Apollo Loxias
godAn epithet of Apollo meaning "the Oblique One," referring to the deliberately ambiguous nature of his oracles at Delphi.
The Myth
Apollo Loxias was the god in his capacity as deliverer of ambiguous prophecies through the Pythia at Delphi. The epithet acknowledged that Apollo's oracles never lied but could be fatally misunderstood. When Croesus of Lydia asked whether he should attack Persia, the oracle said he would destroy a great empire — it was his own. Oedipus received a prophecy from Loxias that he would kill his father Laius and marry his mother Jocasta, and every attempt to escape fulfilled it. Orestes was commanded by Loxias to avenge his father Agamemnon by killing his mother Clytemnestra, then was pursued by the Erinyes for the matricide. The Pythia sat on her tripod over a chasm, inhaling vapours, while Apollo spoke through her in hexameter verse. Priests interpreted her utterances, often adding further layers of ambiguity.
Parents
Zeus, Leto
Symbols
Fun Fact
Modern geological surveys confirmed that two fault lines intersect directly beneath the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, producing ethylene gas — a known intoxicant that causes trance states. The Pythia really was inhaling mind-altering vapours, exactly as ancient sources described. Apollo's "oblique" prophecies may have been the product of genuine chemical intoxication, interpreted by priests with a political agenda.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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placeThe most important oracle in ancient Greece, where the Pythia delivered Apollo's prophecies. The...
Agamemnon
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heroClytemnestra murdered Agamemnon on his return from Troy, driven by rage over Iphigenia's sacrifice.
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placeThe marble treasury built by Athens at Delphi from Marathon spoils, the best-preserved building on...
Erinyes
conceptThree terrifying goddesses who punished those guilty of murder, oath-breaking, and crimes against...
Oedipus
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