#oracle of apollo

[evilios]

When speaking about the Oracles of Apollo, we often just mention the most famous oracle of Delphi with its Pythia or the oracle of Phocis with the Mount Parnassus nearby. However, Apollonian cults across the Ancient Mediterranean had not one or two, but more oracles out of which some major ones are: Delphi, Didyma, Hierapolis, and more - they were scattered across Mainland Greece and Asia Minor.

The oracle of the Ancient Didyma is one of these major sites that has had just as interesting of a history of divinatory practices as any other one of Apollo’s oracles.

Oracle of Didyma, first properly mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, is a sanctuary located in the town Didim of Ancient Anatolia, Asia Minor (current Turkey), now formally known as Yenihisar. The name of the place is of unclear origin: some researchers suggested Greek origins, seeing that dydimos means “twin” and the association with Apollo and Artemis is obvious, but Artemis’ cult of Didyma had no connections nor mirroring of that of Apollo. Others suggested Zeus as the “partner” God of Apollo at the site - but we have so far found no evidence of there being a Zeus Didymos cult at any point of Ancient cultic activity. Fontenrose suggested that the name must be Carian (Anatolian language) and go along with other Anatolian place names: Sydima, Idyma, Loryma, Kibyma, and such.

The earliest archaeological finds so far discovered at the location site date the cult back to the 8th century BCE, possibly following the Ionian conquest over these Carian lands. The earliest dated pieces of pottery found in Didyma link us back to the 14th century BCE and the Mycenean civilization. Ancient writers, such as Pausanius, claim that the oracle has operated since the 11th century BCE, long before the Ionic invasion, but we are yet to find evidence to back up that claim. As of current, the city-sanctuary is attested to the Ionian cult of Apollo and is located around 10 kilometers South from the city of Miletus.

While the structural identity of the temple is incredibly interesting and doubles the temple at Delphi in a lot, I will only mention some peculiarities that the Didyma temple of Apollo had: a temenos (a protective wall around a sacred place), a stoas (freestanding surrounding collonade), a circular altar, a naiskos (small inner altar with a pediment), a chresmographeion (office of the oracle), and a sacred well preceding the temple.

Interestingly enough, the temple of Apollo at Didyma, as many scholars agree, was likely built with the aim to create an underground adyton, or inner shrine. Archaeological research and astronomical events observed at the site show that the sanctuary, built slightly differently from other Apollonian oracles in terms of its stellar orientation, was probably meant to face the rising of the constellation of Lyra.

It is possible that the temple was unroofed in both Archaic and Hellenistic age, when the building went through major rebuilding. Interestingly enough, the site of Didyma had musical and drama contests held annually but lacked a theater or an odeion.

The oracle of Didyma, though at first one of the two most popular oracular sites in Asia Minor, has seemingly gone through a decline after the destruction of the temple by Persians in the 5th century BCE. It has been through an uprising in the Hellenistic era with a following decline as Christianity spread, rendering the temple and the oracle unused as late as 3rd century AD.

Unfortunately, the information on the divinatory practices at the site of Didyma is not as well preserved as the information at other sites, such as the oracle of Delphi. We do know that the temple had a priest or a priestess to deliver versed prophecies - the gender of the deliverer of prophecies, through, is unknown.

Generally, there are two main types of divination that have been attested as used at the Didyma temple: mantic trance and cleromancy

We do not know enough to state anything on the divinatory process involving mantic trance at the site during the Archaic age, as all evidence so far has been inconclusive. However, there are surviving inscriptions and writings that show the form of divinatory delivery as used at the site in the post-Archaic period, after the renown revival of the temple by Alexander the Great. The oracle, whether a man or a woman, delivered the prophecies likely directly in form of a dactylic hexameter. Some researches supposed that every Apollonian oracle worked this way, though we do know that some of them were specific about the gender of the oracle - not Didyma.

Perhaps the latter has something to do with the legendary hoi Branchidae, priests tending to the temple of Apollo at Didyma; said to root from Branchus, the God’s old lover.

The oracle of Delphi, a site that, according to geological investigations, likely did have a chasm under the bedrock that could indeed leak vapors into the room of the temple, is different from the oracle at Didyma as the Anatolian temple lacks same volcanic geology. It is thus unclear if the oracle of Didyma fell into mantic trance as it is at all or perhaps used different methods of entering it.

In fact, it is still unclear whether the very concept of a mantic trance was that prevailing over other divinatory types. The requests for the Pythia were, for example, so constant that other types of divinatory practices were constantly used at Delphi. As for Didyma, there is another divinatory method that researchers have so far found evidence of being used. 

Astragali, the animal bone knucklebones, have been found across all divinatory centers of the Ancient world. Traditionally made out of bones of ugulates (pigs, sheep, goats, etc.) those lots had numerical significance as they were split into named groups and attested numbers each. It is unclear why specific animals only were used for making astragali, though there’s been stastical research that showed certain bones of certain animals, when shaped correctly, gives better, more equal results when thrown as dice.

As a divinatory tool, astragali possessed a degree of uncertainty to them as they could be modified to change the outcome of the draw; however, some researchers state it was believed that the seemingly random outcome of the draw ensured the diviner bears no influence on the outcome of said draw.

Astragali are sometimes believed to be secondary to oracular advice, and this assumption is based on a few factors. Seeking out oracular help included involving oneself into an expensive and time-consuming procedure that included sacrificing a whole sheep or goat, buying a honey cake for an offering, and going through an extensive consultation; that, combined with how rarely oracles of Delphi, Didyma, and other sites spoke added on to the subjective higher validity of the process, though there’s no proof one way of divination had an actual “better” effect on the results received than the other.

Ancient Anatolia has known divination by what later was called astragali from as long ago as the Copper Age (5,000 - 3,000 BCE) with prominence in the Anatolian city of Alisar, modern Turkey. Middle Bronze Age (2,100 - 1,550 BCE) and Late Bronze Age (1,550 - 1,200 BCE) dated finds of astrogali near Aphrodisias, Turkey, and Beycesultan neared the location of Didyma, pointing out the possible usage of the knucklebones at the site, too. Local Hittites have used astragali as oracular devices since the 14th century BCE, and the tradition seemed to continue on until it changed somewhere between Bronze and Iron age.

The Archaic finds in Ancient Anatolia point out that the usage of astragali has been quite consistent both in the temple to Apollo and the temple to Artemis in Ephesus alongside its use in different local sancturies. The knucklebones found were made out of wood, bones, and sometimes glass - inscribed, clear, and modified alike. Most of the astragali found at the site of Didyma were modified by lead, thus heavy, and had inscriptions on them that point out that the knucklebones bore messages to the inquirer.

One of the most fascinating parts about the history of divination at the site of Archaic Didyma is that the delivery of responses from the Deity was, apparently, direct - not a very common happening across the Greek Apollonian temples. Usually, the delivery would be done through a medium though inscriptions from Didyma use third (”the God said...) and first (”I said...”) person to describe messages given by, apparently, Apollo. Herodotus marks an event where the men of Kyme asked the oracle for advice and, after receiving a dissatisfactory reply, have continued to ask across other oracles of the region, eventually growing angry and disturbing the birds nesting in the walls of one of the temples. That, according to the historian, angered the God enough to speak to the intruders directly and request to never come back. Whether true or not, this does show that at Didyma, the belief persisted that Apollo could deliver messages personally and directly.

Another inscription found at Didyma also points out that the God spoke to the prophet directly; Delphic and Lebadeian oracles occasionally spoke spontaneous utterances directly to the oracles, too. However, the incident of a God speaking to a mortal directly is still a rarity in Ancient Greek worldview.

Sources and further reading: 🏺 🏺 🏺 🏺

#HISTORIA 📔 #ancient anatolia #ancient greece #ancient history #ionian greece #cult of apollo #temple of apollo #oracle of apollo #apollo #divination

[hlblng]

"I know the number of the sand and the measure of the sea;I understand the speech of the dumb and hear the voiceless." - Oracle of Delphi to Croesus of Lydia / According to Herodotus

Third version of the most powerful woman of the ancient greek world.

What a lonely life it must have been.

#pythia #oracle of delphi #delphi #apollo #oracle of apollo #greek mythology #ancient greece #greek gods #greek myth #oracle of delphi art #pythia art #greek mythology art #tradtional art #traditional artwork #oracle #seer #hlblng

[arthistoryfeed]

Oracle of Delphi: King Aigeus in front of the Pythia. Vase, c. 440–430 BC.Collection: Antikensammlung Berlin, Altes Museum, Berlin.⁣

Our new design: Oracle of Delphi. Available on Amazon and Redbubble: https://archaeostore.com/ ⁣ Delphi, in central Greece, is the sanctuary (sacred location) of the god Apollo. A temple there contains the Delphic Oracle, the most famous one of the Greek world's oracles (priestly fortune-tellers). Delphi was the religious center and the symbol of unity of the ancient Greek world in the sixth century BC.⁣ ⁣ Delphi is not one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. However, in terms of status and importance, few places were as powerful as Delphi, within two-and-a-half-hour driving distance from Athens. For a thousand years, rich and poor, kings and peasants came across the to visit the sanctuary of Apollo and paid homage to the god. His oracle was the spiritual center of their world.⁣ ⁣ According to a Homeric hymn of the 8th century BC, Apollo built his first temple in Delphi after having killed Python, the dreaded serpent guardian of the sanctuary of Gaia. Respecting the law that he himself had established, Apollo was exiled for eight years to atone for his crime. Then he returned as the absolute master of the place, becoming Apollo Pythian whose oracles were interpreted by a woman titled as the Pythia who was selected for her virtue and chastity.⁣ ⁣ Whoever wished to obtain information from Apollo had to offer a sacrifice to the god before entering the sanctuary. For this purpose, a sheep or a goat was sacrificed in front of the altar, which was always outside of the Greek temples. Then one had to turn to the priests of Apollo. The person seeking advice presented his question for the god to the priests as written down on a lead tablet.⁣

#oracle #oracle of apollo #apollo #delphi #pythia #ancient #ancient greece

[sunflowergraves]

#the hidden oracle in a nutshell #apollo cabin is full of shenegians #Starring: a tired camp counselor #honesty this is just their lives #welcome back to low quality memes #solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #riordanverse #pjo hoo toa #lester papadopoulos

[squiggle3worm]

Will Solace probably learned to put aside his own needs and wants to help other people during tlo. After Michael Yew died, Percy tore Will away to save Annabeth. He didn't get to help look for Michael or even grieve for him; he had to save Annabeth. While he's healing her, Will says that they're lucky they got there when they did or else Annabeth would've died, which probably solidified that sentiment for him.

The same thing happens in tho and Will again puts his own needs aside to help save other people. At this point, his only siblings, Austin and Kayla disappeared, yet Will knew it was his duty to stay back and heal the injured. He even stopped Apollo from trying to find them at that moment.

Will probably had more concern for Austin and Kayla than Apollo at that moment. He already lost Lee, Michael, and the rest of his unnamed sibling during botl and tlo; he doesn't want to lose his remaining ones. Even though he experienced so much loss and thought he was going to experience more, he still stayed behind to treat the rest of camp because he had to.

Will's sense of duty has no regard for himself.

#its not that he doesnt want to help save ppl at camp its that he has to give up his siblings and his own well being to do so #will solace #pjo #toa #the last olympian #the hidden oracle #the hidden oracle spoilers #i will never get over the losses from the apollo cabin #trials of apollo #apollo cabin #pjo hoo toa

[solarseptum]

Started reading The Trials of Apollo series and loved the part where he went ape shit when Meg got kidnapped by those huge ants 🥰

#pjo #toa #trials of apollo #lester papadopoulos #the hidden oracle #art

[lilsillustration]

Currently reading trials of Apollo for the first time - I love them!

#lester papadopoulos #meg mccaffrey #trials of Apollo #hidden oracle

[mythoscorner]

Heres another intresting snippet that may be good for some Apollo followers!

I'll leave the full explanation for those who wish to read the book (The Oracles Of Apollo)

The birth

Leto, Apollos mother. couldn't give birth anywhere on Mother Earth (due to Heras' anger with her for Zeus was the father), so she went to Delos for it was a floating island not connected by earth.

(Notes! Artemis was born first on the sixth day after the new moon! And so it is sacred to her. She also helped deliver her younger twin, Apollo, which is why women in labor may call on her)

(Notes! Swans are also sacred to Apollo! Who was born at dawn on the seventh day on the seventh month, Delphinios [the first month after winter solstice] )

Hymn to Apollo

#helpol #hellenic paganism #hellenism #pagan #notes on the oracle of apollo #notes #apollo deity #apollo

[reno-matago]

“Tᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍʏ ᴛᴇᴍᴘʟᴇ ʜᴀs ғᴀʟʟᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ. Pʜᴏɪʙᴏs ɪs ɴᴏ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ ʜɪs ʜᴏᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ, ɴᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪs ᴏʀᴀᴄʟᴇ, ɴᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪs ɴᴜᴍᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄɪᴇs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴄʀᴇᴅ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ʜᴀs ᴅʀɪᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ.

Bᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅsᴛ ᴏғ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴛɪᴍᴇs, ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴍᴇɴ ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴠɪᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴛᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀᴢɪᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɪɴᴄᴇɴsᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ Gᴏᴅs ᴡɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ.

Lᴀsᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄʏ ᴏғ 362 ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀᴀᴄʟᴇ ᴏғ Dᴇʟᴘʜɪ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ Jᴜʟɪᴀɴ, ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ Oʀɪʙᴀsɪᴜs.

#apollo #god apollo #apollon #phoibos #oracle #emperor julian #polytheism #helpol #hellenic polytheism #hellenistic polytheism #polytheism quote #pagan quotes

[jackyfaber23]

I finished the first book of The Trials of Apollo AND I HAD TO DOODLE LESTER/APOLLO

He’s so goofy and pathetic… I love him

#lester papadopoulos #the trials of apollo #trials of apollo #percy jackson #rick riordan #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson fanart #fanart #the hidden oracle #riordanverse

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

I love how both Sparta and Miletus celebrated Apollo having a boyfriend.

Sparta -> Hyacinthus (had a festival called the Hyacinthia, where they celebrated their love, mourned Hya's death, and celebrated his resurrection to Olympus)

Miletus -> Branchus (built a temple dedicated to Branchus & Apollo, even naming it after the kiss Branchus gave Apollo)

so cute <3

#ramblings of an oracle #apollo #hyacinthus #branchus #apollo x branchus #hyapollo #greek myths #greek myth #greek gods #greek mythology

[reekin00s]

Finally

What are your Hades 2 predictions?

#i waited so long for this #hades #hades 2 #zagreus #narshart #hadesgame #hades ii #apollo #apollo hades #redraw #hades meme #the oracle has spoken #the gift of prophecy

[soapywankenopy]

You know it's actually sick and twisted that Rick ended the trials of apollo series

Clearly he wasn't thinking of the needs of others (me)

#what will i fill my time with now #do i just start reading hidden oracle again #i'm too tired to think abt this #toa #trials of apollo #the trials of apollo #lester papadopoulos #oh how i adore you lester #you are my special guy #i love you lester #ily lester #i miss you already #i am filled with deep melancholy #soap is very sad :(

[mermaids-ate-my-dinner]

Lester? My man? Maybe stop swearing oaths?

#just kidding #i love you don't change #lester papadopoulos #the hidden oracle #trials of apollo #toa #pjo hoo toa

[neekos7]

Shout out to lester for being the only bitchless mc in the pjo universe

#pjo #toa lester #lester papadopoulos #toa apollo #trials of apollo #tyrants tomb #the hidden oracle #tower of nero #the burning maze #apollo #pjo apollo #meg mcaffery #toa meg #reyna ramirez arellano #reyna pjo #heros of olympus

[julientel]

imagine Apollo trying to use a computer, I think that would be hilarious

#Stray Gods #Apollo #Grace #Stray Gods Apollo #Stray Gods Grace #Stray Gods Oracle