foretelling

auguring, augurs, divines, divining, forecasting, foretelling, foretells, predicting, predicts, prognosticates, prognosticating, prophesying

1. foreshowing

2. forespeaking

3. foretelling

4. predicting

1. auguring

2. foreshowing

3. forespeaking

4. foretelling

5. presagingly

πύθων, ωνος, ὁ (fr. Πυθώ, the region in which the city of Delphi lay) orig. ‘the Python’, acc. to Strabo 9, 3, 12 the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle; it lived at the foot of Mt. Parnassus, and was slain by Apollo. Later the word came to designate a spirit of divination, then also of ventriloquists, who were believed to have such a spirit dwelling in their belly (Plut., Mor. 414e τοὺς ἐγγαστριμύθους νῦν πύθωνας προσαγορευομένους. Sim., Erotiani Vocum Hippocr. Coll. Fgm. 21 p. 105, 20 Nachmanson; Hesychius and Suda on ἐγγαστρίμυθος, also L-S-J-M on the same word.—Suda on Πύθωνος: δαιμονίου μαντικοῦ. τάς τε πνεύματι Πύθωνος ἐνθουσιώσας καὶ φαντασίαν κυήσεως παρεχομένας τῇ τοῦ δαιμονίου περιφορᾷ ἠξίου τὸ ἐσόμενον προαγορεῦσαι=of Python: of a soothsaying divinity. It deemed such women worthy of foretelling the future who were in ecstasy with the Python’s spirit and exhibited at the whirling of the divinity an appearance of conception; Ps.-Clem., Hom. 9, 16 καὶ πύθωνες μαντεύονται, ἀλλʼ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν ὡς δαίμονες ὁρκιζόμενοι φυγαδεύονται; Syntipas p. 62, 6; 15; 63, 4 πύθωνος πνεῦμα. So as loanw. in rabb.—On the difference betw. ancient and modern ideas of ventriloquism, s. A-JFestugière, RB 54, ’47, 133 and s. OED s.v. ventriloquist) πνεῦμα πύθωνα a spirit of divination or prophecy (in apposition like ἄνθρωπος βασιλεύς) Ac 16:16 (v.l. πνεῦμα πύθωνος=‘the spirit of a ventriloquist.’—Philochoros [300 B.C.]: 326 Fgm. 78 Jac. refers to women w. this ability).—WEbstein, D. Medizin im NT u. im Talmud 1903; JTambornino, De Antiquorum Daemonismo 1909; FDölger, Der Exorzismus im altchristl. Taufritual 1909; AWikenhauser, Die AG 1921, 401ff; TOesterreich, D. Besessenheit 1921, esp. 319–30; RMacMullen, Enemies of the Roman Order ’75, 128–51.—Pauly-W. XXIV 609f; Kl. Pauly IV 1280; Haenchen, ad loc. DELG s.v. Πυθώ. 1263–66. M-M. TW.