Of the origin of the Delphian oracle nothing is known. One legend told how the prophetic virtues of the site were discovered by a shepherd whose goats began to frisk about under the influence of the subterranean vapour; and another related how Apollo, after he had slain the great serpent Pytho on the spot, boarded a Cretan ship in the neighbouring gulf, and consecrated the crew to his service. It seems almost certain that the place was the seat of a religious establishment previous to its connection with the worship of Apollo; but its whole historic importance—which can hardly be over-estimated—is entirely due to this connection. The first temple of stone was reputed to have been built by the semi-mythical personages Trophonius and Agamedes. It was burned down in 548 B.C., but was soon after replaced by the building which has already been described. The contract for the work was taken by the Athenian family of the Alcmæonids, who were at that time in exile from the tyranny of Hippias. They employed the architect Spintharus, and acquired great credit for the disinterested liberality with which they accomplished their task. The principal facts in the history of Delphi have already been narrated in the article Amphictyony (vol. i. p. 772), where the reader will also find an account of the relation in which the temple stood to the states of Greece. It only remains to tell how the sanctuary and its treasures, which had been miraculously saved from the Persians and the Gauls, were put under contribution by Sulla for the payment of his soldiers; how Nero removed no fewer than 500 brazen images from the sacred precincts; and how Constantine the Great enriched his new city by the sacred tripods, the statues of the Heliconian Muses, the Apollo, and the celebrated Pan dedicated by the Greek cities after the conclusion of the war with the Medes. Julian afterwards sent Oribasius to restore the temple; but the oracle responded to the emperor's enthusiasm with nothing but a wail over the glory that had departed.
See Pausanias for a detailed description of the town in the second century of the Christian era; the Ion of Euripides for many interesting descriptions; and among modern works Wilster, De religione et oraculo Apollinis Delphici, Copenhagen, 1827; Hullmann, Würdigung des Delphischen Orakels, 1837; Götte, Das Delphische Orakel, 1839; Curtius, Anecdota Delphica, 1843; Schliemann in Allgemeine Zeitung, 1874.
DELPHINIA, a festival of Apollo held annually on the 7th of the month Munychion (April) at Athens, where he was styled Delphinios. All that is known of the ceremonies is that a number of girls proceeded to his temple carrying suppliants branches and seeking to propitiate Apollo, probably as a god having influence on the sea. It was at this time of year that navigation opened again after the storms of winter.
DELTA. See Physical Geography.
DELUC, Jean André (1727–1817), geologist and meteorologist, born at Geneva, Februarys, 1727, was descended
from a family which had emigrated from Lucca and settled
at Geneva in the 15th century. His father, Franois
Deluc, was the author of some publications in refuta
tion of Mandeville and other rationalistic writers, which
are best known through Rousseau s humorous account of
his ennui in reading them ; and he gave his son an
excellent education, chiefly in mathematics and natural
science. On completing it he engaged in commerce, which
principally occupied the first forty-six years of his life,
without any other interruption than that which was
occasioned by some journeys of business into the neigh
bouring countries, and a few scientific excursions among
the Alps. During these, however, he collected by degrees,
in conjunction with his brother Guillaume Antoine, a
splendid museum of mineralogy and of natural histoiy in
general, which was afterwards increased by his nephew
Andre" Deluc. He at the same time took a prominent part
in politics. In 1768 he was sent to Paris on an embassy
to the Due de Choiseul, whose friendship he succeeded in
gaining. In 1770 he was nominated one of the Council
of Two Hundred. Three years later unexpected reverses
in business made it advisable for him to quit his native
town, which he only revisited once for a few days. The
change was welcome in so far as it set him entirely free
for scientific pursuits, and it was with little regret that he
removed to England in 1773. He was made a fellow of
the Royal Society in the same year, and received the
appointment of reader to Queen Charlotte, which he con
tinued to hold for forty-four years, and which afforded him
both leisure and a competent income. In the latter part
of his life he obtained leave to make several tours in
Switzerland, France, Holland, and Germany. In Germany
he passed the six years from 1798 to 1804 ; and after his
return he undertook a geological tour through England.
When he was at GSttingen, in the beginning of his German
tour, he received the compliment of being appointed
honorary professor of geology in that university ; but he
never entered upon the active duties of a professorship.
He was also a correspondent of the Academy of Sciences
at Paris, and a member of several other scientific associa
tions.
His favourite studies were geology and meteorology.
The situation of his native country had naturally led him
to contemplate the peculiarities of the earth s structure,
and the properties of the atmosphere, as particularly dis
played in mountainous countries, and as subservient to tho
measurement of heights. He inherited from his father a
sincere veneration for the doctrines of Christianity, and a
disposition to defend the Mosaic account of the creation
against the criticism whose principal weapons were
furnished by his favourite science. His royal patroness
was most anxious to encourage and promote his labours in
