A Delphic Oracle for Readers?
In the ancient Mediterranean world, people would travel from all around the world to visit the priestess of Apollo, located in Delphi, Greece.
Delphi was the site not only of a great temple on the slopes of Parnassus, but of the legendary combat between Apollo and the Python – the serpent/dragon who lived in a nearby spring. Python was already guilty of the mass murder of countless innocents in the surrounding area. Apollo’s victory, and the dedication of his temple, therefore, in part serves the protection of innocents and the restoration of proportion and measure in human life.
The Delphi Oracle, as we have handed down to us from Stobaeus, is associated with at least 147 known inscriptions, as maxims for practical living. Besides the famous, “None too much”, and “Know Thyself”, other examples of Delphic Maxims include:
- Ἑστίαν τίμα : Honor thy hearth
- Φίλοις βοήθει : Help your friends
- Πρόνοιαν τίμα : Honor forethought
- Σαυτὸν ἴσθι : Be thyself
One could pose a question to the Oracle directly. Some of the more famous episodes of Delphic Oracular advice we hear about in Herodotus’s Histories and in Plato’s Apology.
In the Apology, Socrates tells the assembly, during his trial, that one of his comrades Chaerophon asked the Delphic Oracle whether there was anyone wiser than Socrates…and the Oracle said no!
Socrates says he was deeply perplexed by this. What could it mean, that he, Socrates, was the wisest in all the land, because he knew perfectly well that he didn’t know!
Well, evidently that is why the Oracle indicated that he was the wisest, for this famous (or infamous) Socratic wisdom that involves the knowledge that one does not know, and therefore what one should know.
Now those of us here at Symposium are not priestesses of Apollo, but lovers of learning, and as such we are deeply interested in questions of all kinds. We make questions our business, from basic questions seeking clarity to the fundamental questions themselves.
This is why, as a free service to our community, we invite you to send us your question to The Oracle.
Which Delphic maxim fits your life right now?
Some questions you ask the Oracle might include:
- What should I be focused on right now?
- What do I need to know about my situation?
- What is my situation right now?
- What is the best decision I can make right now (under whatever your circumstances happen to be)?
All you have to do is fill out the form below, leave your email address, and we’ll respond to you with a full report, including:
1. One of the 147 Delphic Inscriptions that fits your situation, including the original Greek, a pronunciation guide, and a translation
2. An Interpretation of its meaning for you
3. A reading remedy, a recommendation for a book, a text, or even just a passage from either
4. A practice suggestion, for making the most out of your reading
This is a totally free service that we hope you’ll have fun with, but also derive some benefit from as well!