The Sybil on Solvents--An Archeological Update on the Oracle of Delphi

March 19, 2002 7:07 AM

The Sybli's raving mouth, according to Heraclitus, speaks without mirth or adornment or perfume: with the help of the god her voice continues for a thousand years: Plutarch - Why The Pythia No Longer Prophesies In Verse... So, what kinda gas was she huffin'? The Sybil on solvents--an archeological update on the Oracle of Delphi (NYT: you know the drill...)
posted by y2karl (7 comments total)

Didn't we do this quite interesting topic just a few weeks ago?
posted by pracowity at 8:00 AM on March 19, 2002

"I came to scoff but stayed to pray."

awesome quote.
posted by lotsofno at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2002

You are probably right, pracowity, but unfortunately both "Oracle" and "Delphi" are not the most Google-iciously simple terms to search out alongside "MetaFilter". Ethylene gas, by the way, is used to ripen fruit and vegetables--so how do ya like them classical tomatoes?
posted by y2karl at 9:15 AM on March 19, 2002

This is interesting, but... as a student in Greece I was taught that Pythia (the Delphi oracle's title) spoke to priests who then composed famously abiguous "prophecies". The fact that the temple was quite obviously built on top of a spot that people could get high on fumes seems to back that up.

Of course, modern Greece is a fiercely Christian society, so debunking Pythia is conventional wisdom.
posted by costas at 9:27 AM on March 19, 2002

"hey buddy, wanna buy some classical gas" whoa, the wait period to see the oracle was long.
posted by clavdivs at 9:47 AM on March 19, 2002

This is why Miss Cleo's empire has fallen.
Eventually, all the people with gas leaks will have called, and after that, you're pretty much stuck with Floridians, and only so many of us understand phones.
posted by dong_resin at 10:15 AM on March 19, 2002 [1 favorite]

Excellent linkage, thanks, y2karl!
posted by Lynsey at 1:40 PM on March 19, 2002