Abstract
The word Delphi refers to the hallowed site of the most revered oracle in ancient Greece. Legend has it that the earth goddess Gaia long ago inhabited this site and was protected by the dragon Pythos. Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, slew the dragon and made himself master of Delphi. He was famous throughout Greece not only for his beauty, but also for his ability to foresee the future. The home Apollo chose for himself was located 170 kilometers northwest of Athens on the slopes of Mount Parnassus and in sight of the Gulf of Corinth. The impressive site served not only as an oracular center but also as a kind of art museum. Every important event of Greek history was immortalized there by painting and sculpture. Those who sought to consult the Oracle brought gifts, thereby making Delphi one of the richest and most influential locales in Greece. Forecasts were transmitted from Apollo through intermediaries, women known as Pythia. The focal point for the activity was an inner sanctum of the temple built over a geologic fault through which fumes escaped. These fumes were instrumental in transporting the Pythia into a trance, and their utterances were then interpreted by priests for the petitioners.
Excerpted from: Handbook of Futures Research, edited by Jib Fowles; Greenwood Press, Westport, CT, and London, England.
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Linstone, H.A. (1985). The Delphi Technique. In: Covello, V.T., Mumpower, J.L., Stallen, P.J.M., Uppuluri, V.R.R. (eds) Environmental Impact Assessment, Technology Assessment, and Risk Analysis. NATO ASI Series, vol 4. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70634-9_22
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