Geology, Hallucinogens, and Lots of Questions

One of the most famous places in Greece, and a tourist destination since

Mountains

as early as 1400 BCE, is Delphi. And being tourists, Barb and I hopped on a bus for a tour of the area. I was anxious to see the grotto down along some river or stream – one again, reality was not what stories of the area had lead me to believe. It’s about a four and a half hour ride through some very pretty mountainous scenery from Athens to Delphi; luckily we had a great guide.







One of the many things I didn’t know was that the Oracle of Delphi was called the Pythia, a designation for a high priestess. This name comes

Model of the Temple of Apollo

from the verb ‘to rot’, referring to the stench of the giant Python that Apollo killed – surely being signified as a ‘rotter’ had other connotations in Apollo’s time. However, the beginnings of the Oracle appear to be much older than the religion giving rise to the god Apollo. The oracle probably originated about 1400 BC, the middle period of Mycenaean Greece (1600 – 1100 BC), and was dedicated to Gaia. Evidently, at least by in the 8th century BC, Apollo’s priests took over the shrine, establishing the Pythia, when they arrived from Delos. The Homeric Hymn to Delphic Apollo gives details of how the god chose his priests; in the form of a dolphin, Apollo jumped into a ship carrying ‘Cretans from Minos' city of Knossos’ and recruited (more likely scared silly)  the men to come to Delphi as his priests. Between the worship of Gaia and the worship of Apollo, there are several stories about the Oracle. One includes woozy goats, while another has to do with men having convulsions after visiting a hole in the rock. The outcome of these stories was that a young woman was chosen to go into the fissure. Evidently female virgins were more expendable than men or goats.

Although expendable, the surviving Pythia became some of the most powerful women of the next few centuries. The women who served as

Near the fissure in the rocks

priestesses came from all walks of life: rich, middle class, servant class, married, single, educated, and/or completely illiterate; they had only to be inspired by the spirit of the god. Some ancient authors say that once the priestess had inhaled the vapors from the cave she delivered her messages in gibberish; others emphatically state that she spoke intelligibly in her own voice. In any case, people of the time believed that the Oracle got her information directly from Apollo and repeated it exactly. The problem with these prophecies was that sometimes they were not understandable because the gods speak differently from humans; what they blurt out may be difficult to interpret. Fortunately, interpretation would usually allow enough information to get the job done. The gods have a lot in common with today’s politicians, although ‘getting the job done’ has taken a bit of a hit.

While being the oracle was a full time job, the Pythia and her entourage did get the three coldest months of the year to rest. That was only fair since Apollo was on vacation those months leaving his half-brother

Writings on the stones

Dionysus, the first person to turn grape juice into wine, in charge. Once Apollo returned, the Oracle would undergo purification rites and go back to the work of delivering prophecies to those who requested them. The temple of Apollo, itself, was an intricate part of the consultation of the oracle. Carved into the temple entrance were two phrases: ‘know thyself’ and ‘nothing in excess’. There is also an ‘E’ which, according to Plutarch, is the first letter of the phrase ‘make a pledge and mischief is nigh’ (ἐγγύα πάρα δ'ἄτα) – interpret that as you will, but I see it as ‘don’t promise what you can’t deliver’. Although many things had to be carved in stone, there are still records of between 535 and 615 of the prophecies (Famous Oracular Statements from Delphi), more than half of which are historically accurate. This makes sense because any important undertaking, a war or trip or royal association, was brought to the temple for a prophecy by the Pythia.

Even though there isn’t much left of Apollo’s temple, there still exists quite a large market space for vendors selling all sorts of goods, ranging from

Market near Temple

food to souvenirs, to the supplicants. Walt Disney didn't come up with the idea of a shopping opportunity when you exit the ride, the Greeks did. The ruins we do see are from the 4^th century BC and were built on a temple from the 6^th century, which was built on the one that existed in the 7^th century. Several of the temples were destroyed by earthquakes; this also opened and closed underground streams and vents, causing the variability of the vapor that supplied the oracle with visions. The temple, and the oracle, survived until Christianity came into the picture about 390 AD; the Roman emperor Theodosius I destroyed it to remove Paganism from the area.

So what really caused the Pythia to have visions, goats to get woozy, and men to have seizures? That has been a question that lots of folks have

Temple of Apollo Columns

tried to answer. Speculations abounded for years – the breath of the gods was an early theory but one of the priests, Plutarch, said that the oracular powers were associated with the vapors from the Kerna spring waters that ran under the temple. And then in the 1800s the archeologists arrived. The first few said that there was a chasm that released gasses from under the earth; others argued that there were very few gas producing openings in the earth, and those gasses escaping wouldn’t produce hallucinations. Other scientists agreed stating that burning laurel or oleander could produce visions, seizures, and sometimes death. Archeologists examining the site stated that there was no crack in the floor of the temple and there had never been one; another claimed that all of the ancient reports were due to the gullibility of the people seeking information from the oracle. Finally, in the 1980s, a geologist, an archaeologist, a forensic chemist and a toxicologist began examining Delphi as a part of the United Nations’ survey of all active faults in Greece. They found evidence of a fault under the temple, passages and drains for spring water, and rich deposits of hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbons plus the movement along the faults could, indeed, produce gaseous emissions that would rise through fissures in the rocks. This gas, quite possibly ethylene, can, in low doses, cause trances, psychedelic experiences, loss of inhibitions, and, in higher doses, agitation, confusion, delirium, and loss of muscle control; in still higher doses, the gas is fatal. Plutarch’s descriptions of the Pythia giving prophesies report occurrences of all of these symptoms. Greece sits at the intersection of three tectonic plates that are responsible for the earthquakes that has shaken the area for eons. This movement causes the opening and closing of cracks in the rocks, making the amount, as well as the potency, of ethylene fluctuate. Perhaps Theodosius I wasn’t the only force that brought the age of the Oracle of Delphi to an end; the lack of earthquakes in the area may have had an effect, as well.

Just down the hill from the Temple of Apollo is the Delphi Archeological Museum (Wikipedia has a very nice visual tour of the museum with good information about each room). We were delighted to make our way to this

Charioteer with inset of face. Note the eyes and lashes.

building, because although the air temperature was warm, the reflection from the light colored rocks made being outside for extended periods uncomfortably hot. This museum is extraordinary because it documents the development of art of the Temple of Apollo. Sculptures go from rather plain and cubic to flowing and life-like. Our guide did an exemplary job of explaining how each form led to the next, particularly with the influence of art from other countries (particularly the Romans). At every turn I identified a new ‘favorite’ piece to photograph. However, the most impressive was the Charioteer of Delphi. Discovered in 1896 under a rock fall, it escaped being melted down for the bronze and now has a place of prominence in the museum. The statue commemorates the victory of Polyzalus of Gela in Sicily and his chariot in the Pythian Games of 470 BC. The statue is nearly intact except for his left forearm, the copper inlays on the lips, many of the silver eyelashes and the headband. What is most impressive is that the inlaid glass eyes are preserved. He is altogether glorious.

On our way back to Athens we stopped at the Amalia Hotel Restaurant for lunch. This was a sit-down meal with all sorts of Greek goodies including spinach or cheese quiche, breads, a Greek salad, roasted

Left T to B: Cheese pie, Spinach pie, Salad
Center: Chicken and vegetables
Right T to B: Dessert, Garden

chicken with zucchini and potatoes, and finally a honeyed sort of pudding. Although this was a set menu, it was well prepared and well served. The hotel had a lovely little garden area and appeared to be a nice place to stay in Deli within walking distance of shopping and other things to see and do. The bathrooms were clean and it was air conditioned, so we were comfortable on many levels.

A bit further along we had time to wander around a little town and add to

Roadside Monument

the economy. Beside the roadways we noticed small alters. We asked our guide about those and found that they had a long history. Originally, they led priests to towns that were positive toward new religions – basically where they wouldn’t get executed for their beliefs. In the next iteration of these alters, they were places to stop and worship, leave an offering, and once again find a route to a town that had Christian worship. In the last century the alters were decorated or constructed near accident sites to commemorate someone who died. Currently, the alters are constructed or decorated, also near accident sites, to show thankfulness for someone who lived.

For information about my rating system of where we stayed, what we ate, and what we did, see Reading the Reviews.

What we did:

Four and one-half carrots

Delphi Archeological Museum

Oracle of Delphi Tour by Viator

Where we ate:

Four carrots

Amalia Hotel Restaurant (Apollonos str. 1, Delfi 330 54, Greece, +30 2265 082101)

L to R: Kurois, Sphinx, Melancholy Roman

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