle and was known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her title was also historically glossed in English as the Pythoness.
This article delves into the rich historical background of the Oracle of Delphi, its profound connection with Apollo, the rituals and practices that defined it, and its lasting impact on ancient Greek society and beyond.
It is, I think, generally believed that the last oracle delivered at Delphi was that given to Oreibasios announcing the inability of Apollo to prophesy there again. This oracle begins with the line: εἴπατε τῷ βασιλ⋯ϊ· χαμα⋯ π⋯σε δα⋯δαλος αὐλ⋯ and has been translated by Swinburne as The Last Oracle.