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This week's #MythologyMonday theme is oracles and prophecies so I'm talking about seers in #GreekMythology today.
The Greek god of prophecy was #Apollon and all seers were said to gain their prophetic powers from him. It was Apollon who proclaimed the will of Zeus to the mortals.
The Greek god of prophecy was #Apollon and all seers were said to gain their prophetic powers from him. It was Apollon who proclaimed the will of Zeus to the mortals.
The most famous and renowned seers in #GreekMythology were usually either children or lovers of #Apollon.
The Pythia spoke the most respected prophecies in the ancient world. She was a high priestess in Apollon's temple in Delphi, also known as the Oracle of Delphi.
The Pythia spoke the most respected prophecies in the ancient world. She was a high priestess in Apollon's temple in Delphi, also known as the Oracle of Delphi.
The very first Pythia is said to have been a daughter of #Apollon called Phemonoë. The philosopher Antisthenes credits her with the Delphic maxim "Know Thyself" that used to be inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi if we believe the Greek writer Pausanias.
Second only to Delphi was the Oracle of Didyma, a sanctuary of Apollon in the domain of the famous city of Miletos. The sanctuary was run by the Branchides family who claimed descent from Branchos, the founder of the oracle. Branchos was either a son or lover of #Apollon.
I talk about the founding myth of Didyma's oracle and the sweet love story of Apollon and Branchos in more detail here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/33586246
Idmon was a seer and a son of Apollon. He foresaw his own death in the Argonaut expedition, but joined anyway. He was attacked by a boar & died of his wounds. Apollon commanded via his Oracle in Delphi to build a city around the olive tree on Idmon's grave & worship him as a hero
Iamus was a son of Apollon and Evadne. As a youth, Iamus asked his divine father to reveal his destiny. Apollon took him to Olympia where he taught him the art of prophecy and gave him the power to understand birds. Iamus later founded the Iamidae, a family of priests in Olympia.
Teneros was a son and prophet of Apollon who was given the art of divination by his father. He became a priest of Apollon and the god entrusted the city of Thebes to him because of his wise courage. Teneros tended the Temple of Apollon at Thebes, the Ismenion, with its oracle.
Rhoeo left her son Anios in his father Apollon's care who taught him the arts of divination & prophecy. Anios later became Apollon's priest and the king of Delos. Prophesing to the Greeks that the Trojan War wouldn't be won until the 10th year, he invited them to stay for 9 years
(They refused)
Apis was a son of Apollon who became a seer and a healer. He once freed Argos from throngs of snakes by sorcery and spells. To commemorate his deed, the relieved territory was henceforth referred to as "the Apian land" after his name.
Apis was a son of Apollon who became a seer and a healer. He once freed Argos from throngs of snakes by sorcery and spells. To commemorate his deed, the relieved territory was henceforth referred to as "the Apian land" after his name.
Manto was the daughter of the prophet Tiresias. During the War of the Epigoni she was taken to Delphi as a war prize where Apollon made her his priestess & sent her to Kolophon to found an oracle devoted to him. She had a son by him named Mopsos who would become a famous seer too
Kassandra received the gift of prophecy from Apollon in exchange for sleeping with him. She changed her mind but he could not take back the gift so he made it useless by nobody believing her prophecies.
Kassandra's twin brother Helenos, on the other hand, put out and received not
Kassandra's twin brother Helenos, on the other hand, put out and received not
only the gift of prophecy from his divine lover, he also got a fancy silver bow. Helenos was reputed to be the cleverest man in Troy and his prophecies were believed and respected.
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