Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/545

 pyX

( 9ll )

PYX

PYTHIA, or Pythian, in Antiquity, the Pcieftefs of Apollo j by whom he deliver'd Oracles. See Oracle.

She was thus call'd from the God himfelf, who was en- titled Apollo Tythius, from his flaying the Serpent Tython 5 or, as others will have it, «7nj t» mf&t<r3&t, becaufe Apollo, the Sun, is the caufe of Rottennefs; or, according to others, from mrp&t&tofMt, I hear, becaufe People went to hear and confult his Oracles.

The Prieftefs was to be a pure Virgin She fat on the

CovercU, or Lid, of a brazen Veflel, mounted on a Tri- pod 5 and thence, after a violent Enthufiafm, deliver'd her Oracles, or rather explain'd thofe of the God ; i. e. re- hear fed a few ambiguous and obfeure Verfes, which were taken for Oracles.

All the Tythice did not feem to have had the fame Ta- lent at Poetry, or Memory enough to retain their LefTon — Tlutarcb and Strabo make mention of Poets, who were kept in pay, as Interpreters of Jupiter,, &c.

Pythian Games, Pythi dirndl, were folemn Games in- fljruted in honour of Apollo ■, and in memory of his killing the Serpent Tython with his Arrows. See Games.

The Tythici were celebrated in Macedonia, in a place

call'd Tythium They were the next in Fame after the

Olympic Games; but were more antient than they: for 'tis pretended they were inftituted immediately after the Defeat of the Serpent,

They were held every two Years, towards the Month jg. laphebolion, which anfwer'd to our February.

The Tythia were alfo celebrated at Deiphos 5 and 'twas thefe were the moftrenown'd — Apart ot Tindar's Poems are compofed in praife of the Victors in the Tythian Game;. See Pindaric.

The Critics are divided on the Subject of the Serpent Tython — —The Poets fay, that Juno made ufe of it to per- fecute Latona, and prevent her bringing into the World Apollo and "Diana, whom /he had conceiv'd of Jupiter j and that 'twas for this reafon Apollo kiU'd it.

Strabo fays, 'twas no other than a famous Villain, one Draco, that Apollo ridded the World of

Dickinfon, in his Delphi Thenicizantes, maintains the Tython of the Greeks to be the Syphon of the Phoenicians ; and the ItypftCn of the Thoznicians to be the Og of Scrip- ture ; and Apollo who ilew it, he will have to be Jo- Jnta.

PYXIS Nantica, in Navigation, the Seaman's Compafi. See Compass.

The Word JPyxis Is Latin, and literally figniftes a little Sox.

Among Anatomifls, Tyxisls alfo ufed for the Cavity of the Hip-bone. Sec Ac etaeulum.

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