The role of the Delphic Oracle in Persian Wars

Authors

  • Javier Jara Herrero Universidad de Salamanca

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v9i18.624

Keywords:

Delphi, Sparta, Persian Wars, Myth, Strive for Legitimacy

Abstract

The Greco-Persian Wars (492 – 478 BCE) constitute a good example of how wars in ancient Greece did not only depend on the respective size of the confronting powers. Greek religion played a decisive role in the conflict following the invasion of Hellenic lands by King Xerxes’s army. The Oracle of Delphi, persuading both the various poleis that decided to confront the Persian empire and those that maintained their neutrality with its prophecies, tried to influence the outcome of the conflict. This paper attempts to analyze how the temple of Apollo at Delphi, traditionally accused of sympathizing with the invading forces, used its influence over Greek states, especially over Sparta, to determine, their military tactics on one hand, and the evolution of this religious entity in the final phase of the clash and the immediate subsequent years on the other. Following the testimony of the ancient sources, a special attention will be paid to the links between Delphi and Sparta in the Battle of Thermopylae and how these links contributed to the myth of Spartan hoplites that has survived to this day. The naval battle of Salamis also has a special place in this study, given that its origin is found in certain interpretations of the Delphi high priestess’ words.

The expulsion of the Achaemenid invaders was an ideal breeding ground for the configuration of a new awareness of belonging to a common culture within Greek societies, as prominent figures such as Pausanias, the regent of Sparta, appeared to materialize a new political current linking the control of the oracle sanctuary in Delphi with political dominance of Greece. In turn, the Delphic priestly order progressively transformed its holy site into a more patrimonial than religious entity. The ambition to turn, via donations to Apollo, the most relevant Panhellenic sanctuary of the 5th century BCE into a seat of power and authority ended up dispelling the enthusiasm around a hypothetical lasting alliance in the ancient Greek world.

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Author Biography

  • Javier Jara Herrero, Universidad de Salamanca

    Javier Jara Herrero, graduado en Historia por la Universidad de Salamanca, máster oficial en Estudios Avanzados e Investigación en Historia (sociedades, poderes, identidades), actualmente inscrito en el Programa de Doctorado de Prehistoria y Ciencias de la Antigüedad en la Universidad de Salamanca

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Published

2020-06-08

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 18 (2020): La figura del prisionero de guerra en la Edad Moderna: fuentes, percepciones, vivencias y sociabilidad

Section

Estudios

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Copyright (c) 2020 Javier Jara Herrero

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How to Cite

The role of the Delphic Oracle in Persian Wars. (2020). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 9(18), 154-174. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v9i18.624

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