***an Account Of The Oracle Of Delphi! Poem by RAJ NANDY

***an Account Of The Oracle Of Delphi!

Rating: 3.3


AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORACLE OF
DELPHI:
PART LEGEND PART HISTORY!

LOCATION
Nestled on the south western spur of the fissured
hillside of Mount Parnassus,
Overlooking the picturesque valley of Phocis;
North of Gulf of Corinth in lower Central Greece;
Lies Delphi, - the home of the ancient Oracle of
Greece!

LEGEND OF DELPHI’S ORIGIN
And as an old legend goes, around 1400 BC,
A goat herder had noticed that his sheep behaved
rather strangely,
After peering into a particular chasm in Mount
Parnassus!
And curiously enough when he had looked inside,
He found himself ‘agitated like one frantic’ kind!
The mysterious vapor emanating there was attributed
to a Divine source!
So a tripod* was set up and a virgin girl was chosen
to sit in due course;
By those ancient high priests, and to make divine
forecasts, -
Under influence of the mystic vapor as she went into
a state of trance! **
But one day the girl eloped with a Thessalian mate!
So a priestess more than 50 years of age, was appointed
from that date!

PART LEGEND PART HISTORY
Delphi became a major site of the classical Greek world,
After Apollo slew the Python, a dragon snake who
had conquered the world, -
And at Delphi ruled over the ‘navel of the earth’!
Delphi is the site of the Omphalos Stone - symbol
the center of the universe! #
Where in the inner hearth of Apollo’s Temple an
eternal flame forever burned!
Legend has it that after Apollo killed the Python,
He had set up the famous Oracle at Delphi as his
very own!
And the Pythian Games were held every four years
to commemorate Apollo’s victory!
This game also featured competitions for Music
and Poetry! !
And later inspired the Olympic games as we read
in recorded history!

DIVINE FORECASTS
People in those ancient times, suffered from
insecurities like our modern times!
Therefore, Monarchs, farmers and peasants - all
alike,
Went to Delphi to seek guidance and advice!
They believed that Apollo had the answer to their
problems and woes,
And the Pythia became the sacred voice of god
Apollo! ***
The visitors first washed themselves in the cool
waters of the Castalian springs,
And on the holy altar sacrificed an animal as an
offering!
They also offered a ‘pelanos’ - Greek for a levy,
For divine prophesy always came with a price tag,
and was never free!
Both questions and answers to the Pythia was
transcribed by a male priest,
As eye contact was forbidden with the Pythia -
Apollo’s lady priest!

FEW SAMPLES OF PROPHESIES
The divine prophesies were at times ambiguous
and cryptic,
The individual had to interpret the meaning he
desired to seek!
In 440 BC the Oracle had pronounced that Socrates
was the wisest of the Greeks;
A meaning easy to understand and not difficult to
seek!
But in 560 BC when Croesus King of Lydia,
Asked the Oracle if he should attack Persia,
The Oracle said that if he did so, he would be destroying
a great empire!
So Croesus waged war and lost the battle!
The empire was his own which he failed to interpret!
In 359 BC the Oracle told King Phillip II of Macedonia,
That whoever tamed and rode his black colt Bucephalus, -
Will one day conquer the world!
His young son Alexander realizing that the horse dreaded
its own shadow,
Tamed and rode upon it to conquer Asia Minor and Asia, -
centuries ago!
In 303 AD Emperor Diocletian was told that the quality
of the Oracle had declined at Delphi,
Due to the corrupting influences of Christianity!
The Emperor started his persecution of the Christians!
And less said the better - since this animosity at a later
date,
Led to the sealing of Delphi Oracle’s fate!
When finally in 389 AD, Theodosius-I closed all pagan
temples including Delphi!

CONCLUSION
Thus we see that the Oracle at Delphi, -
Remains shrouded in myth, legend and history!
I have not touched upon its amphitheatre, statues and
other building structures, -
Which form a marvelous exhibit of Doric architecture!
These historic ruins are now being protected by
UNESCO’S Cultural and Heritage Program since
1987;
You can find many beautiful artifacts preserved
inside Delphi’s Museum!
-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
29 Aug 09
FOOT NOTES: -
*TRIPOD = Greek for seat. At Delphi, Pythia the priestess of Apollo,
Sat on a great bronze Tripod in a spot above a crevice in the rocks from which vapors rose!
** Archeologist later discovered that the bedrock beneath the
temple had petrochemicals including Ethylen, which caused
an anesthetic effect! ***The mutterings of lady Priestess were relayed by a male priest in Apollo's Temple! Eye contact was not permitted with Pythia!
# OMPHALOS STONE = Considered the belly-button of the Ancient World,
Was located in the sanctuary of Apollo, where Pythia delivered God’s Oracles!
Centuries later - when Romans conquered Greece, Emperor Nero is
said to have looted 500 Statues from the shrines of Delphi!
First Archeological excavations began in 1832 revealing the Oracle’s site to the world!
**** ALL COPY RIGHTS RESERVED BY RAJ NANDY ****

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bob Blackwell 30 August 2009

Raj, I find this both an interesting and illuiminating read. A lot of great wisdom came from those ancient greeks, which the world would be wise to take notice of today. Plato's New Republic, based on teachings by Socrates gave valid reasons why man would go to war. I thank you for your research and poetry. regards Bob

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Ramesh T A 30 August 2009

Research like work in poetry is something thought provoking and your deep interest in classical works is amazing to read!

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Ritty Patnaik 02 September 2009

dear raj....the poem is fantastic, more so the kind of ground work, you have done to write this poem.i enjoyed reading it professor! thanks for sharing

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Mamta Agarwal 01 September 2009

Sandra has said it, you are poemhunter's online professor who charges no fee for these impressive poems. living in times when we just like to read synopsis of good books and epics, you are doing such a remarkable job with history.Raj, you really have the patience and curiosity to delve into so many different fields, to name a few- history, music, philosophy... 10 Mamta

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Sandra Fowler 31 August 2009

A wonderful, informative read. You have become poemhunter's online Professor. You deserve applause for this creative effort. Always your friend, Sandra

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Indira Babbellapati 31 August 2009

you bring in a different flavour to poetry with your extensive research, capt!

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You have certainly put a lot of work in researching the Oracle Raj and it has opened my eyes to so much. My trouble is remembering so much information, but even if I can remember some of it, it has made be a little wiser. I found the origin of the Olympic Games interesting and Socrates too, Top marks for writing this poem for us. 10 love Karin

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