The Delphic Oracle

The oracle did so ordain, and Gyges thus became king. However, the Pythian priestess declared that the Heraclidae would have vengeance on Gyges' posterity in the fifth generation; an utterance to whic

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The Agyllaeans sent to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi , wanting to mend their offense; and the Pythian priestess told them to do what the people of Agylla do to this day: for they pay great

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Now none relate what answer was given by the rest of the oracles. But at Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi , no sooner had the Lydians entered the hall to inquire of the god and asked the ques

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“I know the number of the grains of sand and the extent of the sea, And understand the mute and hear the voiceless. The smell has come to my senses of a strong-shelled tortoise Boiling in a cauldron t

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Having written down this inspired utterance of the Pythian priestess, the Lydians went back to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis . When the others as well who had been sent to various places ca

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The Delphians, in return, gave Croesus and all Lydians the right of first consulting the oracle, exemption from all charges, the chief seats at festivals, and perpetual right of Delphian citizenship t

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Before this they had been the worst-governed of nearly all the Hellenes and had had no dealings with strangers, but they changed to good government in this way: Lycurgus, a man of reputation among the

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when they kept being defeated by the Tegeans, they sent ambassadors to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to ask which god they should propitiate to prevail against the Tegeans in war. The Pyth

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The Pythian priestess answered him thus: “Lydian, king of many, greatly foolish Croesus, Wish not to hear in the palace the voice often prayed for Of your son speaking. It were better for you that he

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When Croesus heard this, he sent Lydians to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi , telling them to lay his chains on the doorstep of the temple, and to ask the god if he were not ashamed to have

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When the Lydians came, and spoke as they had been instructed, the priestess (it is said) made the following reply. “No one may escape his lot, not even a god. Croesus has paid for the sin of his ances

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But as to the oracle that was given to him, Croesus is wrong to complain concerning it. For Loxias declared to him that if he led an army against the Persians, he would destroy a great empire. Therefo

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For when he grew to adulthood, he went to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to inquire about his voice; and the priestess in answer gave him this: “Battus, you have come for a voice; but Lord

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The priestess gave him this answer: “For the lifetimes of four Battuses and four Arcesilauses, eight generations of men, Loxias grants to your house the kingship of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited

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He went then to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi, and asked the oracle if he should cast Adrastus out, but the priestess said in response: “Adrastus is king of Sikyon [22.725,37.9833] (Perseu

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When no sons were born to him by this wife or any other, he set out to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to enquire concerning the matter of acquiring offspring. As soon as he entered, the Pyt

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This oracle which was given to Eetion was in some way made known to the Bacchiadae. The earlier oracle sent to Corinth [22.9083,37.9083] (Perseus) Corinth had not been understood by them, despite the

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The oracle was as follows: That man is fortunate who steps into my house, Cypselus, son of Eetion, the king of noble Corinth [22.9083,37.9083] (Perseus) Corinth, He himself and his children, but not t

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This was the affair referred to by that oracle which the Pythian priestess gave to the Argives and Milesians in common, which ran thus: When the female defeats the male And drives him away, winning gl

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The Athenians had sent messages to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi asking that an oracle be given them, and when they had performed all due rites at the temple and sat down in the inner hall

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