![]() ![]() The Oracle was perhaps the oldest in Greece and practiced nearly every form of divination. It indicates either: 1) the physical temple site, 2) the person who recites the divine message, also known as a "mantis," or 3) the words the mantis speaks. Note: the term "oracle" can be used in three ways. In fact, Delphi's fame later spread well beyond Greece during the 8th and 7th Centuries BC, the site received Mediterranean-wide recognition as the premier divine oracle. Though Zeus' surveying methods may not be sound, Delphi occupied a special place for the Greeks and their gods. They collided at Delphi, and Zeus concluded Delphi was the "omphalos," or navel of the world. Wanting to find the center of the Earth, Zeus sent out two eagles at opposite ends of the Earth. Zeus also played a role in Delphi's mythological construction. As described in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, Apollo slew the serpent and then spent eight years on leave, in order to cleanse himself. According to some ancient accounts, the Python protected the oracle of Gaia, the mother of the gods and first inhabitant of the site. The story of Apollo at Delphi begins with the god's conquest of the Python. ![]()
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