The Delphic Oracle is probably the most famous oracle of all time. Situated in Apollo's sanctuary at Delphi, its mysteries have been shrouded for centuries. What gave the famous Pythias their powers of foresight? Within the past decade, a groundbreaking study concluded that volcanic vapors could well have inebriated the oracular priestesses, but would this alone explain the accuracy of the oracle's predictions?

Though how Apollo's priestesses could know the future remains a mystery, one thing is certain: the oracles given at this temple were highly enigmatic and their interpretation often stirred great debate until historical events revealed their truth.

Imagine this scenario: You're in Athens, which is about to be attacked by Xerxes of Persia. (Remember the bad guy from the movie 300? That guy.) Your city sends someone to ask the Oracle of Delphi what to do. The first answer is:

Now your statues are standing and pouring sweat. They shiver with dread. The black blood drips from the highest rooftops. They have seen the necessity of evil. Get out, get out of my sanctum and drown your spirits in woe.

which obviously amounts to "Flee. You're doomed." Oh boy. You send someone back to ask again, to see if there is anything at all that can save you. The answer:

...a wall of wood alone shall be uncaptured, a boon to you and your children.

Now, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Some people thought it meant that a literal wooden wall would magically protect the city. But think about it... wouldn't Xerxes just set it on fire and sack the city when it burned down? How could a literal wooden wall protect them? Did it mean something else?

This is the kind of deliberation that often had to occur after receiving an oracle. They were riddles that had to be figured out. Robert Temple, in his paper on Fables, Riddles and Mysteries of Delphi, argues that Delphi became "a centre of new thinking" by provoking the tradition-bound people of Greece to think in novel and creative ways. In fact, when they didn't, the more enigmatic oracles could be interpreted wrong, leading to disaster. Take the instance of Croesus, king of Lydia, who, after asking whether he should attack the Persians or not, was told that if he did, "a mighty empire shall be brought down." Thinking this meant he would be successful, he attacked and in the end was captured by the enemy. It was his own mighty empire which was destroyed.

Back to the Athenians facing Xerxes. What did they finally decide the "wooden walls" referred to? Those who did interpret the phrase literally decided to barricade themselves inside the Acropolis with a wooden wall. As can be expected, this wooden wall was destroyed, those people were killed, and the Acropolis with its temples sacked and burned. (Incidentally, the temple artifacts desecrated by the Persians were ceremonially buried after the Athenians returned, and thus were preserved for thousands of years until they were uncovered in an archaeological dig.)

Themistocles, a leader in the Athenian democracy, thought instead that the "wooden walls" referred to their ships. Many Athenians who agreed with him evacuated their women and children in the ships and then manned their triremes (warships) in preparation for the battle with the foe. This interpretation of the oracle proved correct, and the naval battle at Salamis was the turning point of the Persian war. The riddle of the oracle had been solved, and with it, Persia was vanquished.

Another oracle given by Delphi, one which was not so hard to figure out, was an answer given to a Roman statesman and lawyer named Cicero. His question was how he could find the greatest fame. Apollo, through the Pythia, replied:

make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life.

Cicero did so, studying both philosophy and persuasive speaking, which served him well in the Senate and for which he is now famous. His books on Divination and On the Nature of the Gods are stimulating reading for Pagans even today. You may not agree with everything he says, but that's one of the main points of philosophy... thinking for yourself.

Do you see any similarities between how these oracles were interpreted and how modern Pagans perform divination now?

In the spirit of thinking and riddles, here is a question for you:

Some Neoplatonist philosophers argued that people should pray in the following way:

Wherefore we should pray to God for that which is worthy of Him, and we should pray for what we could attain from none other... Neither ask of God what you will not hold fast when you have attained it, since God's gifts cannot be taken from you, and He will not give what you will not hold fast.

Although the term "God" is used here, philosophers like Porphyry are Pagan. The term God can be thought of as a personal God that one communicated with, or a high God among many.

So what is it that he's referring to here? What is it that could only be given by a God, and that once it is given, can never be lost? It's not things like money or objects, because those can obviously be taken away. It might not even be something like strength, because bodily strength can also be lost or taken away.

Any ideas?

(P.S. You don't have to agree with this idea to speculate about what it might mean.)