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The Oracle of Delphi, Priestess Pythia, Who Spoke Truth to Power by Julia Kindt

Written by Julia Kindt and originally published in The Conversation: theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-the-priestess-pythia-at-the-delphic-oracle-who-spoke-truth-to-power-108401. Note: This page contains a pixel page view counter. Originally published 2019.01.22.

In a time and place that offered few career opportunities for women, the job of the priestess of Apollo at the Oracle of Delphi stands out. Her position was at the centre of one of the most powerful religious institutions of ancient Greece.1 The competing Greek city states had few overarching authorities (political or otherwise), so the significance of her voice should not be underestimated.

Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that the Pythia was at the core what we today call a “knowledge economy.” Her role may well have involved the gathering, re-packaging, and distribution of information, with the ultimate intent of providing sound advice on the trivial and not-so-trivial questions of life in the ancient world.

The “Pythia” is the official job title. We know of several women by the name who, during the long history of this institution (from ca. 800 BCE to AD 390/91), held that role, including Phemonoe and Aristonike. Indeed, at some stage Delphi became so busy that three Pythias were appointed to serve in the role simultaneously.

The oracle was consulted by the movers and shakers of the ancient world on a diverse range of problems. For the Pythia, this meant the opportunity to comment on a variety of issue of public and individual concern: cult matters, warfare, the relationships between existing city-states, and the foundation of new ones.

Numerous personal questions were also put to the oracle on matters of lovesickness, career advice, child birth, and how to get offspring. So, by all standards, this job was demanding yet also diverse and rewarding — a position powerful enough to change the course of history.

Yet right from the beginning, efforts to deprive the priestess of her power prevailed, particularly in older classical scholarship. Surely a woman, especially one in such a paternalistic society as ancient Greece, could not hold that powerful a position?

Some scholars suggested that the Pythia actually babbled unintelligible gibberish and that her words were later put into beautiful, deep, and meaningful hexameter verse — by male priests.

Yet in our ancient sources there is absolutely nothing to suggest that it was anyone other that the Pythia herself who came up with the responses. To the contrary: she is regularly named as the one and only source of the prophecies delivered at Delphi. There is no word of male priests, beyond those in purely administrative and assisting roles.

Insult by oracle

The position of the Pythia seemed to have entailed the extraordinary opportunity to speak unwelcome truth to those in power.

A Spartan once approached the oracle with the intention of being confirmed as the wisest man in the world. In response to this question the Pythia named another person who was wiser.

The Greek city of Megara allegedly asked the Pythia in about 700 BCE who were the best of all Greeks, hoping to be named first. The Pythia mentioned two better cities, concluding with the line, “[Y]ou, o Megarians, [are] neither third nor fourth.” Surely, the Megarians did not see that coming!

Cleisthenes, meanwhile, the famous tyrant of Sicyon, asked whether he should remove the cult of the hero Adrastus from the city. He received an oracle that came straight to the point: “Adrastus is king of Sicyon, and you but a common slayer.”

This kind of reality check and straight talk would certainly have upset those with egos accustomed to flattery and agreement.

Of course, it is not always possible to tell whether these and other responses of the oracle were authentic or whether the whole incident was part of later historiographic lore. Yet whatever the case: the fact is that it was a woman who was attributed such a sharp, judgemental voice.

And her voice proved extraordinarily unimpeachable. The Greeks thought that it was the god Apollo who conveyed his superior divine knowledge through the mouth of the Pythia, so the priestess herself was largely beyond reproach. While itinerant seers, augurs, and oracle mongers feature in classical literature as corrupt and unreliable, the position of the Pythia seems to have stood above all criticism.

The job and its challenges

Being a Pythia was not always easy. Several ancient enquirers sought to influence the kind of answer they hoped to get from the oracle. Subtle manipulation in how the questions were put, not-so-subtle bribery, and even an attempt to force the oracle to deliver responses on a non-auspicious day are all on record — as are complaints about unfathomable responses.

For instance the Greek historian, philosopher, soldier, and horse whisperer Xenophon allegedly enquired at Delphi to which deity he should sacrifice and pray so that the military expedition he was about to join would be a success. He was later reprimanded by the philosopher Socrates for having posed a manipulative question. Socrates felt he should have asked whether it would be a success, rather than how.

Cleisthenes was said to have bribed the Pythia to deliver the same response to all Spartan requests at the oracle, no matter the question: to free Athens from the rule of tyrants.

And after a series of spectacular mishaps based on misread oracles, the Lydian king Croesus complained at the Delphic Oracle about having been misled. The Pythia responded that he himself was to blame for his misfortune: He should have interpreted the Pythia’s word correctly.

We also know of several instances in which the Pythia refused outright to respond to a question that, in one way or another, seemed unreasonable.

Job requirements

What did it take to become the Pythia? Was she a local girl from a neighbouring village? Was any kind of training provided to candidates? Or were they thrown in the deep end?

Unfortunately, the ancient sources are silent. The Nobel prize-winning author William Golding in his (posthumously published) last novel The Double Tongue,2 written from the perspective of a Pythia, sees her as a local girl who was unable to get herself married and so took on that role.

Yet again, this sounds like speculation designed to downplay the position.

The kind of skills required to be successful in the role are easier to reconstruct. The sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi served as a marketplace for representatives from all over the ancient Greek world (and beyond) who came for a variety of reasons.

In addition to the oracle, the sanctuary housed regular athletic competitions (the so-called Pythian Games, analogous to the more famous Olympic Games3). With its numerous temples and monuments, the site was also a popular tourist destination. All these activities together served to establish a busy hub, where information, news, and gossip of all kinds would have circulated freely.

So perhaps the key to the Pythia’s success was simply to listen closely? There is good evidence to suggest that the fantastic tales of prediction and fulfilment are a matter of the (later) historiographic tradition and that it was mostly quite straightforward questions of everyday life that were put to the Pythia for comment, along the lines suggested by the ancient author Plutarch, who was also a priest at Delphi: Will I win? Shall I marry? Is it a good idea to sail the sea? Shall I take up farming? Shall I go abroad?

If this was indeed the case, it would, more often than not, have been possible to glean the information necessary to answer any particular enquirey from the chatter of those queuing to consult the oracle, to watch or participate in the games, or to take in the monuments. The Pythia may have trailblazed the knowledge economy millennia before the arrival of “big data” and the invention of the internet.

1 Secrets of the Delphic Oracle and how it speaks to us today at The Conversation.

2 The Double Tongue at Goodreads.

3 Cheating, bribery and scandal: how the ancient Greeks did the Olympic Games at The Conversation.

—Source: The Conversation: theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-the-priestess-pythia-at-the-delphic-oracle-who-spoke-truth-to-power-108401.
Collecting information online about Pythia.

The Conversation

The Traveller by Arlene Bailey

Call me by my true names
Seer, Pythia, Oracle,
Witch and Priestess,
Woman even, for that I am
In the amazing lineage of
Both Lilith and Eve

Call me Crow Daughter
Owl Woman, Queen of
Myself as I lean into the
Fierceness of An’Morrighan
And wield Boudicca’s sword

Call me Erishkigal and Inanna
That both/and of dark and light
With wisdom of shedding
All that no long suits or fits
Then Rising in the Shining
Of new and embodied ways

Call me Bridgid as I hold
Wisdom’s flame within
The very being of my heart,
My soul and Her land

Call me Isis Auset as I feel into
The agony of both life and death
Sekhmet even or Bast as my
Feline ways shred the cords
Of patriarchal indoctrination

Call me Wolf as I Howl in
The exuberance of the
Voice of my Being and
That web that is my tribe

Call me by any or all
For I have walked these
Paths, these Leylines
SInce the beginning of
Time… that of the land
And that of woman

Call me Nothing and
Call me Everything for it
Matters not your naming
Of one who is older than
The stars, the planets and
Has travelled beyond the
Boundaries of this time

Call me by my true names
Those which have no words
Only the wind’s breeze
And the waters waves
Those that rise with the sun
And dance in the moonlight

For I am that which came first
I am that which comes last
And I will be the Traveller who
Inhabits it all at the end of time

The Traveller by Arlene Bailey
From Return to Mago E’Magazine

Reading glasses splurge

My vision has always needed correction and in fact, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t wearing glasses. My earliest memories and pictures since about two years old have me wearing glasses. As someone with severe, but correctable myopia—nearsightedness—I’ve always had thick, plastic frames with even thicker plastic lenses. When high-index lenses became affordable in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, I had thinner, but still prominent, lenses. After an eye surgery in 2011, I got the courage to wear contact lenses. Again, soft contacts with my vision correction around −16 to −18 became available and affordable, and I wore contact lenses in both eyes for about five years. Contact lenses allowed me to explore non-prescription sunglasses for the first time. I had worn sunglasses before but they were always had a correction. Whenever my prescription changed, I would need an indoor pair and an outdoor pair. Talk about expensive!

In 2016 I had developed cataracts in both eyes—in my 40s!—and had intraocular lens replacement surgery which gave me normal middle-aged-person vision. Even though the shape of my eye was still oblong, causing myopia, the lens surgery now compensated for it giving me normal vision the first time in my life. My distance vision was good, at the expense of my close-up vision. Now I needed reading glasses.

Over time and working with my eye doctor, I found that I needed progressive reading glasses: “computer reading” distance at the top of the lens and “normal reading” distance at the bottom. Working in an office environment and espeically in IT—Information Technology—reading a computer screen is literally your job. Most computer screens are about an arm’s length away, about twenty to thirty inches. At the time I had two pair of reading glasses, one for each distance. I was finally comfortable enough with the reading strengths to get progressive readers made.

Over the past eight years, I’ve had several pairs of reading glasses. A few weeks ago, I realized the majority of my FSA—flexible spending account—had gone unused and in danger of being lost in 2026. A good thing about FSAs are they are pre-tax funds that let you pay for medical expenses uncovered by insurance (in the United States). A bad thing is an FSA is a “use it or lose it” program; while some funds carry over from one year to the next, unused funds over that amount are lost. I certainly did not want to lose my FSA funds—I’ve lost excess funds in previous years and didn’t wish to repeat it this year—so I thought a new set of reading glasses was in order.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited my eye doctor who also runs an eyewear boutique called Eclectic Eye. Their claim to fame is having frames that you don’t get at chain optometry places or mall stores; they’re the “anti-Luxotica” store and celebrate small and independent eyewear makers. Over the years, I’ve owned frames from Theo, Oliver Peoples, Anne & Valentin, Maui Jim, and others, and I’ve been happy with most of my purchases. In addition to spending FSA money, one of my lows was my most recent readers with Anne & Valentin frames. The frames were good quality, but the unique hinge design in my pair caught my long hair. I needed a change.

My “eyewear architect” Randall was showing me different frames. While I had a definite preferences in mind, Randall would good-naturedly get me to try funky and out-there frames. It was fun trying them on but they weren’t “me.” We finally got to some styles I preferred, thin metal frames. The frames I was really interested in were in the RetroSpecs & Co. collection, but Randall showed me a cool pair of sunglasses from Ahlem. I had purchased a pair of Maui Jim Mokupuuni sunglasses in gold during the summer, and I didn’t want another pair of sunglasses. Randall said they could remove the lenses from the Ahlems and replace them with my reader prescription. The Ahlems were comfortable and most importantly, didn’t pull my hair! Another thing I liked was they had metal nose pads, not silicone.

Unbeknownst to me, these particular Ahlem glasses were part of a limited run of 200 pieces. They were expensive frames and a definite splurge. However, I think they will be timeless and when I’m ready to move on for reader frames, I have the original lenses to makes them sunglasses again.

As I mentioned, these were part of a limited run. My frames are number 114 of 200. Information below from Ahlem’s site: AHLEM Lépine in Peony Gold / Blue Gradient lenses. Yes, they were $640—I said they were a splurge!

Description
A redesign of the Coluche, an early AHLEM style and perennial favorite shape, the elegantly mannered Lépine conjures the ease of a true cosmopolitan: at home in the world and radiating low-key glamor. This chic round silhouette is perfect for fans of radical design movements, night swims in the Mediterranean, new translations of Greek classics, the future. // Limited Edition of 200

Materials
Handcrafted in France // Precision-crafted brow with mounting rail and “wire” bottom, welded beneath the end piece for a seamless connection // Rim and temples are handcrafted using the hammered technique. Each hammered detail is unique, resulting in a one-of-a-kind piece [ 1 / 1 ] // Nylon lenses are double-dipped for enhanced resistance and scratch prevention offering 100% UV protection // Custom temple tip drawing inspiration from our signature triangular and circular shapes evocative of our iconic Bauhaus visual language // Laser engraved filigree nose pads that play with Bauhaus shape, made of titanium to ensure non-reactive and hypoallergenic aspects

Fit & Size
Lens width: 43mm // Bridge width: 24mm // Temple length: 150mm // Fits petite to medium faces. // Ideal for all face shapes.

Images



Minimum Textpattern theme

The “Minimum” Textpattern theme was written in 2012 by user stefan (link); however, the demo site’s domain has gone offline. Github user jools-r forked the theme and made some necessary improvements (Github link). Starting from 2024.11.14, this site uses the revised Minimum theme.

Helm shutting down

Email

Email received on Oct 31, 2022: Helm is shutting down 12/30/22.

We are writing to inform you that Helm services will cease operation on December 30, 2022. We understand this may be surprising and disappointing and have some additional information below about why we are planning to shut down and what this means for you. 

Why we are shutting down

We have been unable to overcome manufacturing and supply chain challenges brought on by Covid-19.  In late 2019, we shifted our supply chain from Mexico to China in an effort to reduce cost and improve manufacturing scalability. At that time, we undertook designing and developing our v2 product.

With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, our expected timelines to ship product more than doubled. Supplier issues further delayed getting enough inventory to meet demand and we are at a point where the business cannot continue sustainably.

We are currently searching for a suitable buyer for the company, but given the macro economic environment, we recognize this is not a likely outcome. If we cannot find a suitable buyer by the end of the year, we have made the difficult decision to shut down.

What this means for you

On December 30, 2022, we will be suspending the subscription service which means we will be stopping all security gateways, purging all encrypted backups and all DNS entries for primary Helm domains. As a Helm customer, it is critical that in the next 60 days you find an alternative solution for the email, contacts, calendar and file sharing services your Helm provides today and complete migrating your data.

After December 30, 2022, you will no longer be able to access your data on your Helm server through its domain. If you registered a domain through us and wish to continue using it, please contact support to get an authorization code for transferring your domain to another registrar before December 30, 2022.

We are working on a firmware update for Helm servers to be converted to Linux servers running Armbian. We will provide documentation for this conversion, along with pointers to some guides for running mail and file sharing services if you would like to continue using your Helm. We expect to make this firmware update available in the next 4-6 weeks.

Thank You!

We appreciate your support of Helm over the years. When we started the company in 2016, we had an ambitious vision to improve online privacy by returning control of personal data to the people. We have been heartened by the community of thousands of you who have joined us on this journey to make the internet more private and secure.

While we are deeply disappointed Helm will cease operating, we hope that you continue searching for and supporting more products and services that prioritize your privacy. The future of a healthy internet depends on people just like you.

If you have any questions about this, please check out our FAQ. If your question is not answered by the FAQ, please contact support. 

Thanks,
Giri and Dirk

Helm shutdown notice on website

Helm services will cease operation on December 30, 2022. We understand this may be surprising and disappointing and we have some additional information below about why we are planning to shut down and what this means for you.

Why we are shutting down
We have been unable to overcome manufacturing and supply chain challenges brought on by Covid.  In late 2019, we shifted our supply chain from Mexico to China in an effort to reduce cost and improve manufacturing scalability. At that time, we also undertook designing and developing our v2 product. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, our expected timelines to ship product more than doubled.

Supplier issues further delayed getting enough inventory to meet demand and we are at a point where the business cannot continue sustainably. We are currently searching for a suitable buyer for the company, but given the macro economic environment, we recognize this is not a likely outcome. If we cannot find a suitable buyer by the end of the year, we have made the difficult decision to shut down.

What this means for customers
On December 30, 2022, we will be suspending the subscription service which means we will be stopping all security gateways, purging all encrypted backups and all DNS entries for primary Helm domains. For Helm customers, it is critical that in the next 60 days you find an alternative solution for the email, contacts, calendar and file sharing services your Helm provides today and complete migrating your data.

After December 30, 2022, you will no longer be able to access your data on your Helm server through its domain. If you registered a domain through us and wish to continue using it, please contact support to get an authorization code for transferring your domain to another registrar by December 30, 2022.

We are working on a firmware update for Helm servers to be converted to Linux servers running Armbian. We will provide documentation for this conversion, along with pointers to some guides for running mail and file sharing services if you would like to continue using your Helm. We expect this firmware update will be available in the next 4-6 weeks.

Thank You
We appreciate your support of Helm over the years. When we started the company in 2016, we had an ambitious vision to improve online privacy by returning control of personal data to the people. We have been heartened by the community of thousands of you who have joined us on this journey to make the internet more private and secure.

While we are deeply disappointed Helm will cease operating, we hope that you will continue searching out and supporting more products and services that prioritize your privacy. The future of a healthy internet depends on people just like you.

If you have any questions about this, please check out our FAQ. If your question is not answered by the FAQ, please contact support.

Thanks,
Giri and Dirk

Helm Shutdown FAQ

Why is Helm shutting down?

We have been unable to overcome manufacturing and supply chain challenges brought on by Covid.  In late 2019, we shifted our supply chain from Mexico to China in an effort to reduce cost and improve manufacturing scalability. At that time, we undertook designing and developing our v2 product. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, our expected timelines to ship product more than doubled. Supplier issues further delayed getting enough inventory to meet demand and we are at a point where the business cannot continue sustainably.

When is Helm shutting down?

December 30, 2022

What happens to my data?

On December 30, 2022, we will be suspending the subscription service which means we will be stopping all security gateways, purging all encrypted backups and all DNS entries for primary Helm domains. As a Helm customer, it is critical that in the next 60 days you find an alternative solution for the email, contacts, calendar and file sharing services your Helm provides today and complete migrating your data. After December xx, 2022, you will no longer be able to access your data on your Helm server through its domain.

How long can I keep access to my data?

You can access your data through its domain through December 30, 2022. 

What about my backups?

After December 30, 2022, you will not be able to restore backups to your Helm server. They will be permanently deleted.

What about my domain?

If you registered a domain through us and wish to continue using it, please contact support to get an authorization code for transferring your domain to another registrar by December 30, 2022.

Are you continuing to renew subscriptions?

No, we suspended renewing subscriptions on 9/30/22.

Can I get a refund?

We are unable to offer any refunds.

What can I do with the Helm server after you shutdown?

We are working on a firmware update for Helm servers to be converted to Linux servers running Armbian. We will provide documentation for this conversion, along with pointers to some guides for running mail and file sharing services if you would like to continue using your Helm. We expect this firmware update to be available in early to mid December.

Are any refurbished Helm servers available for purchase?

We may have a very limited number of Helm servers available for sale. Please contact support if you are interested.

What happened to the community site?

As we are focusing on supporting the transition off Helm servers and winding down the service, we do not have the resources to maintain and moderate the community site going forward so it has been taken down.

Updated Helm shutdown notice Dec 2022

Helm services ceased operation on December 30, 2022. We have sent out several notices to customers started on October 31, 2022. We have captured below a summary of those notices.

Why we are shutting down
We have been unable to overcome manufacturing and supply chain challenges brought on by Covid.  In late 2019, we shifted our supply chain from Mexico to China in an effort to reduce cost and improve manufacturing scalability. At that time, we also undertook designing and developing our v2 product. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, our expected timelines to ship product more than doubled.

Supplier issues further delayed getting enough inventory to meet demand and we are at a point where the business cannot continue sustainably. We are currently searching for a suitable buyer for the company, but given the macro economic environment, we recognize this is not a likely outcome. If we cannot find a suitable buyer by the end of the year, we have made the difficult decision to shut down.

What this means for customers
On December 30, 2022, we suspended the subscription service which meant stopping all security gateways, purging all encrypted backups and all DNS entries for primary Helm domains. For Helm customers, it is critical that you find an alternative solution for the email, contacts, calendar and file sharing services your Helm provides today and complete migrating your data.

After December 30, 2022, you will no longer be able to access your data on your Helm server through its domain. If you registered a domain through us and wish to continue using it, please contact support to get an authorization code for transferring your domain to another registrar by December 30, 2022.

We have published pre-release updates [on GitHub](https://github.com/HelmSecure/armbian-images) to convert Helm v2 servers to Linux servers running Armbian. There is documentation for this conversion, along with pointers to some guides for running mail and file sharing services if you would like to continue using your Helm. We are still working on firmware updates for v1 servers to run Armbian.

Thank You
We appreciate your support of Helm over the years. When we started the company in 2016, we had an ambitious vision to improve online privacy by returning control of personal data to the people. We have been heartened by the community of thousands of you who have joined us on this journey to make the internet more private and secure.

While we are deeply disappointed Helm will cease operating, we hope that you will continue searching out and supporting more products and services that prioritize your privacy. The future of a healthy internet depends on people just like you.

If you have any questions about this, please check out our FAQ. If your question is not answered by the FAQ, please contact support.

Thanks,
Giri and Dirk