Oracle of Delphi

This was perhaps the best known oracle in the ancient world and was dedicated to and sanctioned by Apollon circa 700 BCE.

The geographical location of the city of Delphi made it easily accessible to all the Greeks and thus added to its popularity; Delphi was considered to be the Navel of the World; the priestesses of Apollon, known as the Pythia, would sit atop tripods and render the prophecies in hexameter verse.

Great reverence was given to the Oracle of Delphi and many private citizens as well as all the major cities erected treasuries to house their tributes to Apollon; there are many references to the correctness of the prophecies provided by the Pythia but there were also occasions where the prophecies were misinterpreted and led to disaster; perhaps the most famous example of a misinterpreted prophecy is described by Herodotus in the case of king Kroesus (Croesus), of Lydia, when he sent an emissary to Delphi asking if he should fight or surrender to the invading Persian army; the Pythia said that if Kroesus fought the Persians he would destroy a mighty empire; Kroesus mustered his army and took the field against the Persians and was captured after his army was soundly defeated, thus the mighty Lydian empire was destroyed just as the Pythia had predicted.

• Histories, book 1, chapter 53