Aegeus, a mythical king of Athens, consults the Pythia, who sits on a tripod. For the Spartan hero Aegeus see Aegeus (hero. In Greek mythology, Aegeus (Αἰγεύς also Aigeus, Aegeas Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's An inscription on the cup identifies the Pythia as Themis. For other uses see Themis (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Hesiod mentions Themis (Θέμις among the six sons and six daughters of Gaia Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix, by the Kodros painter, ca. A tondo (plural "tondi" is a Renaissance term for a circular work of art either a painting or a sculpture Red-figure vase painting is one of the most important styles of figural Greek vase painting. 440-430 BC, now in the Berlin Museum (Berlin Mus. 2538). This is the only contemporary image of the Pythia.

Pythia was the priestess presiding over the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. PYTHIA is a computer simulation program for particle collisions at very high energies (see Event (particle physics) in Particle accelerators An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion an Infallible authority usually spiritual in nature Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western There are more than 500 supposed Oracular statements which have survived from various sources referring to the oracle at Delphi. The following list presents some of the most prominent and historically significant.

Early period

Circa the 9th century BC, Lycurgus, (dates are not completely verified, and some even question his existence) regent of Sparta and the writer of the Spartan constitution went to the oracle to ask for guidance. Lycurgus ( Greek:, Lukoûrgos; 700 BC?&ndash630 BC was the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, who established the military-oriented reformation of The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity The oracle told Lycurgus that his prayers had been heard and that the state which observed the laws of Lycurgus would become the most famous in the world. With such an endorsement, Lycurgus went to the leading men of Sparta and enlisted their support. Seeking further assistance she also told him:

There are two roads, most distant from each other: the one leading to the honorable house of freedom, the other the house of slavery, which mortals must shun. It is possible to travel the one through manliness and lovely accord; so lead your people to this path. The other they reach through hateful strife and cowardly destruction; so shun it most of all

As a result Lycurgus built a constitution for the Spartans that combined features of a monarchy with two kings, of a land-owning aristocracy and a democracy. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system The oracle further told him:

Love of money and nothing else will ruin Sparta. ^[1]

As a result Lycurgus decreed that no silver money was allowed in Sparta, creating a cumbersome iron currency instead. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The oracle was to prove correct. The enslavement of the helots and the gold and silver its soldiers sent home after the Peloponnesian War were to prove to be Sparta's undoing. The helots (in Classical Greek / Heílôtes) were an unfree population group that formed the

In 630 BC the king of the island of Thera, went to Delphi to offer a gift on behalf of his native city, and was told by the oracle:

that he should found a city in Libya. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab

Because the king did not know where Libya was, he did nothing. Later it did not rain on Thera for a considerable period, and to find out what could be done, the Therans again approached the oracle. She said:

if they . . . would make a settlement at Cyrene in Libya, things would go better with them. Cyrene (in Greek, Κυρήνη &ndash Kurene) was an ancient Greek Colony in present-day Libya, the oldest and most

To relieve the pressure from the drought, and following the advice of the oracle, the Therans sought advice from the Cretans as to where Libya was and a colony of Thera was established at Platea. Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the For the Geometer moth Genus, see Plataea (moth. Plataea or Plataeae was an ancient city located in Greece But bad luck still followed them for another two years, so they visited the oracle a third time. She said:

Know you better than I, fair Libya abounding in fleeces? Better the stranger than he who has trod it? Oh! Clever Therans!^[2]

The Therans sought advice from the local Libyans who gave them a new site, and the colony prospered.

In 595 BC the affairs of the Oracle were felt too important to be left to the Delphians alone, and the sanctity of the site came to be protected by the Amphictyonic League, a league of 12 cities in existence since 1100 BC. The Amphictyonic League ( Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places and (The league had been named after Amphictyon of Thermopylae, brother of Hellen, the first Greek (or non-Pelasgian) King of Athens. This article is about Amphictyon a figure of Greek mythology For the Amphictyony an ancient Greek religious organization see Amphictyonic League. Thermopylae (θɚˈmɒpəli (Ancient and Katharevousa Greek, Demotic Θερμοπύλες: "hot gateway" is a location in Greece Note Hellen was not the same person as Helen of Troy, or Helenus, son of King Priam of Troy. The name Pelasgians (from Ancient Greek grc Πελασγοί Pelasgoí, singular Πελασγός Pelasgós) was used by some ancient Greek Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's ) In that year, nearby Crisa levied a toll on pilgrims, which ushered in the First Sacred War. The First Sacred War ( 595 BC - 585 BC) was fought between the Amphictyonic League of Delphi and the city of Kirrha. After 5 years of struggle, the Oracle decreed that the site of Crisa be left fallow, sacred to Apollo. This ushered in a period of great prosperity.

In 594 BC Solon, the Athenian lawgiver, seeking to capture the island of Salamis from Megara and Cirrha was told by the oracle:

First sacrifice to the warriors who once had their home in this island,

Whom now the rolling plain of fair Asopia covers,

Laid in the tombs of heroes with their faces turned to the sunset,

He did, and taking as volunteers 500 young Athenians whose ancestors came from Salamis, was successful in capturing the island, that was to prove so important in later Athenian history. Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet. Salamis ( Greek, Modern: Σαλαμίνα Salamína, Ancient / Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς Salamís) is the largest Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop Cirrha is a genus of moth in the family Gelechiidae. Salamis ( Greek, Modern: Σαλαμίνα Salamína, Ancient / Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς Salamís) is the largest Solon never ceased to support and give credit to the oracle for its support in declaring the island was originally Ionian.

In framing his famous constitutional reforms for Athens, Solon again sought the advice of the oracle who told him:

Seat yourself now amidships, for you are the pilot of Athens.

Grasp the helm fast in your hands; you have many allies in your city.

As a result Solon refused the opportunity to become a revolutionary tyrant, and created a constitution for which he, and Athens, were justly honoured. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. Through trial by jury, a graduated tax system and the forgiveness of debts he prevented a growing gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots". A jury a sworn body of persons convened to render a rational, impartial Verdict (a finding of fact on a question officially submitted to them A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases But he refused to accept the confiscations of the property of the rich, so creating an Athenian middle class. Confiscation, from the Latin confiscatio 'joining to the fiscus i Property is any physical or virtual entity that is owned by an individual The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. He secured an Oath from the Athenian Council of Magistrates that if they violated these laws they would dedicate a gold statue to the Oracle of Delphi of equal weight to themselves. A magistrate is a judicial officer In Common law systems a magistrate usually has limited authority to administer and enforce the Law. ^[3]

In 582 BC, the Pythian Games, were created, and run every four years, two years after the Olympic games. The Pythian Games (Delphic Games were one of the four Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece, a forerunner of the modern Olympic Games, held every four The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games They were as important in ancient Greece as the Olympic Games, and included prizes in poetry and drama. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance.

In 560 BC Croesus of Lydia, in a trial of oracles, consulted all the famous oracles as to what he was doing on an appointed day. This article refers to the historical King of Lydia For the opera by Reinhard Keiser, see Croesus (opera. Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy According to Herodotus, the oracle proclaimed:

I count the grains of sand on the beach and measure the sea; I understand the speech of the dumb and hear the voiceless. The smell has come to my sense of a hard shelled tortoise boiling and bubbling with a lamb's flesh in a bronze pot: the cauldron underneath it is of bronze, and bronze is the lid. ^[4]

Delphi was declared the winner. Croesus then asked if he should make war on the Persians and if he should take to himself any allied force. The oracles to whom he sent this question included those at Delphi and Thebes. Both oracles gave the same response, that if Croesus made war on the Persians, he would destroy a mighty empire. They further advised him to seek out the most powerful Greek peoples and make alliance with them.

Croesus paid a high fee to the Delphians and then sent to the oracle asking "Would his monarchy last long?" The Pythia gave the following answer:

Whenever a mule shall become sovereign king of the Medians, then, Lydian Delicate-Foot, flee by the stone-strewn Hermus, flee, and think not to stand fast, nor shame to be chicken-hearted. In its common modern meaning a mule is the offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. In Greek mythology Hermus (Ἕρμος is the god of the river Hermus (modern Gediz river) located in Aegean region of Lydia (modern Turkey ^[5]

Croesus thought it impossible that a mule should be king of the Medes and thus believed that he and his issue would never be out of power. In its common modern meaning a mule is the offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. He thus decided to make common cause with certain Greek city states and attack Persia. ^[6]

However, it was he, not the Persians, who was defeated, fulfilling the prophecy but not his interpretation of it. He apparently forgot that Cyrus, the victor, was half Mede (by his mother), half Persian (by his father) and therefore could be considered a mule. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox ^[7]

Classical Period

In 480 BC, when Xerxes the son of Darius of Persia, returned to finish the job of conquering the Greeks in which his father had failed, the Athenians consulted the oracle. They were told

Now your statues are standing and pouring sweat. They shiver with dread. The black blood drips from the highest rooftops. They have seen the necessity of evil. Get out, get out of my sanctum and drown your spirits in woe. ^[8]

It was unambiguous. When persuaded to seek advice a second time, the oracle gave a way for the Athenians to escape their doom. When Athena approached her father to help her city, Zeus responded that he would grant that

a wall of wood alone shall be uncaptured, a boon to you and your children. ^[9]

The oracle again advised the Athenians to flee

Await not in quiet the coming of the horses, the marching feet, the armed host upon the land. Slip away. Turn your back. You will meet in battle anyway. O holy Salamis, you will be the death of many a woman's son between the seedtime and the harvest of the grain. The Battle of Salamis ( Ancient Greek:) was a decisive naval battle between the Greek City-states and Persia in September 480 BC in the ^[10]

Meanwhile, the Spartans also consulted the oracle and were told

The strength of bulls or lions cannot stop the foe. No, he will not leave off, I say, until he tears the city or the king limb from limb. ^[11]

or in a version according to Herodotus

"Hear your fate, O dwellers in Sparta of the wide spaces;

Either your famed, great town must be sacked by Perseus' sons,

Or, if that be not, the whole land of Lacedaemon

Shall mourn the death of a king of the house of Heracles,

For not the strength of lions or of bulls shall hold him,

Strength against strength; for he has the power of Zeus,

And will not be checked till one of these two he has consumed. "^[12]. The Spartans withdrew in consternation, wondering which fate was worse.

The Delphians themselves then asked how Persia could be defeated. The oracle replied

Pray to the Winds. They will prove to be mighty allies of Greece. ^[13]

Events overtook the prophecy when the Persian army assaulted Thermopylae, where the Spartans (notably “the 300”) and allies held the pass against them. In the Battle of Thermopylae, which occurred in August 480 BC (and was detailed almost entirely by Herodotus) an alliance of Greek City-states fought Thermopylae (θɚˈmɒpəli (Ancient and Katharevousa Greek, Demotic Θερμοπύλες: "hot gateway" is a location in Greece The Spartans under King Leonidas (The Lion) resisted the Persian advance at Thermopylae until betrayed by treachery. Leonidas ( Greek:; "Lion's son" "Lion-like" was a king of Sparta, the 17th of the Agiad line one of the sons Refusing to retreat, the entire Spartan contingent, including their King (as foretold), lost their lives, but in so doing gained immortal fame. The Persian armada then sailed to nearby Cape Artemisium, where they were met by the Athenian fleet. Artemisium is a cape north of Euboea, Greece. The legendary hollow cast bronze statue of a debatable Zeus or Poseidon was found off this cape in a sunken The Athenian ships fought against great odds, but in three battles managed to hold their own.

A tremendous storm then arose at Artemesium, with the most violent winds attacking the ships for three days. The Persians lost about 20% of their warships and perhaps the same number of transport vessels to the storm. The stormy winds and huge waves did not harm the Athenian ships.

Back in Athens Themistocles argued that the wall of wood referred to the Athenian navy and persuaded the Athenians to pursue their policy of using wealth from their Attic silver mines at Laurium to continue building their fleet. Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman Laurion redirects here For the Moth Genus, see Laurion (moth. On the grounds that the oracle referred to the nearby island of Salamis as "holy", he claimed that those slain would be Greece's enemies, not the Athenians. Salamis ( Greek, Modern: Σαλαμίνα Salamína, Ancient / Katharevousa: Σαλαμίς Salamís) is the largest For these the oracle would have said "O cruel Salamis". His voice carried the day, Athens was evacuated to Salamis and in a following naval battle the Athenian fleet and its allies destroyed the Persian fleet at Salamis, while watched by Xerxes. Despite the fact that Athens was burned by the Persians, her occupants were saved, the Persian risk was ended and the authority of the Oracle was never higher.

In circa 440 BC the oracle is also said to have said that there was no one wiser than Socrates, to which Socrates said that either all were equally ignorant, or that he was wiser in that he alone was aware of his own ignorance. SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. This claim is related to one of the most famous mottos of Delphi, which Socrates said he learned there, Gnothi Seauton (Γνώθι Σεαυτόν): "know thyself!". Another famous motto of Delphi is Meden agan (Μηδὲν ἄγαν): "nothing in excess" (literally, "nothing excessively"). Socrates was perhaps only about 30 years old at the time, his fame as a philosopher was yet to come. It has been said that in encouraging Socrates' philosophical leanings, the Oracle was to have its greatest impact upon the future of successive civilisations. One version of the claim stated that a friend of Socrates went before Pythia asking, "Is there any man alive wiser than Socrates?" The answer that he received was simply, "No. "

In 403 BC Lysander, the Spartan victor of the Peloponnesian War was warned to beware

Also the dragon (serpent), earthborn, in craftiness coming behind thee. Lysander (died 395 BC Λύσανδρος, Lýsandros) was a Spartan General and the commander of the Spartan fleet in the Hellespont which was victorious

He was slain from behind in 395 BC by Neachorus, who had a serpent painted upon his shield.

In 401 BC Sparta was warned.

Sure though thy feet, proud Sparta, have a care,

A lame king's reign may see thee trip — Beware!

Troubles unlooked for long shall vex thy shore,

And rolling Time his tide of carnage pour.

Agesilaus, the lame king of Sparta, who acceeded to the Spartan throne at the time of Lysander, through attacking enemies in every quarter, lost control of the seas to the Persians who attacked Spartan coastal locations. Agesilaus II, or Agesilaos II ( Greek) (444 BC &ndash 360 BC was a king of Sparta, of the Eurypontid dynasty ruling from approximately In his obsession with Thebes, he incited the Thebans under Epaminondas to fight back. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek The Spartans were defeated for the first time by the Thebans in the battle of Leuctra in 371 BC; this led to the invasion of Sparta itself and its defeat at the battle of Mantinea in 362 BC. The Battle of Leuctra (or Leuktra was a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post- Corinthian War conflict The Battle of Mantinea was fought in 362 BC between the Thebans, led by Epaminondas and supported by the Arcadians and the Boeotian

In 373 BC an earthquake devastated the temple of Delphi. It took the Greek states 50 years to raise the money to rebuild the edifice, as so many states had become poorer through overpopulation, famine, plague and war.

In 359 BC Philip II of Macedon consulted the Oracle and was told

With silver spears you may conquer the world

The king then sought to control the silver mines in the neighbouring Thracian and Illyrian kingdoms, and using them to bribe his way to early victories, playing one Greek state off against the others, and isolating his enemies by bribes to potential allies. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse

Philip also had a highly spirited black colt that no one could ride. The Oracle of Delphi stated whoever could ride this horse would conquer the world, but despite many attempts neither Philip nor any of his generals could mount the horse. His son, Alexander, later to be called the Great, succeeded as he realized that the horse was afraid of his own shadow. Philip gave the horse Bucephalus to Alexander, who took the steed on his conquest of Asia. For the branding mark anciently used on horses see Bucephalus (brand.

In 353 BC a third Sacred War broke out when Thebes had placed a fine upon Phokis, and Phokis, to pay for the war, heavily taxed the people of nearby Delphi and seized the Treasury of Delphi. Phocis ( Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα foˈkiða Ancient / Katharevousa: Φωκίς foˈkis is an ancient district and a modern prefecture The Amphictyonic League led by Philip declared war against Phokis. Philip sought to unite all Greece with Macedon in the Amphictyonic League to attack Persia. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most

In 339 BC Philip interfered once again against the Amphictyonic alliance when the Krissans trespassed on Apollo's sacred grounds. Philip punished the Krissans, and consequently in 338 c. B. C. defeated the combined armies of the Athenians and the Spartans, thus becoming the dominant force in Greek affairs. Eventually, at the Battle of Chaeronea he was successful against the Athenians and Thebans but he was assassinated before he could lead the invasion of Persia. Chaeronea (Χαιρώνεια is a municipality in the Boeotia Prefecture, Greece.

In 336 BC when the young Alexander the Great, Philip's son, arrived at Delphi to have his fortune foretold, before setting forth to attack the Persian Empire, the Oracle, uncharacteristically remained silent and could not be prompted to say anything, asking him to come back later. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Furious, Alexander dragged Pythia by the hair out of the adyton until she screamed -

Let go of me; you’re unbeatable. PYTHIA is a computer simulation program for particle collisions at very high energies (see Event (particle physics) in Particle accelerators The adyton (Άδυτον or adytum ( Latin) was a restricted area within the Cella of a Greek or Roman temple.

The moment he heard these words he dropped her, saying "Now I have my answer"

Roman Period

In 279 BC plundered by a Celtic invasion, the oracle declared

Care for these things falls on me!

The Celts were met by earthquakes, avalanches, and a massive snow storm, forcing them to retreat. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer This article refers to the natural event For other uses see Avalanche (disambiguation An avalanche is an abrupt and rapid flow of snow often But the Romans were a different matter. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC

In 191 BC, the sanctuary of Delphi fell into the Roman sphere of influence, and the oracle generally supported the rise of Rome henceforth.

133 BC In the War between Carthaginian Hannibal and the Romans, the volcano of Thera created an artificial island. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Hannibal (Pronounced in Phoenician: Hanniba'al means " Ba'al is my grace " or " Ba'al has given me grace " 247 BC &ndash Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the The Oracle predicted both the eventual Roman victory and the appearance of the island, in a notable prophecy that stated

When Trojan race (the Romans) the victory shall win

From Punic (Carthaginian) foe, lo! wonders shall begin;

Unearthly fires from out the sea shall flash,

Whirlwinds toss stones aloft, and thunder crash,

An isle unnamed,unknown, shall stand upright,

The weak shall beat the stronger in the fight. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or The Punics, (from Latin pūnicus meaning Phoenician were a group of Western Semitic speaking peoples originating from Carthage

In 86 BC Sulla the Roman Dictator seized the treasury of Delphi in order to finance his siege of Athens, during the Roman Civil Wars of the Late Republic. Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix ( Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX (c A dictator is an Authoritarian ruler (eg Absolutist or autocratic) who assumes sole and absolute power without hereditary ascension such as an Absolute List of Civil wars involving Rome. There were several Roman civil wars, especially during the time of the late Republic.

In 83 BC Delphi was razed by an attack from the Thracian tribe of Maedi who extinguished the sacred fire which had been burning uninterrupted for millennia. Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe The Maedi (also Maidans, Maedans, or Medi) were a Thracian tribe who in historic times occupied the area between Paionia and The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a Controversial semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Australian Aborigines

At the time of Pompey the Great, Cicero, Pompey's ally, consulted the Oracle as to how he should find greatest fame and was told:

make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman

It was wise advice for Pompey was subsequently defeated by Julius Caesar. Cicero cultivated his oratory and his skills in the courts in preserving Rome from the Catilinarian conspiracy, earning undying fame. Lucius Sergius Catilina (108 BC–62 BC known in English as Catiline, was a Roman Politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the

In 67 AD Emperor Nero, who was just 30 years old and had just killed his own mother, when visiting the Oracle was told

Your presence here outrages the god you seek. An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Go back, matricide! The number 73 marks the hour of your downfall!

He was angered and had the Pythia buried alive. Matricide is the act of Killing one's Mother. As for any type of killing motives can vary a great deal Nero thought he would have a long reign and die at 73. Instead his reign came to a short end after a revolt by Galba who was 73 years of age at the time. Servius Sulpicius Galba ( December 24, 3 BC &ndash January 15, 69) also called Servius Sulpicius Galba Caesar

Before 117 AD the Emperor Hadrian visited Delphi before he reached the throne. Publius Aelius Hadrianus (January 24 76 &ndash July 10 138 as emperor Imperator Caesar Divi Traiani filius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, and Divus Hadrianus after After drinking of the Kassotis his destiny as Emperor was proclaimed. When he had acceeded to the throne, he ordered it blocked up so no one else could get the same idea in the same way.

In the second century AD the Amphictyonic League, which had protected Delphi since 595 BC, was disbanded. The Amphictyonic League ( Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places and

In 303 AD when the Emperor Diocletian visited Delphi and asked why the quality of the Oracular utterances had declined, the oracle stated it was as a result of Christian influence. Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( ca. December 22 244 The modern historian Timothy Barnes takes December 22 as his birthdate A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth It led to Diocletian's persecution of the Christians, and Christian animosity against the Oracle, which eventually led to its destruction.

In 361 AD, despite the attempt by the Emperor Julian revive the Oracle by removing Hadrian's plug and to exempt the temple from taxation and protect its priesthood, the Oracle never recovered its former glory. Flavius Claudius Julianus, known also as Julian or Julian the Apostate (331 or 332 to 26 June 363) was Roman Emperor (Caesar

In 389 AD, under the reign of Theodosius I, Christian attacks against pagan temples continued, reaching a head when the Emperor ordered that all pagan temples be shut. Flavius Theodosius (January 11 347 – January 17 395 also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great ( Greek: Θεοδόσιος Α΄ The oracle declared to the Emperor in 393 AD

Tell the king; the fair wrought house has fallen.

No shelter has Apollo, nor sacred laurel leaves;

The fountains are now silent; the voice is stilled.

It is finished.

Within two years the Emperor Theodosius was dead. Within twenty the Western Roman Empire had fallen to Alaric the Visigoth, invaded by a barbarian for the first time in 800 years. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived

References

• Fontenrose, Joseph, The Delphic Oracle, Its Responses and Operations, with a Catalogue of Responses, University of California Press, 1981.
• Parke, H. W. , A History of the Delphic Oracle, Basil Blackwell, 1939.
• Plutarch, Moralia, tr. Frank Cole Babbitt, Loeb Library Series, Harvard University Press, 1962.