The Pythia, also called Oracle of Delphi, was a priestess who held court at Pytho, the Delphinian sanctuary dedicated to Apollo, a Greek god. It was believed that the revered Pythia channeled prophecies from Apollo when in a dreamlike trance. The god was originally channeled once a year. However, as the oracle's popularity increased, about three Pythiai held office at the same time.
Established in the eighth century B.C.E, the oracle of Delphi's last recorded response was in 393 C.E. This was when emperor Theodosius I gave an order to all pagan temples to stop operation. In this period, the Delphic Oracle was prestigious and authoritative in the Greek world. Pythia is derived from Pytho, the original name of Delphi. The name was derived by the Greeks from pythein (πύθειν, "to rot"), referring to the decomposition of the Python after she was killed by Apollo.
The Pythia was chosen from women without social status and wealth from the residents at Delphi. She was mandated to be celibate upon the assumption of the position but was not required to be a virgin. If a Pythia had a husband and children before becoming the priestess, she was not allowed to cohabit with her husband. The Pythia was traditionally a young maiden. However, after a young Pythia was violated by men, the priestess was required to be over fifty, but dress as though she were a maiden.
