July 29, 2024 • 37 mins
Ever wondered how a simple baked fish recipe can lead us on a journey through ancient Greek mythology? Join us as we blend culinary creativity with historical exploration, starting with a delightful and easy-to-follow Greek-style baked fish recipe from Greek Boston. There's plenty to savor, from our wine pairing tips to a quirky discussion about why some salmon are classified as white fish. Plus, I heard about our kitchen mishaps, like forgetting the tomatoes, and how we turned it around with some tasty suggestions like serving the dish over rice or with crusty bread.
Travel back in time to the mystical world of the Oracle at Delphi, where gods, myths, and epic tales converge. Listen as we breathe life into the myth of Apollo's victory over the serpent Python, the vibrant Pythian Games, and Apollo’s incredible dolphin transformation to recruit his priests. Discover the dual worship of Apollo and Dionysus and the fascinating evolution of the Delphic Oracle, supported by ancient sources like Hesiod and Homer. We'll also highlight the construction and destruction of the magnificent temples dedicated to Apollo, each with its unique story and significance.
Unveil the secrets of the revered Pythias and their profound impact on ancient Greek society. Learn about the rigorous qualifications and revered social status of these priestesses, along with the elaborate rituals they underwent to deliver their prophecies. As we unravel the mystery of the Oracle’s vapors with modern geological insights, we’ll explore how these enigmatic predictions influenced major decisions and left an enduring legacy, even as their power waned with the rise of Christianity. This episode is a rich tapestry of culinary delight and historical intrigue you won't want to miss!
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Recipe:
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/baked-greek-fish-psari-plaki/
Resources:
*Don’t make fun of me for all the Wikipedia links, I checked everything they said with other sources lol*
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Python-Greek-mythology
https://www.thecollector.com/oracle-of-delphi/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Smarticus Tells History.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Alright, enough with the echo and fanfare.
You're here for history, right,and not that boring crap you
learned in high school.
This stuff's actuallyinteresting, like things you've
never heard about the Civil War,cleopatra, automobiles,
monopoly, the Black Plague andmore Fascinating stories,
interesting topics and somedownright weird facts from the
(00:28):
past.
It's a new twist on somestories you may know and an
interesting look at some thingsyou may have never heard.
So grab a beer, kick back andenjoy.
Here's your host.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Smarticus.
Hello, dear listeners, andwelcome back to another exciting
episode of Smarticus TellsHistory.
I am your host, smarticus,accompanied by my co-host,
phoenix.
Hey, this episode we are takingan in-depth look at the Oracle
at Delphi.
We are going to investigate whoshe was, where she came from,
what her role in her communitywas and, in a larger context,
(01:00):
what she meant to her entirecountry.
But first let's dig into ourfood.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yes, which Spartacus was the awesome one of finding
this recipe?
It's a Greek-style baked fish.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yep, it's from the Greek Boston website.
Yeah, so we've already tastedit a little bit and it is very
good.
It's fresh.
Yeah, it's pretty fresh.
It wasn't that hard to make.
We had I got salmon.
You said you got tilapia.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yes.
It requires a white fish,although, as we were talking
before, salmon isn't white, it'spink, but it's labeled as a
white fish.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is still classified as a white fish.
I checked it before I made it,so I was going to go get some
more.
It is labeled as a whitefish.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So it's really very simple.
It has very few ingredientsoutside of spices.
You need onion, two onions, abunch of tomatoes.
You simmer them down, turn theminto a kind of sauce, and then
you put it into a baking dishand then put your fish on top of
that.
Some more um, was it salt,pepper oil on top of your fish,
(02:13):
and then some white wine.
Oh, which wine did you use?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I forgot so I used the pinot grigio uh me too
barefoot.
Um, that's what I used I used.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I think it was yellowtail, the one with the
kangaroo yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Um, I wasn't sure what kind of white wine to use,
so I I googled it and it said Idid too.
Yeah, the most common one wasusually pinot grigio, uh, for
like cooking.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So that's what I grabbed, yep because, honestly
y'all, I have no idea aboutwines and pairing them with food
.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, me either.
I know I like Moscato, red orwhite, and honestly that's been
about the only kind of wine thatI've tasted that I did like.
So I looked it up and it wasfine.
It tastes good.
Like I said, it does go greatwith it.
I think it was only half a cupand that was about it for.
(03:08):
And I said for, uh, it'ssupposed to be three pounds of
fish.
Uh, the recipe?
yeah, the three pounds, whitefish steaks or whole fish such
as red mullet fish which I'venever had does say that white
fish is a term that generallyrefers to fish with white or
light colored flesh that are lowin oil and have a mild flavor.
Salmon can be considered awhite fish because some types,
(03:31):
like white fleshed king salmon,don't have the ability to break
down their food and store redorange carotene in their muscle
cells.
This means that they lackastaxanthin, a compound that
gives salmon its characteristicorange and pink flesh.
I don't know how to say thatword, but that's what it is.
(03:55):
It's astaxanthin, okay,possibly Whatever that is.
Well, I mean, it says rightthere it's the compound that
gives salmon its orange andpinkish flesh.
Yeah, so Okay then.
So, yeah, so, but we've beeneating it.
(04:16):
It is pretty good.
It's a half cup white wine,chopped parsley, four medium
sized diced tomatoes.
We've talked about it earlier,I forgot to put the tomatoes in
and the recipe.
It doesn't.
It does not tell you when toput the tomatoes in.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
This particular recipe, didn't?
I had to go look for anotherone.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
This one that we have here, didn't, we might put
another one in for the, for theshow notes, yeah, one that is a
little bit more descriptive.
Overall, though, I mean, it isrelatively good.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
The sauce is really, really wet, so I was thinking
having it over rice would bedelicious.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I thought the same thing and I was like man, I
should really make some ricewith this.
And I didn't.
I just grabbed a couple moreslices of this fish.
Nice, I grabbed some bread, didyou?
Yeah, I've got three of them inhere.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I think this is my second time using wine in a
recipe.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
For this or just ever .
Or just ever yeah, Because weused it.
Well, we used wine for the porkloins that we did several
episodes back.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Okay, so I guess it's three times then, because there
was that and I usually I makeJulia Child's Bouff Bouguignon
quite often because my husbandloves it, and I usually use
Merlot, which I think isprobably going to get some
people's hackles up, but I don'tcare, it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And then again what I usually do I didn't use a fresh
onion Again.
I had a bag of peppers.
I didn't use a fresh onionAgain.
I had a bag of peppers, onionand peppers, and so I just
dumped the whole bag in therefor the sauce, because it says
(06:00):
to use two whole onions and Ithought that was a lot of onions
, but it was supposed to be withthree pounds of fish too, and I
didn't use the whole threepounds of fish, I just used what
I had left over.
Yeah, I thought I was a lot ofonions, but it was supposed to
be a three pounds of fish too,and I didn't.
I didn't use the whole threepounds of fish, I just used what
I had left over.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So yeah, I thought I had onions, turns out I had one
little bitty onion.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And so I had to have my husband run to the store and
get me a big one.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, but it is really good Delicious.
I recommend it highly,especially for like a summer
meal, yeah, and I mean it'smostly healthy.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
With the exception of the large amount of oil that
you put in it.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
If you use olive oil, it doesn't count.
Yeah, well, I don't know aboutthat.
But yeah, it's healthier.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
All right Now.
Hopefully, everyone has at onetime or another heard about the
great and powerful Oracle ofDelphi, but we don't always like
to assume, so let me give youthe overview.
The Oracle was an incrediblyimportant figure in Greece.
She was believed to interpretthe future and divine will of
the gods via the great God ofMusic, medicine, sun and
(07:04):
Prophecy, apollo.
The seat of power for theOracle was on Mount Parnassus,
north of the Corinth Gulf.
The Oracle was mentioned bymany famous authors, such as
Clement of Alexandria, theodorus, euripides, herodotus, plato,
plutarch who we will be citinglater as he was actually a high
(07:24):
priest to the Oracle herselfSophocles and Xenophon, to name
a few.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
We can't go into detail about the Oracle, though,
until we explain the importanceof the temple location.
Mount Parnassus was, accordingto Greek mythology, incredibly
important to Apollo as well asDionysus, so much so that it was
sacred to them, as well as theCoruscant nymphs who lived there
.
Not to mention it was also homeof the Muses, but it wasn't the
(07:50):
summer home of Apollo untilafter he slew the great python,
sometimes written Pytho, whoguarded what was originally
believed to be the cult centerof its mother, gaia.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
In fact, greeks considered that to be the center
of the earth.
There was a stone called theAmphalos that was believed to be
Gaia's navel which is what theword means and Python guarded it
with great devotion.
The place and its oracle wereconsidered even then to be the
best and most famous, untilApollo put on his work boots if
(08:22):
you will allow me the metaphorand decided that he wanted that
location for his oracle.
There's also the possibility,depending on your source, that
suggests Apollo hated Pythonbecause it had persecuted the
great sun, god's mother Leto,while she was pregnant.
Either way, apollo won and tocelebrate he started the Pythian
Games.
That's also how the Delphicoracle got her name Pythia.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
There's writings from ancient Greek sources that tell
of the first two temples.
The first was a hut made fromlaurels by Apollo, as the plant
was sacred to him.
The second was made frombeeswax and feathers and was a
gift from Apollo to theHyperboreans.
The third temple was supposedlymade by Hephaestus, and it was
made out of bronze, which, ifyou know anything about him, was
a signature move.
Unfortunately, this one waseither burned or fell into a
(09:09):
fissure.
That's not too surprising,considering the location of the
temple is so close to a faultline of two tectonic plates.
Anyway, it is believed that thefourth one was built from stone
designed and constructed byTrophonius and Agametes, but
once again, that doesn't meanmuch, because it too burned down
in 548 BCE.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Historians actually believe that this last temple,
the fourth one, was actually thefirst temple sanctuary of
Apollo in Delphi.
It is also the temple that mostrefers to him in Greek
mythology and the written worksof the time.
Eventually, the fifth and lasttemple was constructed and fully
functioning by 490 BCE, thoughthere is physical as well as
(09:54):
historical evidence that tellsus this temple was constructed
after an earthquake around 330BCE.
It was a 6x15 columnParis-style structure on the
exterior and decorated in theDoric style Very pretty.
For anyone who knows what allthat means, I had to look it up.
It's lots of scroll work incase you're wondering.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Oh, okay, yeah, I didn't look it up.
An interesting fact about theTemple of Apollo he wasn't the
only one worshipped there Fornine months, the warmest ones.
It was all about Apollo, thoughhis oracle, the Pythia, was
only giving out prophecies oncea month.
During the other three monthsof the year, or winter, the
temple was the worship centerfor Dionysus and his mysterious
(10:37):
cult.
Not much is known about theirpractices, but there was great
mention of Dionysus'resurrection from being a mortal
to a full-blown god, andsupposedly his mortal remains
were housed at the temple.
During the winter months, thePythia did not prophesy, as
Apollo vacated that area andcould not possess her.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
For some reason, the young woman, or sometimes women,
who took the position of Pythiawere required to be a virgin
and chaste, that is, until thelatter years of the cult, when
they were women older than 50years of age.
We'll get to that in a bit.
Now, how the oracle came toactually be is debated.
The Homeric hymn to DelphicApollo says that some Cretans
(11:18):
from Minos' city of Gnosis weretraveling in a swift ship to the
sandy shores of Pelos, theoriginal name of Delphi.
Apollo saw them shifted intothe form of a dolphin and threw
himself out of the water ontothe deck of their ship.
After revealing himself, heurged them to follow him to a
and this is a quote place whereyou will have rich offerings,
(11:39):
and that was how he got hispriest force for the temple.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So I'm not sure why.
I would understand why he wouldtake the form of a dolphin and
then throw himself out of thewater.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
No, I totally agree.
The dolphin was one of hislittle emblem.
Things Right, but why would youdo that?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I totally agree.
I'm like, did you just need tobe that extra?
But it is Apollo who's a totaltwit.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
So he's very sure I got no respect for the dude none
yeah, he was a very show-offguy.
This particular source thehomeric hymn has been dated as
being written somewhere in 580to 570 bc.
Cretan bronze objects have beenfound in delphi from the 8th
century onwards.
There are also Cretansculptures from 620 to 600 BC
(12:28):
dedicated to the temple thathave also been discovered.
Hesiod, a Greek poet, who wasactive between 750 and 650 BC,
was shown the Amphilos Gaia'snavel and wrote about it.
He and Homer were around at thesame time, in case you were
needing a timeline.
Homer, before he was the headof the Simpson family, was the
writer of the Trojan War and theIliad and the Odyssey, which
(12:49):
chronicles Odysseus'10-year-long journey to get back
home after said war.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
If you ever go look up sorry the pictures of the
Amphalos.
It's like really pretty.
Gaia had a cute little outie.
Okay, Okay, yeah All right.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I was just thinking earlier too, when we were
talking about it like it's veryodd that he would go protect
some lady's navel.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Right, well, you know , it's the center of mama.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
He loves, mama.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah, python.
I always kind of got thefeeling that Python was a bit of
a mama's boy.
Yeah, the feeling that pythonwas a bit of a mama's boy.
Yeah, that's that's.
Yeah, that's what I'm getting.
Another possible source for theoracle was related by the first
century bc writer deodorussiculus.
He told the story of a goat,herder coratus, who noticed that
his goat had fallen into achasm and was acting very
(13:41):
peculiar.
When he entered so that hecould get the goat, he found
himself filled to the brim witha divine presence and suddenly
had the ability to see the pastand the future.
Naturally, he was so excitedabout this wild experience that
he rushed home to the villageand told everyone about it.
Of course, the next thingpeople started doing was coming
to the site to see forthemselves.
Some would have convulsions andgo into trances.
(14:02):
Unfortunately, some woulddisappear into the chasm due to
their feverish state of mind andnot be seen again.
Eventually, a shrine waserected on the site and, after
the deaths of several men, itwas decided that only single
young women from the villagewould play liaison for the
divine speaker.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Hmm Interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Right, let's just sacrifice the young ladies.
It's not like we need them oranything.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, I never understood that either.
It was always virgin ladies tooLike why, why did that Right?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
They have to be pure.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
I was going to say because they were supposed to be
pure or whatever.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Untouched, unsullied.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yep.
Now if you're looking at themovie 300 for depictions of how
oracles were dressed, you'regoing to be very disappointed,
especially if you're a teenageboy.
Theodorus actually insistedthat the Pythia was dressed in
appropriate attire for a young,virgin woman.
In fact, he insisted heavily onthe oracle's chastity and
purity, as it was important forher connection with the god
(15:00):
Apollo.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
However, he did report this no-transcript right
(15:38):
there, but it is also atestament to how incredibly
important the oracle of delphiwas, not just to the delphians
but to to those practicing thereligion.
I mean, many a man has donehorrible things like that
throughout history and not muchwas done about it.
Maybe his name was written down, but probably not this guy's
name.
Home and probably address werewritten down in the history
(15:59):
books and laws were changed justbecause of this one instance.
That speaks volumes.
To be a priestess during thistime was an incredibly respected
career for Greek women.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
In fact, they had much more elevated lives than
their other female counterpartswho had to marry to survive or
work in other industries.
They could own land, they werefree from taxation and attend
public events that other womencouldn't.
There was a salary and providedhousing by the state.
While they performed a widerange of duties, depending on
their affiliation, and often gotto wear golden crowns, their
(16:32):
social position afforded themmany rewards.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
But surely you're wondering how were these women
chosen?
What were the qualifications?
Well, first of all, they wereall from Delphi.
They had to have lived a soberlife and have a good character.
No grouches or obstinate womenneed apply.
I guess Apollo added that afterthe whole situation with
Cassandra at Troy, Now somewomen might be married,
especially if they were comingafter what that schmuck did, but
(16:59):
they were expected to give upthe familial life and devote
themselves entirely to the workat hand.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
The archaeologist John Hale said the Pythia was on
occasion a noble ofaristocratic family, sometimes a
peasant, sometimes rich,sometimes poor, sometimes old,
sometimes young, sometimes avery lettered and educated woman
to whom somebody like the highpriest and the philosopher
Plutarch would dedicate essays.
Other times it was someone whocould not write her own name.
(17:26):
So it seems to have been anaptitude rather than any
ascribed status that made thesewomen eligible to be Pythias and
speak for the god.
Though it was easier to seewhen one of the less educated
was in a position, because thepoetic hexameter prophecies were
simplified to prose.
That happened much more duringthe later period of the cult as
(17:49):
opposed to the earlier centuries.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
However, during the main and certainly most popular
time of the oracle, three womenserved at any given time as the
Pythia.
Two would take turns givingprophecies, while a third was
held back in case one of thegirls had to be relieved.
According to Plutarch, serviceto Apollo was incredibly taxing.
The Pythia, at the end of eachday of handing out oracles would
(18:11):
be so physically and mentallyexhausted that he compared them
to a runner after a race or adancer after an ecstatic dance.
Because of this, they onlyworked one day of the month,
during the night that they werespeaking for Apollo.
This meant, unfortunately, thateach Pythia's lifespan was
drastically shortened, and notjust for that reason alone.
We'll get further into thatsoon enough.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Preparations for rituals and going into prophetic
trances were very important andexhausting.
As we stated earlier, ninemonths out of the year the
Pythia were working the oraclegig, while the other three
months of the year the templewas devoted to Dionysus.
It's unclear if the oracleparticipated in the rites of the
Maenads in their devotion tothe god of wine and revelry, but
(18:55):
Plutarch did write about hisfriend Clea, who was a priestess
to Apollo as well asparticipated in the secret rites
of Dionysus.
Still, come spring, on theseventh day of the month of
Viseos, Apollo's birthday, theoracle had to be cleansed and
prepped for the next nine monthsof work.
And before you ask, Visios istypically considered to be
February, but could be any30-day interval in between
(19:18):
January and March.
Visios starts with a new moon.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
In addition to the purification rites, the Pythia
had to fast and ceremoniallyprepare to become the conduit
that the god would use todeliver prophecy.
On the seventh day of eachmonth, in dedication for Apollo,
she would be led by twoattending priests to the
Castilian Spring with the purpleveil covering her face.
The Castilian Spring was whereall contestants, those seeking
counsel from the Oracle andpilgrims to the holy site would
(19:46):
wash and drink the waters topurify themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
not unlike the Pythia , Once at the water's edge, the
priest would recite Servants ofthe Delphian Apollo, go to the
Castilian spring wash in itssilvery eddies and return
cleansed to the temple.
Guard your lips from offense tothose who ask for oracles.
Let the gods' answer come purefrom all private fault.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
The Pythia would bathe naked and drink holier
waters from the Kasatas, whichwere much closer to the temple
and presumably reserved for theoracle.
It is believed that Kasatas wasthe Naya that lived and blessed
that section of the spring andwould subsequently bless whoever
bathed and drank there out ofdevotion to Apollo.
Euripides wrote that there wasmuch more for the priests to do.
(20:29):
While the Pythia were cleansingthemselves, there was
ritualistic dancing at thehighest point of Mount Parnassus
, sprinkling holy water on thefloor of the temple to cleanse
it and his various other duties.
Eventually, they, the oracle,oracle servants and the hoisoi,
who were a council of fivearistocratic holy ones, would
come together at the temple toreceive the consultants.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Those looking to consult the Oracle would carry
laurel branches and follow thewinding path called the Sacred
Way to the forecourt of thetemple.
They also brought with them ayoung goat kid to be sacrificed
to the god in a monetary fee.
Of course there was an order towho could go in first and then
subsequently go next fee.
Of course there was an order towho could go in first and then
subsequently go next.
They drew lots to decide theorder of the queue.
(21:11):
There were exceptions to this,though.
Representatives of a city-stateand those who brought a bigger
donation fee were secured theopportunity to go first, but
that's nothing new.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Right After making her appearance at the temple
forecourt, Thapithia would getready further.
She would remove her veil, puton a short, plain white dress
and make for the temple fire ofHestia.
Once there, a live goat kid wasplaced before the altar and
sprinkled with water.
If it shivered from its hoovesup, that was considered to be a
good omen for the priestess.
The goat kid was sacrificed toApollo, while its internal
(21:44):
organs were examined for furtheromens.
If they were deemed favorable.
The Pythia would then enter theOracle chamber, which was
called the Adyton, and take herplace on a specially made tripod
, sitting over the small chasmwhere vapors would come up.
The burning smoke from thesacrifice would signal to all in
attendance that the Oracle wasopen for business.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
There was an instance that Plutarch documented where
the omens from the sacrificewere not good but the oracle was
still encouraged to perform herduty While the priests
interpreted prophecy.
The priestess becameuncontrollably hysterical.
It lasted for several days andended with her dying.
(22:25):
It seems Plutarch had all thehot temple gossip that, aside
from 615 to 535 BCE, statementsfrom the Pythia were recorded
and over half are believed to behistorically accurate and for
some further context, plutarchdied after 119 BCE.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
The fumes and vapors the Pythia inhaled in order to
go into trances have beengreatly debated since the late
1800s.
We'll get to that eventually,but for now let's focus on what
is said to have happened duringconsultations.
After climbing up onto aspecially crafted bronze tripod
with holes in the seat so thatthe vapors could go up around
(23:03):
her from all sides, the Pythiawould hold a branch of laurel
leaves in one hand and a dish ofCassatus spring water in the
other.
The laurel was for helping herinterpret the feelings and
wishes of Apollo.
The water was for looking intoso that the visions the god gave
her would become more clear.
The fumes coming up from belowthe Adaitan were said to come
(23:27):
from the Kernis spring watersthat flowed under the temple.
They would put her into a state, making it more easy for Apollo
to possess her and give answersto questions asked.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Plutarch wrote, not often nor regularly, but
occasionally and fortuitously.
The room in which they seat thegods' consultants is filled
with a fragrance and breeze, asif the aditant were sending
forth the essences of thesweetest and most expensive
perfumes from a spring.
The fumes that the Pythiainhaled were also said to be
(23:58):
sweet, and when she inhaledenough she would speak strangely
.
Sometimes it was almost as ifshe spoke gibberish that only
the priests could interpret.
There were times when she wouldconvulse and writhe around.
When, coming out of her trancelater, the Pythia would have no
memory of what she had said.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
It was said that, though she spoke in riddles, her
words were to be uncovered bythe one who had asked the
question.
Sometimes it was about whethera marriage or a business deal
should take place.
Often it was about making oflaws, building roads, trade
agreements and even colonization.
The oracle was a strong figureand the shaping of a nation, and
she was not to be trifled with.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
There were many times when someone was, let's say,
too big for their britches andshe put them in their place.
One such time was when Croesus,the king of Lydia, tried to
test the oracle.
First, he asked her what he wasdoing at a certain time in the
past while he was in his country.
She replied that he was cuttingup a tortoise and a lamb and
(25:00):
placing them in a bronzecauldron.
Impressed with her veryaccurate answer, Croesus asked
if he went to war with Persia,Would he beat them?
She informed him that he wouldindeed destroy a great empire.
Once again pleased, the kingleft to set out for war.
What he eventually realized wasthat the great empire to fall
(25:21):
was his own.
It seemed to dawn on him rightabout the time he was enslaved
by the Persians.
Apollo didn't leave him to hiswell-deserved fate, but instead
rescued him.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
The Oracle used these moments to make it extremely
clear that she was not just somedumb girl.
People like Croesus and theirridiculous blunders, after
making arrogant assumptions,served as warnings to others.
Still, if you've ever heardabout the story of Oedipus Rex,
not everyone pays attention tothe people that have gone before
them.
The dude ruined threegenerations of people because
(25:54):
his father didn't listen to theOracle's prophecy.
Well, maybe that's a bit of anexaggeration, but not much.
An argument could be made thathis great-great-grandfather
really screwed things up for thewhole family by ticking off one
, possibly two gods, but that'sa rabbit hole for another day.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Maybe another episode .
Back to the Oracle herself.
Wars were given the yay or nayfrom this esteemed lady or
ladies.
It went this way for centuries,and at the height of the
Delphic Oracle's power was alsothe rise of democracy and growth
for more densely populatedparts of Greece.
Though they were not the onlycontributors of wealth and
appreciation.
People in Asia Minor and evenas far as Egypt were patrons and
(26:35):
avid seekers of prophecy fromDelphi.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Sadly for practitioners of the old ways
and cult of Apollo, the templewas destroyed for good in 390 AD
.
The Roman Emperor Theodosius, Ialso known as Theodosius the
Great, had it and most of thestatues destroyed in his attempt
to eradicate all traces ofpaganism in his domain.
In case you aren't sure whichemperor that is, because, let's
(27:00):
be honest, there were a lot.
He was part of the group thatestablished the Creed of Nicaea
as the orthodox doctrine forChristianity was part of the
group that established the Creedof Nicaea as the orthodox
doctrine for Christianity.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He was also the last emperor to rule the Roman Empire
before it was dividedindefinitely between the west
and the east.
You can still go see what'sleft of the temple in modern-day
Delphi.
It's a big tourist attractionand just from the pictures
online, there is no surprise whyApollo, or whoever built it,
chose that spot.
The view is nothing short ofidyllic.
But now we need to addresssomething that has bothered
scientists and archaeologists asfar back as 1892.
(27:34):
Where did these fumes andvapors that the Pythia were said
to inhale come from?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
In 1892, a group from the Collège de France went on
an excavation mission at thesite of Delphi.
They claimed that there was nofissure and no evidence to
suggest that fumes could beproduced there in what they
estimated had to be the Idaiton.
In 1904, there was a Britishart historian, critic, art
collector and museum official bythe name of Adolf Paul Ope, who
(28:02):
made some claims.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
He said, no chasm or vapor ever existed, no natural
gas could create propheticvisions, and the recorded
incidents of a priestessundergoing violent and often
deadly reactions wasinconsistent with the more
customary reports.
Ope firmly believed that it wasall fantasies spread around by
gullible travelers.
Firmly believed that it was allfantasy spread around by
(28:25):
gullible travelers.
In fact, many more scholarsbuilt on this for decades,
claiming that there were novapors and no chasm.
During the 1950s, frenchHellenist Pierre Amandry, who
worked at Delphi, concurred withOpe and insisted that the area
was too volcanic for suchgaseous emissions described in
the Old World Reports.
But it's a volcanic area, Iknow, I know, I know for such
(28:47):
gaseous emissions described inthe old world reports, but it's
a volcanic area.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I know, I know, I know.
But these guys, they didn'tknow much, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
They just didn't have the technology back then, right
.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Right.
But also they were so stuck intheir ways and they believed
very firmly.
They had to be right becauseWell, they knew history?
Yeah, they read some books, dude, yeah, but here's the kicker
none of those people weregeologists and, up to that point
, not a single geologist hadeven been to the site.
That's the archaeologistversion of a keyboard warrior.
It wasn't until the 1980s thatsomeone, after re-examining the
(29:19):
pictures from the frenchexcavation that opa and his
cronies took, where they wereactually found to be mistaken,
labeled Broad 2007, was aphotograph of the temple
interior, clearly showing aspring-like pool as well as
several small vertical fissures.
Everything that was needed tosubstantiate the temple records.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
An interdisciplinary team was formed to further
investigate Jel Zelinga De Boer,geologist, John R Hale,
archaeologist, Jeffrey P Chanton, forensic chemist, and Henry R
Spiller, toxicologist, Using thephotograph and other sources.
They were given the blessing tosurvey all active faults in
(30:03):
Greece by the United Nations.
The Bureau found evidence of afault line running right under
the ruined temple of Delphi atfirst, but during several more
expeditions found that therewere actually two major fault
lines one going north-south,which was the Karna fault, and
the other going east and west,which parallels the Corinthian
Gulf.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
This one was called thephi Fault.
Now, personally, I found thisnext bit that we're going to
talk about super interesting,because it is yeah, I remember
that when you really actuallyfinally have people who know
what the heck they're talkingabout, who are willing to
actually investigate and notjust look at it and go, no, I
don't think so.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
And have the instruments and everything to
prove that yes, yes, and whatwas?
No?
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And have the instruments and everything to
prove that, yes, yes.
And what was really cool to metoo, in addition to all that was
the United Nations, was likeheck, yep, you got two thumbs up
, go get them, buddy.
There's also a Gulf of Corinthrift, and it is one of the most
geologically active sites on theplanet.
Because of this, it createsmajor pressure on the Delphi
(31:06):
Fault, which just so happens tosit right under the Adaiton of
the former temple.
So all those records of timesthe temple was rebuilt because
of earthquakes now have beenproven by fact and not just
hearsay from myth and Plutarch'swritings.
But what about the vapors?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So further examination found underground
chambers and travertine pools.
Think of the mammoth hotsprings in Yellowstone National
Park.
Further investigation foundthat Delphi has a deposit of
bituminos which is rich inhydrocarbons and pitch.
This quote has a petrochemicalcontent as high as 20%.
(31:42):
End quote, which gets heatedduring earthquakes and results
in vaporization of thehydrocarbons.
Cue the vapors rising from thefissures.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Taking a quick moment to further discuss the temple
structure.
Whoever built it knew exactlywhat they were doing.
The team found that there was achamber small in size, offset
and just below where the adytonis believed to have been.
The chamber sits above thecrossing faults and would fill
to intoxicating levels withescaping gas.
The oracle's chamber would havebeen filled, as plutarch said,
(32:14):
and here's a quote with afragrance and breeze sending
forth the essences of thesweetest and most expensive
perfumes from a spring end quotedeburr after much suggested
that it was probably ethylenegas.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Ethylene is known to smell sweet and toxicologist
Henry R Spiller, who was on theteam, agreed.
He said that quote.
Inhalation of even a smallamount of ethylene can cause
both benign trances and euphoricpsychedelic experiences.
Other effects include physicaldetachment, loss of inhibitions,
the relieving of pain andrapidly changing moods without
(32:50):
dulling consciousness.
Excessive doses can causeconfusion, agitation, delirium
and loss of muscle coordination,which would explain why they
were like flaring around.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Right and delirium.
If you inhale too much of itand you start becoming delirious
and agitated.
That sounds a lot like that onechick who was hysterical for
days and then died.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Which would explain why in every depiction of the
Oracle on her tripod, she ishunched over her legs, back
curved like she's exhausted, anda rather confused expression on
her face.
There's a red and blackdrinking bowl from the 5th
century BC in the StattlickMuseum in Berlin, germany.
That depicts the Oracle givinga consultation.
She's holding her water bowland laurel and she's slumped.
(33:34):
Her face, as simply as it waspainted, looks really confused.
That says to me that the oldrecords weren't making things up
.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Exactly.
Actually, to furthersubstantiate Plutarch's
description, antithysiologistIsabella Kohler-Herb discovered
that a 20% dosage of ethylenegas to a subject saw them
sitting up, hearing andanswering questions.
Logically, their speech patternwas different, though, and
there was a possibility of themlosing some awareness and
feeling in their furthestextremities, such as hands and
(34:07):
feet.
Given a higher dosage saw thissubject losing control of their
limbs, possibly thrashing wildly, groaning and even staggering.
This would explain why thePythia weren't always consistent
.
Depending on the frequency ofthe earthquake, the dosage of
the gas would have varied.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
While the Kernis Spring has since been diverted
to flow toward the town ofDelphi, in 2001, a water sample
was taken uphill from the temple.
What they found was that 0.3parts per million held ethylene.
If you were to follow De Boer'stheory, it's probable that
during ancient times, when thespring ran straight to the
temple, that there would havebeen even more in it, but the
(34:47):
current lack of it still createssome questions.
There was a period in historyafter the Roman Emperor Hadrian
died that the oracle's prowesswaned, but it's been suggested
that it was due to a long periodwithout earthquakes in that
area.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
There's also the theory by those who have studied
contemporary toxicologicalliterature that oleanders could
have been the culprit.
Oleander flowers were used aswell in the oracular procedure.
They would chew the leaves andinhale the smoke.
The pretty little light tovibrant pink flowers grow all
over the Mediterranean basin andare incredibly poisonous.
(35:26):
The leaves have a bitter flavorand are unpalatable, so
typically that keeps animals andhumans from eating them, so one
has to wonder why anyone wouldignore that blaring sign.
However, it is a possiblecontributor to the short
lifespan of the Pythia.
Either way, in our amateurstatus, we are still rooting for
De Boer and Spiller's theory ofethylene gas.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yes, we do.
And while the temple and thepeople who worked and lived
there are no longer around, theOracle of Delphi has not lost
its captivating mystery andallure.
Literature and art have beenhosts to its legend for nearly
2,000 years since, and that'sjust after its destruction, from
William Shakespeare's Winter'sTale to Rick Riordan's, percy
(36:05):
Jackson and the Olympians series.
John Collier did a painting in1891 called the Priestess of
Delphi.
It's hauntingly beautiful and,knowing what we know now, really
quite tragic.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We don't think that the Oracle will ever stop being
a source of curiosity andinspiration for eons to come.
The artwork and literaturepost-Emperor Theodosius whatever
has survived will be no lessbeautiful and a treasure, not
just for history's sake.
With that said, we've come toan end of one of our longest
episodes.
We hope that you've enjoyedlistening and learning as much
as we have talking your ear off.
If you have any historicalquestions or topics you'd like
(36:40):
us to explore in future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for joining us, andif you enjoyed this episode,
please subscribe and leave us areview.
We'll be back with more storiesfrom the past.
Until then, keep exploring.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Thanks for listening to Smarticus Tells History.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to rate and review
and make sure to subscribe andbe sure to follow the show at
facebookcom.
Slash Smarticus Tells Historyor just click the link in the
show description.
Thanks again for listening.
See you next time.
Welcome to.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Smarticus Tells History.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Alright, enough with the echo and fanfare.
You're here for history, right,and not that boring crap you
learned in high school.
This stuff's actuallyinteresting, like things you've
never heard about the Civil War,cleopatra, automobiles,
monopoly, the Black Plague andmore Fascinating stories,
interesting topics and somedownright weird facts from the
(00:28):
past.
It's a new twist on somestories you may know and an
interesting look at some thingsyou may have never heard.
So grab a beer, kick back andenjoy.
Here's your host.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Smarticus.
Hello, dear listeners, andwelcome back to another exciting
episode of Smarticus TellsHistory.
I am your host, smarticus,accompanied by my co-host,
phoenix.
Hey, this episode we are takingan in-depth look at the Oracle
at Delphi.
We are going to investigate whoshe was, where she came from,
what her role in her communitywas and, in a larger context,
(01:00):
what she meant to her entirecountry.
But first let's dig into ourfood.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yes, which Spartacus was the awesome one of finding
this recipe?
It's a Greek-style baked fish.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yep, it's from the Greek Boston website.
Yeah, so we've already tastedit a little bit and it is very
good.
It's fresh.
Yeah, it's pretty fresh.
It wasn't that hard to make.
We had I got salmon.
You said you got tilapia.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yes.
It requires a white fish,although, as we were talking
before, salmon isn't white, it'spink, but it's labeled as a
white fish.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It is still classified as a white fish.
I checked it before I made it,so I was going to go get some
more.
It is labeled as a whitefish.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So it's really very simple.
It has very few ingredientsoutside of spices.
You need onion, two onions, abunch of tomatoes.
You simmer them down, turn theminto a kind of sauce, and then
you put it into a baking dishand then put your fish on top of
that.
Some more um, was it salt,pepper oil on top of your fish,
(02:13):
and then some white wine.
Oh, which wine did you use?
Speaker 2 (02:16):
I forgot so I used the pinot grigio uh me too
barefoot.
Um, that's what I used I used.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
I think it was yellowtail, the one with the
kangaroo yeah, yep.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Um, I wasn't sure what kind of white wine to use,
so I I googled it and it said Idid too.
Yeah, the most common one wasusually pinot grigio, uh, for
like cooking.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
So that's what I grabbed, yep because, honestly
y'all, I have no idea aboutwines and pairing them with food
.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, me either.
I know I like Moscato, red orwhite, and honestly that's been
about the only kind of wine thatI've tasted that I did like.
So I looked it up and it wasfine.
It tastes good.
Like I said, it does go greatwith it.
I think it was only half a cupand that was about it for.
(03:08):
And I said for, uh, it'ssupposed to be three pounds of
fish.
Uh, the recipe?
yeah, the three pounds, whitefish steaks or whole fish such
as red mullet fish which I'venever had does say that white
fish is a term that generallyrefers to fish with white or
light colored flesh that are lowin oil and have a mild flavor.
Salmon can be considered awhite fish because some types,
(03:31):
like white fleshed king salmon,don't have the ability to break
down their food and store redorange carotene in their muscle
cells.
This means that they lackastaxanthin, a compound that
gives salmon its characteristicorange and pink flesh.
I don't know how to say thatword, but that's what it is.
(03:55):
It's astaxanthin, okay,possibly Whatever that is.
Well, I mean, it says rightthere it's the compound that
gives salmon its orange andpinkish flesh.
Yeah, so Okay then.
So, yeah, so, but we've beeneating it.
(04:16):
It is pretty good.
It's a half cup white wine,chopped parsley, four medium
sized diced tomatoes.
We've talked about it earlier,I forgot to put the tomatoes in
and the recipe.
It doesn't.
It does not tell you when toput the tomatoes in.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
This particular recipe, didn't?
I had to go look for anotherone.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
This one that we have here, didn't, we might put
another one in for the, for theshow notes, yeah, one that is a
little bit more descriptive.
Overall, though, I mean, it isrelatively good.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
The sauce is really, really wet, so I was thinking
having it over rice would bedelicious.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I thought the same thing and I was like man, I
should really make some ricewith this.
And I didn't.
I just grabbed a couple moreslices of this fish.
Nice, I grabbed some bread, didyou?
Yeah, I've got three of them inhere.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
I think this is my second time using wine in a
recipe.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
For this or just ever .
Or just ever yeah, Because weused it.
Well, we used wine for the porkloins that we did several
episodes back.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Okay, so I guess it's three times then, because there
was that and I usually I makeJulia Child's Bouff Bouguignon
quite often because my husbandloves it, and I usually use
Merlot, which I think isprobably going to get some
people's hackles up, but I don'tcare, it's delicious.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
And then again what I usually do I didn't use a fresh
onion Again.
I had a bag of peppers.
I didn't use a fresh onionAgain.
I had a bag of peppers, onionand peppers, and so I just
dumped the whole bag in therefor the sauce, because it says
(06:00):
to use two whole onions and Ithought that was a lot of onions
, but it was supposed to be withthree pounds of fish too, and I
didn't use the whole threepounds of fish, I just used what
I had left over.
Yeah, I thought I was a lot ofonions, but it was supposed to
be a three pounds of fish too,and I didn't.
I didn't use the whole threepounds of fish, I just used what
I had left over.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So yeah, I thought I had onions, turns out I had one
little bitty onion.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
And so I had to have my husband run to the store and
get me a big one.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, but it is really good Delicious.
I recommend it highly,especially for like a summer
meal, yeah, and I mean it'smostly healthy.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
With the exception of the large amount of oil that
you put in it.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
If you use olive oil, it doesn't count.
Yeah, well, I don't know aboutthat.
But yeah, it's healthier.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
All right Now.
Hopefully, everyone has at onetime or another heard about the
great and powerful Oracle ofDelphi, but we don't always like
to assume, so let me give youthe overview.
The Oracle was an incrediblyimportant figure in Greece.
She was believed to interpretthe future and divine will of
the gods via the great God ofMusic, medicine, sun and
(07:04):
Prophecy, apollo.
The seat of power for theOracle was on Mount Parnassus,
north of the Corinth Gulf.
The Oracle was mentioned bymany famous authors, such as
Clement of Alexandria, theodorus, euripides, herodotus, plato,
plutarch who we will be citinglater as he was actually a high
(07:24):
priest to the Oracle herselfSophocles and Xenophon, to name
a few.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
We can't go into detail about the Oracle, though,
until we explain the importanceof the temple location.
Mount Parnassus was, accordingto Greek mythology, incredibly
important to Apollo as well asDionysus, so much so that it was
sacred to them, as well as theCoruscant nymphs who lived there
.
Not to mention it was also homeof the Muses, but it wasn't the
(07:50):
summer home of Apollo untilafter he slew the great python,
sometimes written Pytho, whoguarded what was originally
believed to be the cult centerof its mother, gaia.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
In fact, greeks considered that to be the center
of the earth.
There was a stone called theAmphalos that was believed to be
Gaia's navel which is what theword means and Python guarded it
with great devotion.
The place and its oracle wereconsidered even then to be the
best and most famous, untilApollo put on his work boots if
(08:22):
you will allow me the metaphorand decided that he wanted that
location for his oracle.
There's also the possibility,depending on your source, that
suggests Apollo hated Pythonbecause it had persecuted the
great sun, god's mother Leto,while she was pregnant.
Either way, apollo won and tocelebrate he started the Pythian
Games.
That's also how the Delphicoracle got her name Pythia.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
There's writings from ancient Greek sources that tell
of the first two temples.
The first was a hut made fromlaurels by Apollo, as the plant
was sacred to him.
The second was made frombeeswax and feathers and was a
gift from Apollo to theHyperboreans.
The third temple was supposedlymade by Hephaestus, and it was
made out of bronze, which, ifyou know anything about him, was
a signature move.
Unfortunately, this one waseither burned or fell into a
(09:09):
fissure.
That's not too surprising,considering the location of the
temple is so close to a faultline of two tectonic plates.
Anyway, it is believed that thefourth one was built from stone
designed and constructed byTrophonius and Agametes, but
once again, that doesn't meanmuch, because it too burned down
in 548 BCE.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Historians actually believe that this last temple,
the fourth one, was actually thefirst temple sanctuary of
Apollo in Delphi.
It is also the temple that mostrefers to him in Greek
mythology and the written worksof the time.
Eventually, the fifth and lasttemple was constructed and fully
functioning by 490 BCE, thoughthere is physical as well as
(09:54):
historical evidence that tellsus this temple was constructed
after an earthquake around 330BCE.
It was a 6x15 columnParis-style structure on the
exterior and decorated in theDoric style Very pretty.
For anyone who knows what allthat means, I had to look it up.
It's lots of scroll work incase you're wondering.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Oh, okay, yeah, I didn't look it up.
An interesting fact about theTemple of Apollo he wasn't the
only one worshipped there Fornine months, the warmest ones.
It was all about Apollo, thoughhis oracle, the Pythia, was
only giving out prophecies oncea month.
During the other three monthsof the year, or winter, the
temple was the worship centerfor Dionysus and his mysterious
(10:37):
cult.
Not much is known about theirpractices, but there was great
mention of Dionysus'resurrection from being a mortal
to a full-blown god, andsupposedly his mortal remains
were housed at the temple.
During the winter months, thePythia did not prophesy, as
Apollo vacated that area andcould not possess her.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
For some reason, the young woman, or sometimes women,
who took the position of Pythiawere required to be a virgin
and chaste, that is, until thelatter years of the cult, when
they were women older than 50years of age.
We'll get to that in a bit.
Now, how the oracle came toactually be is debated.
The Homeric hymn to DelphicApollo says that some Cretans
(11:18):
from Minos' city of Gnosis weretraveling in a swift ship to the
sandy shores of Pelos, theoriginal name of Delphi.
Apollo saw them shifted intothe form of a dolphin and threw
himself out of the water ontothe deck of their ship.
After revealing himself, heurged them to follow him to a
and this is a quote place whereyou will have rich offerings,
(11:39):
and that was how he got hispriest force for the temple.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So I'm not sure why.
I would understand why he wouldtake the form of a dolphin and
then throw himself out of thewater.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
No, I totally agree.
The dolphin was one of hislittle emblem.
Things Right, but why would youdo that?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I totally agree.
I'm like, did you just need tobe that extra?
But it is Apollo who's a totaltwit.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
So he's very sure I got no respect for the dude none
yeah, he was a very show-offguy.
This particular source thehomeric hymn has been dated as
being written somewhere in 580to 570 bc.
Cretan bronze objects have beenfound in delphi from the 8th
century onwards.
There are also Cretansculptures from 620 to 600 BC
(12:28):
dedicated to the temple thathave also been discovered.
Hesiod, a Greek poet, who wasactive between 750 and 650 BC,
was shown the Amphilos Gaia'snavel and wrote about it.
He and Homer were around at thesame time, in case you were
needing a timeline.
Homer, before he was the headof the Simpson family, was the
writer of the Trojan War and theIliad and the Odyssey, which
(12:49):
chronicles Odysseus'10-year-long journey to get back
home after said war.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
If you ever go look up sorry the pictures of the
Amphalos.
It's like really pretty.
Gaia had a cute little outie.
Okay, Okay, yeah All right.
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I was just thinking earlier too, when we were
talking about it like it's veryodd that he would go protect
some lady's navel.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Right, well, you know , it's the center of mama.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
He loves, mama.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah, python.
I always kind of got thefeeling that Python was a bit of
a mama's boy.
Yeah, the feeling that pythonwas a bit of a mama's boy.
Yeah, that's that's.
Yeah, that's what I'm getting.
Another possible source for theoracle was related by the first
century bc writer deodorussiculus.
He told the story of a goat,herder coratus, who noticed that
his goat had fallen into achasm and was acting very
(13:41):
peculiar.
When he entered so that hecould get the goat, he found
himself filled to the brim witha divine presence and suddenly
had the ability to see the pastand the future.
Naturally, he was so excitedabout this wild experience that
he rushed home to the villageand told everyone about it.
Of course, the next thingpeople started doing was coming
to the site to see forthemselves.
Some would have convulsions andgo into trances.
(14:02):
Unfortunately, some woulddisappear into the chasm due to
their feverish state of mind andnot be seen again.
Eventually, a shrine waserected on the site and, after
the deaths of several men, itwas decided that only single
young women from the villagewould play liaison for the
divine speaker.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Hmm Interesting.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Right, let's just sacrifice the young ladies.
It's not like we need them oranything.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, I never understood that either.
It was always virgin ladies tooLike why, why did that Right?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
They have to be pure.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
I was going to say because they were supposed to be
pure or whatever.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Untouched, unsullied.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yep.
Now if you're looking at themovie 300 for depictions of how
oracles were dressed, you'regoing to be very disappointed,
especially if you're a teenageboy.
Theodorus actually insistedthat the Pythia was dressed in
appropriate attire for a young,virgin woman.
In fact, he insisted heavily onthe oracle's chastity and
purity, as it was important forher connection with the god
(15:00):
Apollo.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
However, he did report this no-transcript right
(15:38):
there, but it is also atestament to how incredibly
important the oracle of delphiwas, not just to the delphians
but to to those practicing thereligion.
I mean, many a man has donehorrible things like that
throughout history and not muchwas done about it.
Maybe his name was written down, but probably not this guy's
name.
Home and probably address werewritten down in the history
(15:59):
books and laws were changed justbecause of this one instance.
That speaks volumes.
To be a priestess during thistime was an incredibly respected
career for Greek women.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
In fact, they had much more elevated lives than
their other female counterpartswho had to marry to survive or
work in other industries.
They could own land, they werefree from taxation and attend
public events that other womencouldn't.
There was a salary and providedhousing by the state.
While they performed a widerange of duties, depending on
their affiliation, and often gotto wear golden crowns, their
(16:32):
social position afforded themmany rewards.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
But surely you're wondering how were these women
chosen?
What were the qualifications?
Well, first of all, they wereall from Delphi.
They had to have lived a soberlife and have a good character.
No grouches or obstinate womenneed apply.
I guess Apollo added that afterthe whole situation with
Cassandra at Troy, Now somewomen might be married,
especially if they were comingafter what that schmuck did, but
(16:59):
they were expected to give upthe familial life and devote
themselves entirely to the workat hand.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
The archaeologist John Hale said the Pythia was on
occasion a noble ofaristocratic family, sometimes a
peasant, sometimes rich,sometimes poor, sometimes old,
sometimes young, sometimes avery lettered and educated woman
to whom somebody like the highpriest and the philosopher
Plutarch would dedicate essays.
Other times it was someone whocould not write her own name.
(17:26):
So it seems to have been anaptitude rather than any
ascribed status that made thesewomen eligible to be Pythias and
speak for the god.
Though it was easier to seewhen one of the less educated
was in a position, because thepoetic hexameter prophecies were
simplified to prose.
That happened much more duringthe later period of the cult as
(17:49):
opposed to the earlier centuries.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
However, during the main and certainly most popular
time of the oracle, three womenserved at any given time as the
Pythia.
Two would take turns givingprophecies, while a third was
held back in case one of thegirls had to be relieved.
According to Plutarch, serviceto Apollo was incredibly taxing.
The Pythia, at the end of eachday of handing out oracles would
(18:11):
be so physically and mentallyexhausted that he compared them
to a runner after a race or adancer after an ecstatic dance.
Because of this, they onlyworked one day of the month,
during the night that they werespeaking for Apollo.
This meant, unfortunately, thateach Pythia's lifespan was
drastically shortened, and notjust for that reason alone.
We'll get further into thatsoon enough.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Preparations for rituals and going into prophetic
trances were very important andexhausting.
As we stated earlier, ninemonths out of the year the
Pythia were working the oraclegig, while the other three
months of the year the templewas devoted to Dionysus.
It's unclear if the oracleparticipated in the rites of the
Maenads in their devotion tothe god of wine and revelry, but
(18:55):
Plutarch did write about hisfriend Clea, who was a priestess
to Apollo as well asparticipated in the secret rites
of Dionysus.
Still, come spring, on theseventh day of the month of
Viseos, Apollo's birthday, theoracle had to be cleansed and
prepped for the next nine monthsof work.
And before you ask, Visios istypically considered to be
February, but could be any30-day interval in between
(19:18):
January and March.
Visios starts with a new moon.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
In addition to the purification rites, the Pythia
had to fast and ceremoniallyprepare to become the conduit
that the god would use todeliver prophecy.
On the seventh day of eachmonth, in dedication for Apollo,
she would be led by twoattending priests to the
Castilian Spring with the purpleveil covering her face.
The Castilian Spring was whereall contestants, those seeking
counsel from the Oracle andpilgrims to the holy site would
(19:46):
wash and drink the waters topurify themselves.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
not unlike the Pythia , Once at the water's edge, the
priest would recite Servants ofthe Delphian Apollo, go to the
Castilian spring wash in itssilvery eddies and return
cleansed to the temple.
Guard your lips from offense tothose who ask for oracles.
Let the gods' answer come purefrom all private fault.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
The Pythia would bathe naked and drink holier
waters from the Kasatas, whichwere much closer to the temple
and presumably reserved for theoracle.
It is believed that Kasatas wasthe Naya that lived and blessed
that section of the spring andwould subsequently bless whoever
bathed and drank there out ofdevotion to Apollo.
Euripides wrote that there wasmuch more for the priests to do.
(20:29):
While the Pythia were cleansingthemselves, there was
ritualistic dancing at thehighest point of Mount Parnassus
, sprinkling holy water on thefloor of the temple to cleanse
it and his various other duties.
Eventually, they, the oracle,oracle servants and the hoisoi,
who were a council of fivearistocratic holy ones, would
come together at the temple toreceive the consultants.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
Those looking to consult the Oracle would carry
laurel branches and follow thewinding path called the Sacred
Way to the forecourt of thetemple.
They also brought with them ayoung goat kid to be sacrificed
to the god in a monetary fee.
Of course there was an order towho could go in first and then
subsequently go next fee.
Of course there was an order towho could go in first and then
subsequently go next.
They drew lots to decide theorder of the queue.
(21:11):
There were exceptions to this,though.
Representatives of a city-stateand those who brought a bigger
donation fee were secured theopportunity to go first, but
that's nothing new.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Right After making her appearance at the temple
forecourt, Thapithia would getready further.
She would remove her veil, puton a short, plain white dress
and make for the temple fire ofHestia.
Once there, a live goat kid wasplaced before the altar and
sprinkled with water.
If it shivered from its hoovesup, that was considered to be a
good omen for the priestess.
The goat kid was sacrificed toApollo, while its internal
(21:44):
organs were examined for furtheromens.
If they were deemed favorable.
The Pythia would then enter theOracle chamber, which was
called the Adyton, and take herplace on a specially made tripod
, sitting over the small chasmwhere vapors would come up.
The burning smoke from thesacrifice would signal to all in
attendance that the Oracle wasopen for business.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
There was an instance that Plutarch documented where
the omens from the sacrificewere not good but the oracle was
still encouraged to perform herduty While the priests
interpreted prophecy.
The priestess becameuncontrollably hysterical.
It lasted for several days andended with her dying.
(22:25):
It seems Plutarch had all thehot temple gossip that, aside
from 615 to 535 BCE, statementsfrom the Pythia were recorded
and over half are believed to behistorically accurate and for
some further context, plutarchdied after 119 BCE.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
The fumes and vapors the Pythia inhaled in order to
go into trances have beengreatly debated since the late
1800s.
We'll get to that eventually,but for now let's focus on what
is said to have happened duringconsultations.
After climbing up onto aspecially crafted bronze tripod
with holes in the seat so thatthe vapors could go up around
(23:03):
her from all sides, the Pythiawould hold a branch of laurel
leaves in one hand and a dish ofCassatus spring water in the
other.
The laurel was for helping herinterpret the feelings and
wishes of Apollo.
The water was for looking intoso that the visions the god gave
her would become more clear.
The fumes coming up from belowthe Adaitan were said to come
(23:27):
from the Kernis spring watersthat flowed under the temple.
They would put her into a state, making it more easy for Apollo
to possess her and give answersto questions asked.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Plutarch wrote, not often nor regularly, but
occasionally and fortuitously.
The room in which they seat thegods' consultants is filled
with a fragrance and breeze, asif the aditant were sending
forth the essences of thesweetest and most expensive
perfumes from a spring.
The fumes that the Pythiainhaled were also said to be
(23:58):
sweet, and when she inhaledenough she would speak strangely
.
Sometimes it was almost as ifshe spoke gibberish that only
the priests could interpret.
There were times when she wouldconvulse and writhe around.
When, coming out of her trancelater, the Pythia would have no
memory of what she had said.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
It was said that, though she spoke in riddles, her
words were to be uncovered bythe one who had asked the
question.
Sometimes it was about whethera marriage or a business deal
should take place.
Often it was about making oflaws, building roads, trade
agreements and even colonization.
The oracle was a strong figureand the shaping of a nation, and
she was not to be trifled with.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
There were many times when someone was, let's say,
too big for their britches andshe put them in their place.
One such time was when Croesus,the king of Lydia, tried to
test the oracle.
First, he asked her what he wasdoing at a certain time in the
past while he was in his country.
She replied that he was cuttingup a tortoise and a lamb and
(25:00):
placing them in a bronzecauldron.
Impressed with her veryaccurate answer, Croesus asked
if he went to war with Persia,Would he beat them?
She informed him that he wouldindeed destroy a great empire.
Once again pleased, the kingleft to set out for war.
What he eventually realized wasthat the great empire to fall
(25:21):
was his own.
It seemed to dawn on him rightabout the time he was enslaved
by the Persians.
Apollo didn't leave him to hiswell-deserved fate, but instead
rescued him.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
The Oracle used these moments to make it extremely
clear that she was not just somedumb girl.
People like Croesus and theirridiculous blunders, after
making arrogant assumptions,served as warnings to others.
Still, if you've ever heardabout the story of Oedipus Rex,
not everyone pays attention tothe people that have gone before
them.
The dude ruined threegenerations of people because
(25:54):
his father didn't listen to theOracle's prophecy.
Well, maybe that's a bit of anexaggeration, but not much.
An argument could be made thathis great-great-grandfather
really screwed things up for thewhole family by ticking off one
, possibly two gods, but that'sa rabbit hole for another day.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Maybe another episode .
Back to the Oracle herself.
Wars were given the yay or nayfrom this esteemed lady or
ladies.
It went this way for centuries,and at the height of the
Delphic Oracle's power was alsothe rise of democracy and growth
for more densely populatedparts of Greece.
Though they were not the onlycontributors of wealth and
appreciation.
People in Asia Minor and evenas far as Egypt were patrons and
(26:35):
avid seekers of prophecy fromDelphi.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Sadly for practitioners of the old ways
and cult of Apollo, the templewas destroyed for good in 390 AD
.
The Roman Emperor Theodosius, Ialso known as Theodosius the
Great, had it and most of thestatues destroyed in his attempt
to eradicate all traces ofpaganism in his domain.
In case you aren't sure whichemperor that is, because, let's
(27:00):
be honest, there were a lot.
He was part of the group thatestablished the Creed of Nicaea
as the orthodox doctrine forChristianity was part of the
group that established the Creedof Nicaea as the orthodox
doctrine for Christianity.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He was also the last emperor to rule the Roman Empire
before it was dividedindefinitely between the west
and the east.
You can still go see what'sleft of the temple in modern-day
Delphi.
It's a big tourist attractionand just from the pictures
online, there is no surprise whyApollo, or whoever built it,
chose that spot.
The view is nothing short ofidyllic.
But now we need to addresssomething that has bothered
scientists and archaeologists asfar back as 1892.
(27:34):
Where did these fumes andvapors that the Pythia were said
to inhale come from?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
In 1892, a group from the Collège de France went on
an excavation mission at thesite of Delphi.
They claimed that there was nofissure and no evidence to
suggest that fumes could beproduced there in what they
estimated had to be the Idaiton.
In 1904, there was a Britishart historian, critic, art
collector and museum official bythe name of Adolf Paul Ope, who
(28:02):
made some claims.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
He said, no chasm or vapor ever existed, no natural
gas could create propheticvisions, and the recorded
incidents of a priestessundergoing violent and often
deadly reactions wasinconsistent with the more
customary reports.
Ope firmly believed that it wasall fantasies spread around by
gullible travelers.
Firmly believed that it was allfantasy spread around by
(28:25):
gullible travelers.
In fact, many more scholarsbuilt on this for decades,
claiming that there were novapors and no chasm.
During the 1950s, frenchHellenist Pierre Amandry, who
worked at Delphi, concurred withOpe and insisted that the area
was too volcanic for suchgaseous emissions described in
the Old World Reports.
But it's a volcanic area, Iknow, I know, I know for such
(28:47):
gaseous emissions described inthe old world reports, but it's
a volcanic area.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
I know, I know, I know.
But these guys, they didn'tknow much, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
They just didn't have the technology back then, right
.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Right.
But also they were so stuck intheir ways and they believed
very firmly.
They had to be right becauseWell, they knew history?
Yeah, they read some books, dude, yeah, but here's the kicker
none of those people weregeologists and, up to that point
, not a single geologist hadeven been to the site.
That's the archaeologistversion of a keyboard warrior.
It wasn't until the 1980s thatsomeone, after re-examining the
(29:19):
pictures from the frenchexcavation that opa and his
cronies took, where they wereactually found to be mistaken,
labeled Broad 2007, was aphotograph of the temple
interior, clearly showing aspring-like pool as well as
several small vertical fissures.
Everything that was needed tosubstantiate the temple records.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
An interdisciplinary team was formed to further
investigate Jel Zelinga De Boer,geologist, John R Hale,
archaeologist, Jeffrey P Chanton, forensic chemist, and Henry R
Spiller, toxicologist, Using thephotograph and other sources.
They were given the blessing tosurvey all active faults in
(30:03):
Greece by the United Nations.
The Bureau found evidence of afault line running right under
the ruined temple of Delphi atfirst, but during several more
expeditions found that therewere actually two major fault
lines one going north-south,which was the Karna fault, and
the other going east and west,which parallels the Corinthian
Gulf.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
This one was called thephi Fault.
Now, personally, I found thisnext bit that we're going to
talk about super interesting,because it is yeah, I remember
that when you really actuallyfinally have people who know
what the heck they're talkingabout, who are willing to
actually investigate and notjust look at it and go, no, I
don't think so.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
And have the instruments and everything to
prove that yes, yes, and whatwas?
No?
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
And have the instruments and everything to
prove that, yes, yes.
And what was really cool to metoo, in addition to all that was
the United Nations, was likeheck, yep, you got two thumbs up
, go get them, buddy.
There's also a Gulf of Corinthrift, and it is one of the most
geologically active sites on theplanet.
Because of this, it createsmajor pressure on the Delphi
(31:06):
Fault, which just so happens tosit right under the Adaiton of
the former temple.
So all those records of timesthe temple was rebuilt because
of earthquakes now have beenproven by fact and not just
hearsay from myth and Plutarch'swritings.
But what about the vapors?
Speaker 2 (31:21):
So further examination found underground
chambers and travertine pools.
Think of the mammoth hotsprings in Yellowstone National
Park.
Further investigation foundthat Delphi has a deposit of
bituminos which is rich inhydrocarbons and pitch.
This quote has a petrochemicalcontent as high as 20%.
(31:42):
End quote, which gets heatedduring earthquakes and results
in vaporization of thehydrocarbons.
Cue the vapors rising from thefissures.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Taking a quick moment to further discuss the temple
structure.
Whoever built it knew exactlywhat they were doing.
The team found that there was achamber small in size, offset
and just below where the adytonis believed to have been.
The chamber sits above thecrossing faults and would fill
to intoxicating levels withescaping gas.
The oracle's chamber would havebeen filled, as plutarch said,
(32:14):
and here's a quote with afragrance and breeze sending
forth the essences of thesweetest and most expensive
perfumes from a spring end quotedeburr after much suggested
that it was probably ethylenegas.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Ethylene is known to smell sweet and toxicologist
Henry R Spiller, who was on theteam, agreed.
He said that quote.
Inhalation of even a smallamount of ethylene can cause
both benign trances and euphoricpsychedelic experiences.
Other effects include physicaldetachment, loss of inhibitions,
the relieving of pain andrapidly changing moods without
(32:50):
dulling consciousness.
Excessive doses can causeconfusion, agitation, delirium
and loss of muscle coordination,which would explain why they
were like flaring around.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Right and delirium.
If you inhale too much of itand you start becoming delirious
and agitated.
That sounds a lot like that onechick who was hysterical for
days and then died.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Which would explain why in every depiction of the
Oracle on her tripod, she ishunched over her legs, back
curved like she's exhausted, anda rather confused expression on
her face.
There's a red and blackdrinking bowl from the 5th
century BC in the StattlickMuseum in Berlin, germany.
That depicts the Oracle givinga consultation.
She's holding her water bowland laurel and she's slumped.
(33:34):
Her face, as simply as it waspainted, looks really confused.
That says to me that the oldrecords weren't making things up
.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Exactly.
Actually, to furthersubstantiate Plutarch's
description, antithysiologistIsabella Kohler-Herb discovered
that a 20% dosage of ethylenegas to a subject saw them
sitting up, hearing andanswering questions.
Logically, their speech patternwas different, though, and
there was a possibility of themlosing some awareness and
feeling in their furthestextremities, such as hands and
(34:07):
feet.
Given a higher dosage saw thissubject losing control of their
limbs, possibly thrashing wildly, groaning and even staggering.
This would explain why thePythia weren't always consistent
.
Depending on the frequency ofthe earthquake, the dosage of
the gas would have varied.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
While the Kernis Spring has since been diverted
to flow toward the town ofDelphi, in 2001, a water sample
was taken uphill from the temple.
What they found was that 0.3parts per million held ethylene.
If you were to follow De Boer'stheory, it's probable that
during ancient times, when thespring ran straight to the
temple, that there would havebeen even more in it, but the
(34:47):
current lack of it still createssome questions.
There was a period in historyafter the Roman Emperor Hadrian
died that the oracle's prowesswaned, but it's been suggested
that it was due to a long periodwithout earthquakes in that
area.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
There's also the theory by those who have studied
contemporary toxicologicalliterature that oleanders could
have been the culprit.
Oleander flowers were used aswell in the oracular procedure.
They would chew the leaves andinhale the smoke.
The pretty little light tovibrant pink flowers grow all
over the Mediterranean basin andare incredibly poisonous.
(35:26):
The leaves have a bitter flavorand are unpalatable, so
typically that keeps animals andhumans from eating them, so one
has to wonder why anyone wouldignore that blaring sign.
However, it is a possiblecontributor to the short
lifespan of the Pythia.
Either way, in our amateurstatus, we are still rooting for
De Boer and Spiller's theory ofethylene gas.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Yes, we do.
And while the temple and thepeople who worked and lived
there are no longer around, theOracle of Delphi has not lost
its captivating mystery andallure.
Literature and art have beenhosts to its legend for nearly
2,000 years since, and that'sjust after its destruction, from
William Shakespeare's Winter'sTale to Rick Riordan's, percy
(36:05):
Jackson and the Olympians series.
John Collier did a painting in1891 called the Priestess of
Delphi.
It's hauntingly beautiful and,knowing what we know now, really
quite tragic.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We don't think that the Oracle will ever stop being
a source of curiosity andinspiration for eons to come.
The artwork and literaturepost-Emperor Theodosius whatever
has survived will be no lessbeautiful and a treasure, not
just for history's sake.
With that said, we've come toan end of one of our longest
episodes.
We hope that you've enjoyedlistening and learning as much
as we have talking your ear off.
If you have any historicalquestions or topics you'd like
(36:40):
us to explore in future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for joining us, andif you enjoyed this episode,
please subscribe and leave us areview.
We'll be back with more storiesfrom the past.
Until then, keep exploring.
Speaker 1 (36:53):
Thanks for listening to Smarticus Tells History.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to rate and review
and make sure to subscribe andbe sure to follow the show at
facebookcom.
Slash Smarticus Tells Historyor just click the link in the
show description.
Thanks again for listening.
See you next time.
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