- placed over the h 
" nefs to the oracle, a 
DEL 
_ and permanent ; and pen was its = and fuch were 
the multitudes froin all that c 
e to confult it, that 
the riches which were a. fences Gs the temple and city 
became fo confiderable as to be compared with thofe of the 
erfian kin ngs. aan the time when this oracle was a 
this accident, hk fr eque ntly occurred. Acco 
ole, whence the vapour ilaed, a machine 
which es called “ a tripod,’’ becaufe it had three feet, and 
com miffioned a woman to feat herfelfin this fort of chair, 
where fhe might imbibe the vapour without danger, becaufe 
the three feet of the machine ftood firmly upon the rock. 
‘Chis prieftefs was named “ Pythia,”’ from theferpent Python, 
flain by A sae or from the Greek rue te fignityng to 
people came to Del onfult this 
deity. The Fade frit employed were virgins aie &ed with 
great precaution; but the only qualification neceflary was to 
be able to fpeak and repeat what the iGated. The 
cuftom of choofing young virgins continued for a long time, 
till one of them, who was extremely t 
by a young Theffalian. An exprefs law was Ga pape 
oe none fhould be chofen ae women a 
old. 
ove 50 yea 
rft there was er one Baan ; ae afterwards, 
there were two or t we t delive 
every day; but facrifices were in note ae pasfented fora a 
long time, a even zor a who le year; and 1 ce 
year in the 
e prince, rade y im 
re 
bs Sy 
3 
a) 
ent 
25 
sas) 
3 
o: 
oO 
3 
a 
2 
7 
Aa.* 
ou 
oe] 
a) 
> = 
oe 
S 
m 
ae 
en 
ay 
=) 
m 
a 
> 
<q 
o 
= 
ie} 
mo 
rh 
) 
3 
oz 
ia) 
- 
O 
= 
atisfie o 
Great preparations were made 
me for 
paid t O it. 
ea a i ee ithe tripod. As n as fhe began to 
e divine aon hee i. ftood on mie 
ghaftly, her mouth began t 
foam, and her whole body was ; fuddenly feized with den 
trembh ings. In this condition fhe attempted to efcape c 
from the prophets, who detained her by force, while her 
{hrieks be howlings made the whcle temple to refound, and 
filled sae horror. At length, 
god, fhe elias a halal 
felf to him, and at certain oe uttered from t om 
of her ftomach, or rather from her belly, ee to 
the expreflion eyyares ples, ce unconnected words, which 
the prophets ranged in order, and put in form of verle, 
giving them a conne€tion which they had not when they 
were delivered by the prieftefs, The oracle being pro~ 
DEL 
nounced, fhe was taken off the etlsaea and condu&ted back 
to her <c, beens the ep fever er her« 
felf from her con 
fpeedy death was ene the = 4 
t 
fiafm e oracles pronounce Saas were gene= 
ra! a) delivered to the poets who attended on ccafion, 
hem ee wretched verfe, which gave occa- 
mufes was 
fon [ othe alley that Apollo the prince of the 
the worft of Sometimes the priekefs herfelf pro- 
eed her oracles in verfe; but in later times they con- 
teated themfelves with delivering them in profe; and this 
Pl: tarch reckons to have been one caufe of the declenfion 
plain and determinate than thofe o 
ale ad were on ccafions equivocal. 
cefus was about to invade the Medes, he confulted this 
pack upon the fuccefs of the war, and aa ian for a 
that by paffing the river Halys, he would win a great e 
pire. But he was left to pears or to determine by te 
event, whether this empire was his own or that of his ene- 
mies, Such was alfo the fame oracle’s anfwer to Pyrrhus, 
*¢ Aio te, /Eacida, Romanos vincere poffe.”’ 
Under the cover ie a ambiguities, the god eluded all 
difficulties, and w er inthe wrong. The priefts and 
one bate to sen ca the igpoie ofc oracle were 
were frequently guilty of fraud and impofture. 
might be mentioned ; the Delphic priettefs 
fa) 
it 
eb 
Qu. 
° 
er 
ct 
> 
ao 
- 
rs} 
xe 
mins 
ou 
0 
3 
o 
me 
ct 
oC 
3 
Dp 
oe 
utd 
i nee a . the Athenians and Thebans ites 
d Epaminondas, inftead of liftening to, 
ne bet oe oe with, the frivolous anfwers of the 
oracle, thofe idle bugbears of the bafe and cowardly, con- 
fulted only fear in choice and execution of their 
aera e Ors 
HIN, in Lit oem fiiflory. See Dauruin 
BELPH NIA, i in Reet feafts which the inhabitants 
€ auee furnamed Del- 
rts of jadivature of the ed a om oe 
proxiniy of the place, bart they held their affemblies, to 
the temple of Apollo Delphinius. 
D M, in ae any, (AzdAQincy of the ancient 
eks, “ becaufe,”? fays Diofcorides, « the flender oe 
of its leaves refemble dolphins 5 3. a relemblance rat o be 
found, according to the vulgar idea of that fith, ae the 
curvature of its body and the horned ne“tary of the flower ; 
and Dodoneus fuggetts, on good oe that the palfage 
is fo to be underftood.) Linn. Gen. 27 Schreb. oF 
Wiild, Sp. Pl. v.2.1226, Jo 234. Coe, f. C5. 
, 
