The Didactic Oracle

Abstract

Plutarch’s ‘Delphic dialogues’—De E apud Delphos, De Pythiae oraculis, and De defectu oraculorum—contain a series of conversations held at Delphi regarding different aspects of the god, the oracle, and the oracular sanctuary. In these dialogues Delphi stands as a touchstone for humans to access divine knowledge through the oracular responses, but also through its physical presence. I argue that through these dialogues Plutarch presents Delphi as an ideal location for philosophical inquiry because it is a sanctuary to a philosophical god whose presence permeates Delphic ritual and cult as well as the physical dedications. The Delphic oracle may no longer play a pivotal role in the political sphere, but Plutarch makes the case for a new role for the sanctuary as a philosophical center where individuals from different schools of thought may gather to share knowledge and work together in their search for deeper understanding.