While watching a program about Ancient Greece I was surprised to learn that the O at A was actually a think tank of ninety priests who were experts on warfare,economics,politics etc. and that they also had an extensive intelligence network .
It seems that the actual priestess was just a front.
Can anyone point me in the right direction bookswise or other so that I can go into this a bit more without having to wade through all the mystical stuff?
I’ve never heard that the Oracle at Delphi was a “think tank” with a maiden as front. I’m highly suspicious.
Much that’s been written about the Oracle is highly untrustworthy. I’d recommend Joseph Fontenrose’s books:
Fontenrose, Joseph E. Delphic Oracle. Berkeley, 1978.: A study of the Delphic oracle, with a catalogue of its historical responses.
Fontenrose, Joseph E. Python, a Study of Delphic myth and its Origins. Berkeley, 1959.: Myth associated with Delphi.
I must admit that it came as a complete surprise myself.
Thanks for the info ,I’ll check it out.
I’ve seen the theory that the priests and priestesses at Delphi were extremely well-informed about Greek politics, because they had emissaries coming to them all the time from all over Greece. That in turns means that the priestess’s prophecies may have been informed by the community’s broad knowledge of Greek politics However, that’s a far cry from Delphi being a “think tank” in the modern sense.