The Divine Birth Priestesshood at Delphi

Abstract

Delphi is the second of two major oracular sites in Greece at which priestesses prophesied. As I show in this chapter, these priestesses were considered “wives” of Apollo. Moreover, Delphic lore is replete with stories of oracular “nymphs” who gave birth to the children of gods. Several of these nymphs and their children were the eponyms of towns and natural formations associated with Delphi, which is a sign of their heroic immortalization. In light of the argument I have been making throughout this book, these clues suggest that Delphi was also the site of a divine birth priestesshood.