Notes from Source: Plutarch quotes Demosthenes as saying that the Pythia (the mouthpiece of Apollo at Delphi) must be suspected of taking Philip’s side. Plutarch was a pious-man, a religious functionary at Delphi, and a firm believer in the fulfilment of oracles and omens, but he shows no trace of disapproval; in fact the reverse. A Greek knew that Apollo’s mouthpiece was human, assumed that he must use his reason in making decisions after consulting the oracle, and yet believed that the Pythia’s utterances must be fulfilled. So in other methods of divination he recognized the human element, but did not doubt their supernatural basis. Greek rationalism was not modern rationalism, and did not create the difficulties which we might expect. The gods were larger Greeks, not easily shocked: even outside Greece there was little objection to action which we should regard as religious trickery. In Greece man was the measure of all things, and a Greek, in his liberalities to the gods and their temples, could without blame be regarded as seeking to make a favorable impression upon his fellow citizens. This is an attitude very different from the legalism of Rome or the theocentric emphasis of the Near East. Nevertheless, it existed together with a deep sense of awe and a sharp awareness of the line between men and gods. In religion, as in other things, classical Hellenism represents a delicate balance which defies our efforts at formulation.

Further Notes: Place: Philadelphia, Pa Publisher: American Philosophical Society