the priestess of Apollo at Delphi, by whom he delivered oracles. She was so called from Pythius, a name of that god, which is said to have been given him on account of his victory over the serpent Python.

The Pythia was at first required to be a young girl, but in later times she was a woman of 50 years of age. The first and most famous Pythia was Phemonoe. Oracles were at first delivered by her in hexameter verse. All the pythias were to be pure virgins, and all of them delivered their oracles with great enthusiasm and violent agitations. See Oracle and Delphi.