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 a woman of about fifty years of age usually officiated as priestess. The first and most famous Pythia was Phemonoe, by whom oracles were at first delivered in hexameter verse. All the Pythias were pure virgins, and all of them delivered their oracles with great enthusiasm and violent agitations.