Oracle of Delphi

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/oracle-of-delphi

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location of sanctuary?Delphi, Phocis, Greece, considered the 'omphalos' (navel) of the world
2. What is the primary deity?Apollo, god of prophecy, music, poetry, healing, and light
3. How did the Pythia give her prophecies?She sat on a tripod over a hole in the ground that might have released gases, and she was in a trance. Priests listened and wrote the words in poems or stories.
4. Why were the prophecies sometimes vague?The Oracle liked to keep the words open so people could see them as true in many ways. This helped keep the Oracle respected even when things went wrong.

Panhellenic Sanctuary: A sacred site revered and visited by all Greek city-states, fostering a sense of shared identity.
Omphalos: Ancient Greek for 'navel'; Delphi was believed to be the center of the world.
Hexameter Verse: A poetic meter consisting of six metrical feet, commonly used in ancient Greek epic poetry.