Smarticus Tells History
What we likely all once knew about history, has likely been forgotten. Here, at Smarticus Tells History, we move around the timeline picking up some of the most interesting and sometimes downright weird stories. Stories such as the Rabbit Queen, or how Cleopatra wasn't Egyptian, the Black Plague and many more.They are all true, no matter how quacky and quirky some may seem. We keep them short and mostly to the point. So put your listening ears on, have a beer or two, and learn a thing or two!!!
Smarticus Tells History
Episode 58: Greek Flavors and Ancient Prophecies
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
Welcome to.
Speaker 2:Smarticus Tells History.
Speaker 1: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 actually interesting, like things you've never heard about the Civil War, cleopatra, automobiles, monopoly, the Black Plague and more Fascinating stories, interesting topics and some downright weird facts from the past. It's a new twist on some stories you may know and an interesting look at some things you may have never heard. So grab a beer, kick back and enjoy. Here's your host.
Speaker 2:Smarticus. Hello, dear listeners, and welcome back to another exciting episode of Smarticus Tells History. I am your host, smarticus, accompanied by my co-host, phoenix. Hey, this episode we are taking an in-depth look at the Oracle at Delphi. We are going to investigate who she was, where she came from, what her role in her community was and, in a larger context, what she meant to her entire country. But first let's dig into our food.
Speaker 3:Yes, which Spartacus was the awesome one of finding this recipe? It's a Greek-style baked fish.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's from the Greek Boston website. Yeah, so we've already tasted it 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:Yes. It requires a white fish, although, as we were talking before, salmon isn't white, it's pink, but it's labeled as a white fish.
Speaker 2: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:So it's really very simple. It has very few ingredients outside of spices. You need onion, two onions, a bunch of tomatoes. You simmer them down, turn them into a kind of sauce, and then you put it into a baking dish and then put your fish on top of that. Some more um, was it salt, pepper oil on top of your fish, and then some white wine. Oh, which wine did you use?
Speaker 2:I forgot so I used the pinot grigio uh me too barefoot. Um, that's what I used I used.
Speaker 3:I think it was yellowtail, the one with the kangaroo yeah, yep.
Speaker 2:Um, I wasn't sure what kind of white wine to use, so I I googled it and it said I did too. Yeah, the most common one was usually pinot grigio, uh, for like cooking.
Speaker 3:So that's what I grabbed, yep because, honestly y'all, I have no idea about wines and pairing them with food.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me either. I know I like Moscato, red or white, and honestly that's been about the only kind of wine that I've tasted that I did like. So I looked it up and it was fine. It tastes good. Like I said, it does go great with it. I think it was only half a cup and that was about it for. And I said for, uh, it's supposed to be three pounds of fish. Uh, the recipe?
Speaker 2:yeah, the three pounds, white fish steaks or whole fish such as red mullet fish which I've never had does say that white fish is a term that generally refers to fish with white or light colored flesh that are low in oil and have a mild flavor. Salmon can be considered a white fish because some types, like white fleshed king salmon, don't have the ability to break down their food and store red orange carotene in their muscle cells. This means that they lack astaxanthin, a compound that gives salmon its characteristic orange and pink flesh. I don't know how to say that word, but that's what it is. It's astaxanthin, okay, possibly Whatever that is. Well, I mean, it says right there it's the compound that gives salmon its orange and pinkish flesh. Yeah, so Okay then.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so, but we've been eating it. 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 to put the tomatoes in.
Speaker 3:This particular recipe, didn't? I had to go look for another one.
Speaker 2:This one that we have here, didn't, we might put another one in for the, for the show notes, yeah, one that is a little bit more descriptive. Overall, though, I mean, it is relatively good.
Speaker 3:The sauce is really, really wet, so I was thinking having it over rice would be delicious.
Speaker 2:I thought the same thing and I was like man, I should really make some rice with this. And I didn't. I just grabbed a couple more slices of this fish. Nice, I grabbed some bread, did you? Yeah, I've got three of them in here.
Speaker 3:I think this is my second time using wine in a recipe.
Speaker 2:For this or just ever. Or just ever yeah, Because we used it. Well, we used wine for the pork loins that we did several episodes back.
Speaker 3:Okay, so I guess it's three times then, because there was that and I usually I make Julia Child's Bouff Bouguignon quite often because my husband loves it, and I usually use Merlot, which I think is probably going to get some people's hackles up, but I don't care, it's delicious.
Speaker 2: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 onion Again. I had a bag of peppers, onion and peppers, and so I just dumped the whole bag in there for the sauce, because it says to use two whole onions and I thought that was a lot of onions, but it was supposed to be with three pounds of fish too, and I didn't use the whole three pounds of fish, I just used what I had left over. Yeah, I thought I was a lot of onions, but it was supposed to be a three pounds of fish too, and I didn't. I didn't use the whole three pounds of fish, I just used what I had left over.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I thought I had onions, turns out I had one little bitty onion.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And so I had to have my husband run to the store and get me a big one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it is really good Delicious. I recommend it highly, especially for like a summer meal, yeah, and I mean it's mostly healthy.
Speaker 3:With the exception of the large amount of oil that you put in it.
Speaker 2:If you use olive oil, it doesn't count. Yeah, well, I don't know about that. But yeah, it's healthier.
Speaker 3:All right Now. Hopefully, everyone has at one time or another heard about the great and powerful Oracle of Delphi, but we don't always like to assume, so let me give you the overview. The Oracle was an incredibly important figure in Greece. She was believed to interpret the future and divine will of the gods via the great God of Music, medicine, sun and Prophecy, apollo. The seat of power for the Oracle was on Mount Parnassus, north of the Corinth Gulf. The Oracle was mentioned by many famous authors, such as Clement of Alexandria, theodorus, euripides, herodotus, plato, plutarch who we will be citing later as he was actually a high priest to the Oracle herself Sophocles and Xenophon, to name a few.
Speaker 2:We can't go into detail about the Oracle, though, until we explain the importance of the temple location. Mount Parnassus was, according to Greek mythology, incredibly important to Apollo as well as Dionysus, so much so that it was sacred to them, as well as the Coruscant nymphs who lived there. Not to mention it was also home of the Muses, but it wasn't the summer home of Apollo until after he slew the great python, sometimes written Pytho, who guarded what was originally believed to be the cult center of its mother, gaia.
Speaker 3:In fact, greeks considered that to be the center of the earth. There was a stone called the Amphalos that was believed to be Gaia's navel which is what the word means and Python guarded it with great devotion. The place and its oracle were considered even then to be the best and most famous, until Apollo put on his work boots if you will allow me the metaphor and decided that he wanted that location for his oracle. There's also the possibility, depending on your source, that suggests Apollo hated Python because it had persecuted the great sun, god's mother Leto, while she was pregnant. Either way, apollo won and to celebrate he started the Pythian Games. That's also how the Delphic oracle got her name Pythia.
Speaker 2:There's writings from ancient Greek sources that tell of the first two temples. The first was a hut made from laurels by Apollo, as the plant was sacred to him. The second was made from beeswax and feathers and was a gift from Apollo to the Hyperboreans. The third temple was supposedly made by Hephaestus, and it was made out of bronze, which, if you know anything about him, was a signature move. Unfortunately, this one was either burned or fell into a fissure. That's not too surprising, considering the location of the temple is so close to a fault line of two tectonic plates. Anyway, it is believed that the fourth one was built from stone designed and constructed by Trophonius and Agametes, but once again, that doesn't mean much, because it too burned down in 548 BCE.
Speaker 3:Historians actually believe that this last temple, the fourth one, was actually the first temple sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi. It is also the temple that most refers to him in Greek mythology and the written works of the time. Eventually, the fifth and last temple was constructed and fully functioning by 490 BCE, though there is physical as well as historical evidence that tells us this temple was constructed after an earthquake around 330 BCE. It was a 6x15 column Paris-style structure on the exterior and decorated in the Doric style Very pretty. For anyone who knows what all that means, I had to look it up. It's lots of scroll work in case you're wondering.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, yeah, I didn't look it up. An interesting fact about the Temple of Apollo he wasn't the only one worshipped there For nine months, the warmest ones. It was all about Apollo, though his oracle, the Pythia, was only giving out prophecies once a month. During the other three months of the year, or winter, the temple was the worship center for Dionysus and his mysterious cult. Not much is known about their practices, but there was great mention of Dionysus' resurrection from being a mortal to a full-blown god, and supposedly his mortal remains were housed at the temple. During the winter months, the Pythia did not prophesy, as Apollo vacated that area and could not possess her.
Speaker 3:For some reason, the young woman, or sometimes women, who took the position of Pythia were required to be a virgin and chaste, that is, until the latter years of the cult, when they were women older than 50 years of age. We'll get to that in a bit. Now, how the oracle came to actually be is debated. The Homeric hymn to Delphic Apollo says that some Cretans from Minos' city of Gnosis were traveling in a swift ship to the sandy shores of Pelos, the original name of Delphi. Apollo saw them shifted into the form of a dolphin and threw himself out of the water onto the deck of their ship. After revealing himself, he urged them to follow him to a and this is a quote place where you will have rich offerings, and that was how he got his priest force for the temple.
Speaker 2:So I'm not sure why. I would understand why he would take the form of a dolphin and then throw himself out of the water.
Speaker 3:No, I totally agree. The dolphin was one of his little emblem. Things Right, but why would you do that?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I totally agree. I'm like, did you just need to be that extra? But it is Apollo who's a total twit.
Speaker 2:So he's very sure I got no respect for the dude none yeah, he was a very show-off guy.
Speaker 2:This particular source the homeric hymn has been dated as being written somewhere in 580 to 570 bc. Cretan bronze objects have been found in delphi from the 8th century onwards. There are also Cretan sculptures from 620 to 600 BC dedicated to the temple that have also been discovered. Hesiod, a Greek poet, who was active between 750 and 650 BC, was shown the Amphilos Gaia's navel and wrote about it. He and Homer were around at the same time, in case you were needing a timeline. Homer, before he was the head of the Simpson family, was the writer of the Trojan War and the Iliad and the Odyssey, which chronicles Odysseus' 10-year-long journey to get back home after said war.
Speaker 3: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:I was just thinking earlier too, when we were talking about it like it's very odd that he would go protect some lady's navel.
Speaker 3:Right, well, you know, it's the center of mama.
Speaker 2:He loves, mama. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, python. I always kind of got the feeling that Python was a bit of a mama's boy. Yeah, the feeling that python was a bit of a mama's boy. Yeah, that's that's. Yeah, that's what I'm getting.
Speaker 3:Another possible source for the oracle was related by the first century bc writer deodorus siculus. He told the story of a goat, herder coratus, who noticed that his goat had fallen into a chasm and was acting very peculiar. When he entered so that he could get the goat, he found himself filled to the brim with a divine presence and suddenly had the ability to see the past and the future. Naturally, he was so excited about this wild experience that he rushed home to the village and told everyone about it. Of course, the next thing people started doing was coming to the site to see for themselves. Some would have convulsions and go into trances. Unfortunately, some would disappear into the chasm due to their feverish state of mind and not be seen again. Eventually, a shrine was erected on the site and, after the deaths of several men, it was decided that only single young women from the village would play liaison for the divine speaker.
Speaker 2:Hmm Interesting.
Speaker 3:Right, let's just sacrifice the young ladies. It's not like we need them or anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I never understood that either. It was always virgin ladies too Like why, why did that Right?
Speaker 3:They have to be pure.
Speaker 2:I was going to say because they were supposed to be pure or whatever.
Speaker 3:Untouched, unsullied.
Speaker 2:Yep. Now if you're looking at the movie 300 for depictions of how oracles were dressed, you're going to be very disappointed, especially if you're a teenage boy. Theodorus actually insisted that the Pythia was dressed in appropriate attire for a young, virgin woman. In fact, he insisted heavily on the oracle's chastity and purity, as it was important for her connection with the god Apollo.
Speaker 3:However, he did report this no-transcript right there, but it is also a testament to how incredibly important the oracle of delphi was, not just to the delphians but to to those practicing the religion. I mean, many a man has done horrible things like that throughout history and not much was done about it. Maybe his name was written down, but probably not this guy's name. Home and probably address were written down in the history books and laws were changed just because of this one instance. That speaks volumes. To be a priestess during this time was an incredibly respected career for Greek women.
Speaker 2:In fact, they had much more elevated lives than their other female counterparts who had to marry to survive or work in other industries. They could own land, they were free from taxation and attend public events that other women couldn't. There was a salary and provided housing by the state. While they performed a wide range of duties, depending on their affiliation, and often got to wear golden crowns, their social position afforded them many rewards.
Speaker 3:But surely you're wondering how were these women chosen? What were the qualifications? Well, first of all, they were all from Delphi. They had to have lived a sober life and have a good character. No grouches or obstinate women need apply. I guess Apollo added that after the whole situation with Cassandra at Troy, Now some women might be married, especially if they were coming after what that schmuck did, but they were expected to give up the familial life and devote themselves entirely to the work at hand.
Speaker 2:The archaeologist John Hale said the Pythia was on occasion a noble of aristocratic family, sometimes a peasant, sometimes rich, sometimes poor, sometimes old, sometimes young, sometimes a very lettered and educated woman to whom somebody like the high priest and the philosopher Plutarch would dedicate essays. Other times it was someone who could not write her own name. So it seems to have been an aptitude rather than any ascribed status that made these women eligible to be Pythias and speak for the god. Though it was easier to see when one of the less educated was in a position, because the poetic hexameter prophecies were simplified to prose. That happened much more during the later period of the cult as opposed to the earlier centuries.
Speaker 3:However, during the main and certainly most popular time of the oracle, three women served at any given time as the Pythia. Two would take turns giving prophecies, while a third was held back in case one of the girls had to be relieved. According to Plutarch, service to Apollo was incredibly taxing. The Pythia, at the end of each day of handing out oracles would be so physically and mentally exhausted that he compared them to a runner after a race or a dancer after an ecstatic dance. Because of this, they only worked one day of the month, during the night that they were speaking for Apollo. This meant, unfortunately, that each Pythia's lifespan was drastically shortened, and not just for that reason alone. We'll get further into that soon enough.
Speaker 2:Preparations for rituals and going into prophetic trances were very important and exhausting. As we stated earlier, nine months out of the year the Pythia were working the oracle gig, while the other three months of the year the temple was devoted to Dionysus. It's unclear if the oracle participated in the rites of the Maenads in their devotion to the god of wine and revelry, but Plutarch did write about his friend Clea, who was a priestess to Apollo as well as participated in the secret rites of Dionysus. Still, come spring, on the seventh day of the month of Viseos, Apollo's birthday, the oracle had to be cleansed and prepped for the next nine months of work. And before you ask, Visios is typically considered to be February, but could be any 30-day interval in between January and March. Visios starts with a new moon.
Speaker 3:In addition to the purification rites, the Pythia had to fast and ceremonially prepare to become the conduit that the god would use to deliver prophecy. On the seventh day of each month, in dedication for Apollo, she would be led by two attending priests to the Castilian Spring with the purple veil covering her face. The Castilian Spring was where all contestants, those seeking counsel from the Oracle and pilgrims to the holy site would wash and drink the waters to purify themselves.
Speaker 2:not unlike the Pythia, Once at the water's edge, the priest would recite Servants of the Delphian Apollo, go to the Castilian spring wash in its silvery eddies and return cleansed to the temple. Guard your lips from offense to those who ask for oracles. Let the gods' answer come pure from all private fault.
Speaker 3:The Pythia would bathe naked and drink holier waters from the Kasatas, which were much closer to the temple and presumably reserved for the oracle. It is believed that Kasatas was the Naya that lived and blessed that section of the spring and would subsequently bless whoever bathed and drank there out of devotion to Apollo. Euripides wrote that there was much more for the priests to do. While the Pythia were cleansing themselves, there was ritualistic dancing at the highest point of Mount Parnassus, sprinkling holy water on the floor 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 five aristocratic holy ones, would come together at the temple to receive the consultants.
Speaker 2:Those looking to consult the Oracle would carry laurel branches and follow the winding path called the Sacred Way to the forecourt of the temple. They also brought with them a young goat kid to be sacrificed to the god in a monetary fee. Of course there was an order to who could go in first and then subsequently go next fee. Of course there was an order to who could go in first and then subsequently go next. They drew lots to decide the order of the queue. There were exceptions to this, though. Representatives of a city-state and those who brought a bigger donation fee were secured the opportunity to go first, but that's nothing new.
Speaker 3:Right After making her appearance at the temple forecourt, Thapithia would get ready further. She would remove her veil, put on a short, plain white dress and make for the temple fire of Hestia. Once there, a live goat kid was placed before the altar and sprinkled with water. If it shivered from its hooves up, that was considered to be a good omen for the priestess. The goat kid was sacrificed to Apollo, while its internal organs were examined for further omens. If they were deemed favorable. The Pythia would then enter the Oracle chamber, which was called the Adyton, and take her place on a specially made tripod, sitting over the small chasm where vapors would come up. The burning smoke from the sacrifice would signal to all in attendance that the Oracle was open for business.
Speaker 2:There was an instance that Plutarch documented where the omens from the sacrifice were not good but the oracle was still encouraged to perform her duty While the priests interpreted prophecy. The priestess became uncontrollably hysterical. It lasted for several days and ended with her dying. It seems Plutarch had all the hot temple gossip that, aside from 615 to 535 BCE, statements from the Pythia were recorded and over half are believed to be historically accurate and for some further context, plutarch died after 119 BCE.
Speaker 3:The fumes and vapors the Pythia inhaled in order to go into trances have been greatly debated since the late 1800s. We'll get to that eventually, but for now let's focus on what is said to have happened during consultations. After climbing up onto a specially crafted bronze tripod with holes in the seat so that the vapors could go up around her from all sides, the Pythia would hold a branch of laurel leaves in one hand and a dish of Cassatus spring water in the other. The laurel was for helping her interpret the feelings and wishes of Apollo. The water was for looking into so that the visions the god gave her would become more clear. The fumes coming up from below the Adaitan were said to come from the Kernis spring waters that flowed under the temple. They would put her into a state, making it more easy for Apollo to possess her and give answers to questions asked.
Speaker 2:Plutarch wrote, not often nor regularly, but occasionally and fortuitously. The room in which they seat the gods' consultants is filled with a fragrance and breeze, as if the aditant were sending forth the essences of the sweetest and most expensive perfumes from a spring. The fumes that the Pythia inhaled were also said to be sweet, and when she inhaled enough she would speak strangely. Sometimes it was almost as if she spoke gibberish that only the priests could interpret. There were times when she would convulse and writhe around. When, coming out of her trance later, the Pythia would have no memory of what she had said.
Speaker 3:It was said that, though she spoke in riddles, her words were to be uncovered by the one who had asked the question. Sometimes it was about whether a marriage or a business deal should take place. Often it was about making of laws, building roads, trade agreements and even colonization. The oracle was a strong figure and the shaping of a nation, and she was not to be trifled with.
Speaker 2:There were many times when someone was, let's say, too big for their britches and she 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 was doing at a certain time in the past while he was in his country. She replied that he was cutting up a tortoise and a lamb and placing them in a bronze cauldron. Impressed with her very accurate answer, Croesus asked if he went to war with Persia, Would he beat them? She informed him that he would indeed destroy a great empire. Once again pleased, the king left to set out for war. What he eventually realized was that the great empire to fall was his own. It seemed to dawn on him right about the time he was enslaved by the Persians. Apollo didn't leave him to his well-deserved fate, but instead rescued him.
Speaker 3:The Oracle used these moments to make it extremely clear that she was not just some dumb girl. People like Croesus and their ridiculous blunders, after making arrogant assumptions, served as warnings to others. Still, if you've ever heard about the story of Oedipus Rex, not everyone pays attention to the people that have gone before them. The dude ruined three generations of people because his father didn't listen to the Oracle's prophecy. Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. An argument could be made that his great-great-grandfather really screwed things up for the whole family by ticking off one, possibly two gods, but that's a rabbit hole for another day.
Speaker 2:Maybe another episode. Back to the Oracle herself. Wars were given the yay or nay from this esteemed lady or ladies. It went this way for centuries, and at the height of the Delphic Oracle's power was also the rise of democracy and growth for more densely populated parts of Greece. Though they were not the only contributors of wealth and appreciation. People in Asia Minor and even as far as Egypt were patrons and avid seekers of prophecy from Delphi.
Speaker 3:Sadly for practitioners of the old ways and cult of Apollo, the temple was destroyed for good in 390 AD. The Roman Emperor Theodosius, I also known as Theodosius the Great, had it and most of the statues destroyed in his attempt to eradicate all traces of paganism in his domain. In case you aren't sure which emperor that is, because, let's be honest, there were a lot. He was part of the group that established the Creed of Nicaea as the orthodox doctrine for Christianity was part of the group that established the Creed of Nicaea as the orthodox doctrine for Christianity.
Speaker 2:He was also the last emperor to rule the Roman Empire before it was divided indefinitely between the west and the east. You can still go see what's left of the temple in modern-day Delphi. It's a big tourist attraction and just from the pictures online, there is no surprise why Apollo, or whoever built it, chose that spot. The view is nothing short of idyllic. But now we need to address something that has bothered scientists and archaeologists as far back as 1892. Where did these fumes and vapors that the Pythia were said to inhale come from?
Speaker 3:In 1892, a group from the Collège de France went on an excavation mission at the site of Delphi. They claimed that there was no fissure and no evidence to suggest that fumes could be produced there in what they estimated had to be the Idaiton. In 1904, there was a British art historian, critic, art collector and museum official by the name of Adolf Paul Ope, who made some claims.
Speaker 2:He said, no chasm or vapor ever existed, no natural gas could create prophetic visions, and the recorded incidents of a priestess undergoing violent and often deadly reactions was inconsistent with the more customary reports. Ope firmly believed that it was all fantasies spread around by gullible travelers. Firmly believed that it was all fantasy spread around by gullible travelers. In fact, many more scholars built on this for decades, claiming that there were no vapors and no chasm. During the 1950s, french Hellenist Pierre Amandry, who worked at Delphi, concurred with Ope and insisted that the area was too volcanic for such gaseous emissions described in the Old World Reports. But it's a volcanic area, I know, I know, I know for such gaseous emissions described in the old world reports, but it's a volcanic area.
Speaker 3:I know, I know, I know. But these guys, they didn't know much, you know.
Speaker 2:They just didn't have the technology back then, right.
Speaker 3:Right. But also they were so stuck in their ways and they believed very firmly. They had to be right because Well, they knew history?
Speaker 3:Yeah, they read some books, dude, yeah, but here's the kicker none of those people were geologists and, up to that point, not a single geologist had even been to the site. That's the archaeologist version of a keyboard warrior. It wasn't until the 1980s that someone, after re-examining the pictures from the french excavation that opa and his cronies took, where they were actually found to be mistaken, labeled Broad 2007, was a photograph of the temple interior, clearly showing a spring-like pool as well as several small vertical fissures. Everything that was needed to substantiate the temple records.
Speaker 2: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 the photograph and other sources. They were given the blessing to survey all active faults in Greece by the United Nations. The Bureau found evidence of a fault line running right under the ruined temple of Delphi at first, but during several more expeditions found that there were 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:This one was called thephi Fault. Now, personally, I found this next bit that we're going to talk about super interesting, because it is yeah, I remember that when you really actually finally have people who know what the heck they're talking about, who are willing to actually investigate and not just look at it and go, no, I don't think so.
Speaker 2:And have the instruments and everything to prove that yes, yes, and what was? No? I don't think so.
Speaker 3:And have the instruments and everything to prove that, yes, yes. And what was really cool to me too, in addition to all that was the United Nations, was like heck, yep, you got two thumbs up, go get them, buddy. There's also a Gulf of Corinth rift, and it is one of the most geologically active sites on the planet. Because of this, it creates major pressure on the Delphi Fault, which just so happens to sit right under the Adaiton of the former temple. So all those records of times the temple was rebuilt because of earthquakes now have been proven by fact and not just hearsay from myth and Plutarch's writings. But what about the vapors?
Speaker 2:So further examination found underground chambers and travertine pools. Think of the mammoth hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. Further investigation found that Delphi has a deposit of bituminos which is rich in hydrocarbons and pitch. This quote has a petrochemical content as high as 20%. End quote, which gets heated during earthquakes and results in vaporization of the hydrocarbons. Cue the vapors rising from the fissures.
Speaker 3:Taking a quick moment to further discuss the temple structure. Whoever built it knew exactly what they were doing. The team found that there was a chamber small in size, offset and just below where the adyton is believed to have been. The chamber sits above the crossing faults and would fill to intoxicating levels with escaping gas. The oracle's chamber would have been filled, as plutarch said, and here's a quote with a fragrance and breeze sending forth the essences of the sweetest and most expensive perfumes from a spring end quote deburr after much suggested that it was probably ethylene gas.
Speaker 2:Ethylene is known to smell sweet and toxicologist Henry R Spiller, who was on the team, agreed. He said that quote. Inhalation of even a small amount of ethylene can cause both benign trances and euphoric psychedelic experiences. Other effects include physical detachment, loss of inhibitions, the relieving of pain and rapidly changing moods without dulling consciousness. Excessive doses can cause confusion, agitation, delirium and loss of muscle coordination, which would explain why they were like flaring around.
Speaker 3:Right and delirium. If you inhale too much of it and you start becoming delirious and agitated. That sounds a lot like that one chick who was hysterical for days and then died.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Which would explain why in every depiction of the Oracle on her tripod, she is hunched over her legs, back curved like she's exhausted, and a rather confused expression on her face. There's a red and black drinking bowl from the 5th century BC in the Stattlick Museum in Berlin, germany. That depicts the Oracle giving a consultation. She's holding her water bowl and laurel and she's slumped. Her face, as simply as it was painted, looks really confused. That says to me that the old records weren't making things up.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Actually, to further substantiate Plutarch's description, antithysiologist Isabella Kohler-Herb discovered that a 20% dosage of ethylene gas to a subject saw them sitting up, hearing and answering questions. Logically, their speech pattern was different, though, and there was a possibility of them losing some awareness and feeling in their furthest extremities, such as hands and feet. Given a higher dosage saw this subject losing control of their limbs, possibly thrashing wildly, groaning and even staggering. This would explain why the Pythia weren't always consistent. Depending on the frequency of the earthquake, the dosage of the gas would have varied.
Speaker 3:While the Kernis Spring has since been diverted to flow toward the town of Delphi, in 2001, a water sample was taken uphill from the temple. What they found was that 0.3 parts per million held ethylene. If you were to follow De Boer's theory, it's probable that during ancient times, when the spring ran straight to the temple, that there would have been even more in it, but the current lack of it still creates some questions. There was a period in history after the Roman Emperor Hadrian died that the oracle's prowess waned, but it's been suggested that it was due to a long period without earthquakes in that area.
Speaker 2:There's also the theory by those who have studied contemporary toxicological literature that oleanders could have been the culprit. Oleander flowers were used as well in the oracular procedure. They would chew the leaves and inhale the smoke. The pretty little light to vibrant pink flowers grow all over the Mediterranean basin and are incredibly poisonous. The leaves have a bitter flavor and are unpalatable, so typically that keeps animals and humans from eating them, so one has to wonder why anyone would ignore that blaring sign. However, it is a possible contributor to the short lifespan of the Pythia. Either way, in our amateur status, we are still rooting for De Boer and Spiller's theory of ethylene gas.
Speaker 3:Yes, we do. And while the temple and the people who worked and lived there are no longer around, the Oracle of Delphi has not lost its captivating mystery and allure. Literature and art have been hosts to its legend for nearly 2,000 years since, and that's just after its destruction, from William Shakespeare's Winter's Tale to Rick Riordan's, percy Jackson and the Olympians series. John Collier did a painting in 1891 called the Priestess of Delphi. It's hauntingly beautiful and, knowing what we know now, really quite tragic.
Speaker 2:We don't think that the Oracle will ever stop being a source of curiosity and inspiration for eons to come. The artwork and literature post-Emperor Theodosius whatever has survived will be no less beautiful and a treasure, not just for history's sake. With that said, we've come to an end of one of our longest episodes. We hope that you've enjoyed listening and learning as much as we have talking your ear off. If you have any historical questions or topics you'd like us to explore in future episodes, don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for joining us, and if you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review. We'll be back with more stories from the past. Until then, keep exploring.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to Smarticus Tells History. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate and review and make sure to subscribe and be sure to follow the show at facebookcom. Slash Smarticus Tells History or just click the link in the show description. Thanks again for listening. See you next time.