The Oracle: Ancient Delphi and the Science Behind Its Lost Secrets

by William J. Broad

A gripping modern-day detective story about the scientific quest for the answer to a riddle of ancient Greece

Like Walking the Bible, this fascinating book turns a modern eye on an enduring legend. The Oracle of Delphi was one of the most influential figures in ancient Greece. Human mistress of the god Apollo, she had the power to enter into ecstatic communion with him and deliver his prophesies to men. Thousands of years later, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist William J. Broad follows a crew of enterprising researchers as they sift through the evidence of history, geology, and archaeology to reveal—as far as science is able—the source of her visions.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Religion, Mythology, Research, Ancient History

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2006

About the author

William J. Broad is a best-selling author and a senior writer at The New York Times. In more than thirty years as a science journalist, he has written hundreds of front-page articles and won every major journalistic award in print and film. His reporting shows unusual depth and breadth—everything from exploding stars and the secret life of marine mammals to the spread of nuclear arms and why the Titanic sank so fast. The Best American Science Writing, a yearly anthology, has twice featured his work.

He joined The Times in 1983 and before that worked in Washington for Science, the magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Broad has won two Pulitzer Prizes with Times colleagues, as well as an Emmy and a DuPont. He won the Pulitzers for coverage of the space shuttle Challenger disaster and the feasibility of antimissile arms. In 2002, he won the Emmy (PBS Nova) for a documentary that detailed the threat of germ terrorism. He was a Pulitzer finalist in 2005 for articles written with Times colleague David E. Sanger on nuclear proliferation. In 2007, he shared a DuPont Award (The Discovery Channel) from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for the television documentary, Nuclear Jihad: Can Terrorists Get the Bomb?

Broad is the author or co-author of eight books, most recently The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards (Simon & Schuster, 2012), a New York Times bestseller. His books have been translated into dozens of languages. His other titles include Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War (Simon & Schuster, 2001), a number-one New York Times bestseller; The Universe Below: Discovering the Secrets of the Deep Sea (Simon & Schuster, 1997); Teller's War: The Top-Secret Story Behind the Star Wars Deception (Simon & Schuster, 1992); and Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science (Simon & Schuster, 1982).

Broad's reporting has taken him to Paris and Vienna, Brazil and Ecuador, Kiev and Kazakhstan. In December 1991, he was among the last Westerners to see the Soviet hammer and sickle flying over the Kremlin.

Broad's media appearances include Larry King Live, The Charlie Rose Show, The Discovery Channel, Nova, The History Channel, and National Public Radio. His speaking engagements have ranged from the U.S. Navy in Washington, to the Knickerbocker Club in New York, to the Monterey Aquarium in California. He has also given talks at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City.

Broad earned a master's degree in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He has three adult children and lives with his wife in the New York metropolitan area.

Reviews

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

This book is, for the most part, exactly what it says on the tin: a study of the science behind the Oracle of Delphi, specifically the huge inroads made by a team investigating in spurts over the last fifteen years. The Oracle explores how a century's worth of derision was overcome by methodical scientific discovery at the hands of a geologist and an archaeologist. In the end, they found support for the assertions of ancient Greek writers who insisted, time and again, that the Oracle breathed a sweet-smelling pneuma in preparations for religious rights, and that the tripod on which she sat was situated over a chasm in the earth. After a French expedition in the late 19th century, this was all dismissed as imaginings; the fissure discussed by Plutarch did not exist. Then geologist Jelle de Bour discovered not one fault line running directly under the temple at Delphi, but two...and they intersected directly under the adyton, where the Oracle carried out her rituals. Geologically speaking, Greece is a young country, still very active with earthquakes and moving plates. The fissure described time and again by ancient writers very likely did exist, and it is thought that a great earthquake (circa 373 BCE...also the beginning of the Oracle's decline) very probably closed the chasm that vented the gas (ethylene) that, in short, got the Oracle of Delphi high.

There's a lot more intricate science behind all of this, and the book goes into great detail without ever being dry or boring. The first chapter is an incredibly interesting history of the Oracle and the influence she held for many centuries over the developing Greek state. The following chapters focus on the modern science. This book was holding a solid four star rating in my head, right up until the end, when the author earned that final star:

William Broad summarizes that, although the discoveries in Delphi and the explanation of the gas vents that put the Oracle in a "trance" help identify a starting place of how the Oracle worked, that is all they did: pinpoint a starting place. Science can pinpoint where a fault line runs, where a crack in the earth may have been thousands of years ago, where springs once gushed abundantly into a temple courtyard, and what gases a priestess who lived long ago may have inhaled in order to achieve a religious trance, but science cannot account for the rest of the facts surrounding the Oracle of Delphi. Unveiling the ethylene that induced religious ecstasy does not explain the international reverence for the Oracle of Delphi, nor does it explain the sociological and religious reasons behind her continued influence even as other oracles rose and fell in prominence. She literally had the ability to overthrow kings, effect matters of state, and change the course of history. Science itself, in this reductionist form, cannot account for all that, as things that are beyond the effect of a gas vent. Because of this, the mystery of the Oracle of Delphi and her allure remain, despite recent scientific inroads into how she operated.

And for that open-minded recognition, Mr. Broad earned himself that fifth star. (I'm sure he's overjoyed.)

(And to prove just how much of a dork I am? Halfway through reading this, the names of the scientists - de Bour, Hale, Spiller, Chanton - were naggingly familiar, and I realized something: I saw the History Channel special on this same topic a couple years ago. It's well-worth watching, if you can find it on YouTube.)

[Vincent James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the book goes through the history of the oracle at Delphi, and the second half of the book goes through modern archeological findings in regards to the shrine at Delphi. To sum up, the archeologists found a crack where they believe various gases flowed from the Earth to get the oracle high. So they attributed all of her psychic powers to getting high, and even downplayed her abilities. Early in the book, Broad writes that, as a test, the oracle was able to tell what a certain far away king was doing at that very moment- cooking turtle soup, something he never would have been doing, as he had only been doing it for the sake of the test. This, along with other prophecies proved that the oracles at Delphi were able to see things that others could not. Broad wrote in the book that the Christian Church attributed her powers to the devil, and as St. Augustine writes, all of the Greek gods were devils. It would not surprise me if Apollo himself were giving the oracle psychic intuition.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first experienced Delphi in 1994. In the company of twelve students and my then wife, who was also my teaching partner. Having been a world history teacher for most of the previous twenty-two years, with a particular fascination for ancient Greece, my anticipation was decidedly high.
I will never forget walking up the Sacred Way into Apollo's precinct. It was a hot day in June. Every climbing step immersed me further in the wild beauty of the place. Every step revealed the why of the place. The ruined temple above me, framed by Mount Parnasus, beckoned like a Siren, while behind me the Valley of the Muses, the circular Temple to Athena, and glimpses of the Gulf of Corinth, did nothing but enhance the sublimity of the setting for this, the very heartbeat of Greece. The air was perfumed with sage, and birdsong provided the soundtrack. Everything about the place seemed enchanted and confirmed the reasons for the site's existence. I've been so fortunate to return to this transcendent spot numerous times.
Mr. Broad's narrative, The Oracle, made the place come alive again in my memories. This book provides a comprehensive overview of Delphi and its Pythia, from,what can be gleaned about its origins and activities, through the glory years and beyond, to its decline, plundering, abandonment, and resurrection. All of this information fills the first third of the book.
Roughly, the next third retells the story of the scientists who labored to uncover the oracle's secrets. The story becomes a mystery and the team of scientific detectives, eventually numbering four, who interpret the clues in the earth to answer the biggest questions: why this spot? why its vaunted reputation and persistence through millenia?
It turns out, the answers lay in geology, archaeology, chemistry, and religious fervor. Together, these varied elements entwined with the spectacular setting to create and sustain the richly deserved reputation of the women who communed with, and spoke for, the god of light, music, rationality, and truth. It's an amazing tale.
My only quibble with the text, and it's a minor complaint, is that in the last two chapters the author chooses to explore, and endorse, the anti-reductionist critique of the scientific method, which was the very technique used to deliver up Delphi's secrets. The epilogue seemed to me particularly clumsy, as Mr. Broad waxes poetic about the place and the priestess.
Upon reflection though, I can fully understand how this place, its mythic status and sublime setting, can entice even the most rational into flights of speculation and inspiration.

[R.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Κριτική στα Ελληνικά πιο κάτω...

This was an interesting book, but the structure was weird and the author seemed to jumped all over the place. Depending on one's expectations,different parts of the book might appeal to different people.

I feel it would be better if the author wrote 2-3 different books rather than trying to fit all kind of different subjects in one book. His style was so and so and he often got too detailed on indifferent or minor parts of a theme, or went too far analyzing well-known theories or facts before coming on the core theory or fact.

I think that the book lacked identity and direction and was much longer than needed. Not extreme;y bad, not great either.

Ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο αλλά κάπως περίεργα γραμμένο. Ανάλογα με τις προσδοκίες του καθενός, μπορεί σημεία που θα αρέσουν σε κάποιους να είναι αδιάφορα ή απωθητικά σε άλλους και άλλα σημεία το αντίστροφο. Μου άφησε την αίσθηση ότι είναι συνένωση εντελώς διαφορετικών κειμένων, όχι μόνο ως προς το αντικείμενο, αλλά και υφολογικά.

Το διάβασα στα Ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Ενάλιος, έκδοση του 2009 και ίσως αυτό να ήταν λάθος μου. Πέρα από κάποια τυπογραφικά, το κυριότερο πρόβλημα ήταν ότι ειδικά στον πρόλογο και στον επίλογο, ολόκληρες εκφράσεις δεν βγάζαν κανένα νόημα. Ειλικρινά δεν καταλάβαινα τι θέλει να πει ο ποιητής. Αυτό νομίζω οφείλεται στο ότι ο Broad χρησιμοποίησε πολύ περιφραστικές προτάσεις και επιστημονικοφανείς όρους, ουσιαστικά για να στηρίξει ότι πρέπει να είμαστε ανοιχτοί στο ενδεχόμενο η Πυθία πράγματι να είχε τηλεπαθητικές ή διορατικές ικανότητες και ότι μπορεί αυτές οι ικανότητες να υπάρχουν στον κόσμο. Μου πήρε κάποιο χρόνο για να συνειδητοποιήσω τι ήθελε να πει ο συγγραφέας, αλλά για πολλές σελίδες δεν το έλεγε καθαρά. Η αναγνωστική δυστοκία όμως δεν οφείλεται μόνο εκεί, αλλά και στην κάπως άστοχη μετάφραση νομίζω, ίσως σωστή λέξη προς λέξη, αλλά όχι επιτυχημένη εννοιολογικά. Διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο στο πρωτότυπο νομίζω ότι θα κύλαγε πιο στρωτά.

Μην νομίζετε από τα παραπάνω περι Πυθίας ότι το βιβλίο είναι από αυτά τα μεταφυσικά, που γράφουν για περίεργα φαινόμενα, συνομωσίες και κουλές θεωρίες. Δεν είναι. Τι είναι όμως; Εδώ έρχεται το σχόλιό μου σχετικά με το ότι ανα κεφάλαιο μπορεί σε άλλους να αρέσει ενώ σε άλλους όχι. Το πρώτο μέρος κάνει μία μεγάλη ανασκόπηση της ιστορίας των Δελφών, της αρχαίας γραμματείας για το Μαντείο και ενώ κάποιες φορές δέχεται σαν δεδομένο ότι διάφοροι χρησμοί και ανεκδοτολογικά περιστατικά πράγματι συνέβησαν και προσθέτει αρκετές πληροφορίες χωρίς πάντα να κολλάνε στη ροή του κειμένου, γενικά ήταν ευκολοδιάβαστο. Δεν πρόσθεσε κάτι καινούριο στις γνώσεις μου για να είμαι ειλικρινής, αλλά ήταν μία ανακούφιση μετά από τις ασυναρτησίες των πρώτων σελίδων.

Μετά, στο επόμενο κεφάλαιο ο τόνος και η θεματολογία αλλάζουν δραματικά. Εδώ ο συγγραφέας θέλει να μας διηγηθεί πως μία ομάδα επιστημόνων στα μέσα του με τέλη του '90, έχοντας αρχίσει σποραδικές έρευνες πολλά χρόνια πριν, κατάφεραν και έφτασαν στην ανακάλυψη δύο τεμνόμενων γεωλογικών ρηγμάτων στους Δελφούς, με σημείο συνάντησης ακριβώς τον Ναό του Απόλλωνα όπου η Πυθία χρησμοδοτούσε, καθώς και στην απόδειξη επιστημονικά, ότι στην αρχαιότητα αυτό το χάσμα θα απελευθέρωνε αέρια που είχαν συγκεκριμένες επιδράσεις στους ανθρώπους, ιδίως το αιθυλένιο. Το κεφάλαιο αυτό θα έπρεπε να είναι ίσως το πιο σημαντικό του βιβλίου, αλλά κατάφερε να με κερδίσει μόνο προς το τέλος. Ίσως φταίει που σαν Δελφιώτισσα, πολλά από όσα αναφέρει μου είναι ήδη γνωστά. Όμως έμοιαζε σαν να μην μπορούσε ο συγγραφέας να του δώσει μία κατεύθυνση κι ένα ύφος και να το κάνει ένα "σφιχτό" ανάγνωσμα. Η σκέψη του απλωνόταν σε ένα σωρό διαφορετικές κατευθύνσεις, από αναδρομή στις ανασκαφές των Γάλλων στα τέλη του 19ου αιώνα στα παιδικά χρόνια των επιστημόνων που συμμετείχαν στην έρευνα, από την Εταιρεία Ψυχικών Φαινομένων του Λονδίνου στο γύρισμα του 20ου αιώνα στις δημοσιεύσεις του Αμαντρύ 50 χρόνια αργότερα, από τα κοιτάσματα υδρογονανθράκων της Ζακύνθου στα μπουκάλια κρασί που μοιράστηκαν στην Πορτογαλία ο de Boer με τον Hale και πάει λέγοντας. Το κείμενο κατάντησε πολύ κουραστικό, ειδικά όταν επεκτείνεται με αρκετές λεπτομέρειες σε πράγματα που ο περισσότερος κόσμος γνωρίζει, π.χ. την θεωρία των τεκτονικών πλακών ή το πως δημιουργείται το πετρέλαιο. Επίσης αναλώνεται με λεπτομέρειες στο πως γνωρίστηκαν μεταξύ τους οι συνεργάτες της έρευνας ή πως συνδύασαν την έρευνα ή μία δειγματοληψία με οικογενειακές διακοπές κτλ χωρίς αυτές οι λεπτομέρειες να προσθέτουν κάτι στο κείμενο.

Το τελευταίο μέρος του κειμένου νομίζω ότι προσπαθεί να ανοίξει μία συζήτηση πάνω στη θεωρία της επιστήμης, πως βλέπει τον εαυτό της η ίδια και πως κάποιοι επιστήμονες προσπαθούν να φτάσουν από το μερικό στο όλον κι άλλοι από το όλον στο μερικό και πως ερμηνεύουν ο καθένας αυτή τη διαδικασία. Η ορολογία ξενίζει στα Ελληνικά και βρήκα αυτό το κεφάλαιο πολύ μακρόσυρτο. Νομίζω ότι δεν ταίριαζε ιδιαίτερα αυτή η συζήτηση σε αυτό το βιβλίο. Μόνο στο πολύ τέλος γίνεται σαφές ότι ο συγγραφέας θέλει να πει ότι η ιστορία των Δελφών και η μαντική της Πυθίας κρύβουν ακόμα πολλά μυστικά και δεν μπορούν πάντα να ερμηνευτούν υπο το σκληροπυρηνικό βλέμμα της επιστήμης.

Γενικά υπήρχαν σημεία του βιβλίου που μου άρεσαν, ωστόσο πιστεύω ότι ήταν κάπως ασυνάρτητο και πολύ μεγαλύτερο από όσο χρειαζόταν. Η θεματολογία και η ύλη του θα ήταν καλύτερο να χωριστεί σε ξεχωριστά βιβλία. Η γραφή του ήταν κάπως άτσαλη. Τα επιμέρους κομμάτια ήταν αρκετά ελκυστικά και είχαν δυνατότητες για κάτι καλύτερο.

[Arlomisty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much...

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in a church resale shop in Sonoma, California a few days ago and read most of it flying back from San Francisco to Chicago, finishing it last night. Generally speaking, I'll pick up anything about ancient Greece with a thought to purchase. A couple of years ago I read an article in the newspaper about the discovery detailed in this book: a group of scientists were claiming to have discovered the source of the Delphic Pythia's rapture. This was intriguing, but the paper hardly scratched the surface. Finding this book was fortuitous.

Contrary to the description of the book given here, the supposed cause, ethylene, does not normally cause hallucinations. Rather, it is more like nitrous oxide and was, like nitrous, used as an anaesthetic until recently. However, with the right set and setting it is believable that the ancient mistresses of the god would go into significant raptures under its influence.

Broad's book is good in outlining previous study of the Oracle and in detailing the work of Hale, deBoer and their colleagues. It also contains a decent bibliography and extensive notes. It is evident, however, that the author is not expert in classical history, sociology or religion. A much more concrete picture might have been drawn about the religious, not to mention political, functions of altered states of consciousness in the ancient world. Also, he barely addresses such basic questions as pertain to the Delphic order as a whole: who were the priests? what were the relations between the pythias and the priesthood? what relations, if any, obtained between this order and others devoted to the god? Finally, the long-winded concluding chapters about the debate between reductionists and holists is facile and unconvincing. It is rather surprising that Broad has worked as a science editor. One assumes his "scientific" concerns have been more technological than theoretical.

[Stephen Marte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads somewhat like a mystery novel rather than a history of the Delpic Oracle. For ages people have wondered whether or not the prophesies uttered by the priestesses at the oracle were divinely inspired or cleverly devised utterances designed to impact the politics of the day.

The author takes you through the history of the oracle, from the time of ancient Greece to more recent times when archaeologists began digging around the temple trying to determine whether or not their were any scientific basis for the oracle or if it was just plain hocus pocus. Initial efforts pointed toward the latter. The oracle was deemed a fraud.

That was until the author of this book began doing his own digging and involved a geologist into the mix. Greece has always been plagued by earthquakes all the way back to ancient times. The author's team found that the Temple of Apollo at Delphi sat on a fault line and that beneath the surface the area was loaded with pockets of ethylene gas. According to their research, it seems the temple was built over just such a pocket and that what the ancients described as the pnuema of the god was in fact ethylene, which could very well have put the Pythia, or priestess, into a trance-like state.

This book does a great job of providing an explanation to one of the mysteries of the ancient world through diligent scientific research.

[モーリー · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly learned a lot here, about history, philosophy, religion, and science. I also learned perhaps more than I needed to about the detailed blow by blow of the scientific investigation of Delphi in the late 20th century. A different organization would have strengthened that part: perhaps thematic rather than a chronological they did this, then they did that, on and on. I struggled to pay attention at times. But I made it through and gained a lot from doing so.

[Melissa Lenore Hamann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an awesome look at why the Oracle at Delphi actually were. It is well researched, and the facts are brilliantly combined with theorizing and respect to the way of like of the Ancient Greeks. A great introduction into historic geology and biology, as well as a fascinating reveal of one of history's greatest characters.

[Jough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a short history of the delphi oracle, but is mainly concerned with the modern research into the area of the temple. It is a good read and I would recommend it. There are better books if you are mainly interested in the oracle though.

[The Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about The Oracle of Delphi. This was well written, though, the last chapter was a little harder to get through. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in history, nonfiction and science.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a history that evolves into scientific inquiry, and seeks to reveal the truth behind ancient mysticism.

[Hellblau · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good book on the modern research into the Oracle of Delphi. Lays out an extremely strong case that yes, there actually were cracks in the earth below the Temple of Apollo in Delphi where vapors seeped (the pneuma) and influenced the Oracle in her rites.

The book is broken into something like three section which differ in style. The first covers the ancient accounts of the Oracle. Here Broad is just quickly delivering some background on the subject. This is maybe the least engaging part of the book as he just jumps from one snippet of info to the next. He basically focuses on the actual function of the oracle: the organization of the sanctuary at Delphi, various accounts of her inner sanctum, and the prophesies she made. I wish he had gone into more detail on the origin and especially the decline of the sanctuary as not much is widely known but he doesn't get into that much. The second part is short but covers the late 19th century context ultimately culminating in the excavation of Delphi. The style of this section I found to be the best written with just the right balance of detail. The next section covers the modern day research into the site. This is the real crux of the book. The findings of the research are very interesting but maybe Broad didn't need to give us so much detail of the investigation. He really milks the material to make it book length, giving us the entire life story of the researchers and going on many long tangents. It's all pretty interesting and written well enough but you do often wonder the point of some of the passages.

At the end he goes into a somewhat sloppy explanation of complexity and emergence which he probably should have just skipped. Relevant or not, it comes off as a bit of a grasping argument when you start arguing against the nature of science itself. And he really doesn't need to do so, the findings speak for themselves. In the way that Broad characterizes them, the popular accounts of the research findings are guilty of being more rhetorically reductionist than scientifically reductionist. It's just an obviously fallacious line of argument (see: wikipedia article) and can be easily dismissed with common rhetoric.

For the very interesting subject matter and details of the modern research I would give this four or five stars but the writing itself is really only like three stars (it's serviceable but nothing spectacular). It's like a National Geographic or Smithsonian Magazine article that's been fleshed out to book length. If you are interested in ancient Greece or ancient religion I definitely highly recommend it.

[Kerfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at a book sale, not knowing what to expect--history? science? mysticism? Was the author for the Oracle or against?

It turned out to be a carefully researched history of the rise and fall and reconsideration of the Oracle at Delphi--who was she, and where did her powers and influence originate?--combining not only the eyewitness accounts of ancient texts and the parallel historical occurrences and prophecies, but also the large social influence of her expansive and democratic ideas--with archeology, geology, political maneuvering, and drug research.

When Delphi was first excavated after years and years of neglect during which time it was stripped of many of its treasures, the archeologists overlooked the geological terrain, and thus completely missed the fact that the temple marked a crossroads of two faults. It was therefore easy for them to dismiss the fumes recorded in historical texts as fiction, since they could find no contemporary evidence for them, and to make the Oracle and the temple's priests into charlatans. Broad traces how, in order to correct this false but widely accepted version of events, scientists from different disciplines worked together to prove that the intoxicative elements in the temple were real. But it also reaches beyond that to discuss different philosophies of science--highlighting the value of an investigative process that not only works to figure things out by integrating the knowledge of different disciplines, but rejects the reductionist idea that the world can be pared down to and explained completely by its material content, dismissing philosophical and spiritual questions, thought and consciousness, as being unnecessary and irrelevant.

I learned a lot of new things about both history and science, particularly geology and geography, and was struck again by how politics infects everything and bends or selects the "facts" to suit their pre-determined theories or expectations. As the author concludes, "the facts did nothing to dispel the surrounding layers of mystery" and "the influence of the Oracle on a society that began much of what we judge to be Western Civilization." The spiritual context and beliefs of the lineage of Oracles, the priests of the Temple, and those who sought guidance from them, mattered in a way that supersedes whatever altered state that resulted from the fumes. The origins of the prophecies and their resulting fulfillment cannot be fully explained.

Broad give the reader much to contemplate, both in the form of information and in the form of unanswered, and perhaps unanswerable, questions. Seeing the forest with wonder, not just cutting down the trees.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oracle of Delphi was sought for advice and premonitions by a host of different peoples in the Mediterranean over the course of several centuries. They came to her cliffside temple to pose questions about everything from philosophy to potential wars among the great sea powers of the age. Most accounts described both the Oracle and those who sought her counsel as undergoing fits of ecstasy that sometimes left them writhing on the floor or babbling in tongues.

Centuries later her temple was found, and researchers discovered the probable cause of the altered states of both seer and seeker: a gas leak, probably of ethylene, making its way up through the pores in the travertine rock cladding the temple's floor.

For some time there was a tendency to hold up this bit of evidence as a triumph of science and skepticism over the superstitions of the seer and those postmodern primitives with new agey beliefs who yearned to view the Delphic phenomenon as rooted in true magic.

Author William J. Broad takes up the daunting task of trying to show that the science around the Delphi does as much to deepen the mysteries of the Oracle as to dispel them. He mostly succeeds by showing a healthy respect for both the geniuses of Attic antiquity (mostly philosophers) and balancing that against the determined work of archeologists and geologists to find the origin of the mysterious ether that both enlightened and intoxicated. The highlight of the book certainly has to be the scene in which an expert on abuse of inhalants agrees to be part of an experiment described in an uncharacteristically comical tone in an otherwise serious book: a hose is filled with ethylene is pumped into a shack where respectable experts subject themselves to the gas and end up staggering around giggling their heads off.

The desire to reenchant the world in the wake of the scientific materialist revolution is an understandable one, perhaps as important as the reductionist race to find the sub-quantic ur-stuff that may be driving the entire universe. William J. Broad does a good job of preserving the dignity and insights of the ancients while also honoring the dogged determination of the moderns who put their ultimate stock in the scientific method. It's a fascinating, sometimes gripping read. Recommended. With photos, illustrations, paintings, and diagrams.

[Kaci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great example of a writer giving life to a story that might otherwise have been obscured in more academic literature. The main plot can be hard to discern from the summaries, but Mr. Broad uses the scientific and archeological work of Jelle De Boer, J. R. Hale and others to overthrow the incorrect conclusion decades before that there was no truth to the ancient accounts of a crevice located within the Temple of Apollo that put forth a "pneuma", essentially a mystical odor that aided the Oracle in her preparation to be taken over by the god Apollo.

This book can go off topic in areas, but on the whole this only serves to give the reader a more full understanding of the Oracle, Delphi, and those involved in the journey to discover what truly happened in this sacred space. Perhaps the most interesting and unexpected discussion happens towards the end of the book, as Mr. Broad travels off into metaphysics, and moralizes on the shortcomings of a Reductionist theory of the world as favored by many scientists with regards to a phenomena as truly awesome as the Oracle. Even for readers who are squarely in the camp of the reductionists, I believe after reading the full story any reader will find Mr. Broad's discussion of the Oracle in metaphysical terms compelling.

There are some areas where the story is a little slow, as Mr. Broad makes sure to cover such a wide swath of related stories and fields, and at the beginning it's slow to get started. The story truly finds its pace when Mr. Broad starts describing the excavation of Delphi by the French, and then introduces de Boer and Hale and their quest to find the truth of the Oracle's past, rejecting decades of academic consensus in favor of bold new theories rooted firmly in scientific observations and readings of the primary documents, not relying on incorrect secondary and tertiary reports as the scholastic world had been since the original excavation.

There is only one thing missing from this book, and that is that I personally wished Mr. Broad had gone through more examples of the Oracle's recorded predictions. Mr. Broad mentions the wealth of ancient sources that have survived to modern day, but only gives a handful of actual examples. While this isn't a huge detractor of the work as a whole I feel as though it would have connected the reader more with the Oracle themselves.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I visited Delphi in the 1980s and was intrigued without feeling the need to research it, partly because I was young and busy and partly because its mysteries just seemed lost to the ages. But at some point I decided I did want to know more about the site and its oracle, and Broad's book seemed like a good starting point.

I learned things from this book and wanted to like it a lot, and I'm not sorry I read it, in that it piqued my interest in Delphi even further. But eventually I grew extremely impatient with Broad's insistence on mentioning utterly irrelevant details from the lives and travels of the real-life people he interviewed for this story. I did not care in the slightest that a group of student researchers had ice cream for dessert during their visit to Greece, or that one of the scientists was disappointed by the quality of his hotel. Broad is telling the story of a discovery of huge import to our understanding of classical Greece, and this is what he focuses on ? The book needed to be edited for concision and relevance.

I also felt that the conclusion was sort of a let-down, which I guess isn't surprising since the climax was the publication of and reception to a scholarly article, and those things are rarely thrilling, even if the conclusions discussed shake the veritable foundations of the world.

I wish Scientific American had granted permission to reprint here some or all of the articles about Delphi that the researchers published in its pages. Actually, now that I think about that option, I rather wish I'd just read the articles and not this account about how a few guys took time out from being professors to go to Greece and offer an answer to a problem vexing archeologists. But I guess the book at least provides a road map for further study, so there's that.

[Michael Poley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading before visiting Delphi

This is an interesting book. The first part covers the history of the Oracle at Delphi, doing a great job of presenting what it is that makes Delphi special. There were many shrines and temples in Ancient Greece where you could ask about the future, but Delphi was only for momentous questions. The second part of the book is an academic adventure story that follows a geologist and an archaeologist that refuted a French study that claimed that there weren't any hallucinogenic gasses ot vapors emitting from the ground at Delphi. In fact, though there were trace amounts of ethelyn (an early drug used for anesthesia) - enough to get the oracle "high" - it was only 1 part of a larger mystical experience that Delphi pilgrims would have participated in.

Having been to Delphi this past week, this book did a great job of putting me in the frame of mind to appreciate the archaeological site and to imagine what it might have been like. There's still a lot we don't know. 4th century Christians have done their best to eliminate any trace of our "pagan" pasts. But damn. Delphi is still a deep spiritual place that might be the center of the universe.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Delphic Oracle in ancient times, the modern discovery of the ruins of the Temple of Apollo and the confirmation of the role that gaseous fumes played in the Pythia's declarations and how the Oracle's history presents a challenge to Reductionism.

When I purchased it I was hoping for more about Delphi in ancient times but found fascinating the explanation of the modern 'detective' story of how the ancient accounts of a fissure in the ground and fumes therefrom being used by the Pythia was true and not, as had been the accepted view, a lie told by the oracle's officials.

Highly recommended.

[Ben Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the fascinating story behind the researchers who found the truth behind the oracle of Delphi. Broad manages to make a story about college professors and ancient rocks absolutely enthralling, and I would recommend this to readers who aren’t even necessarily interested in Ancient Greece. The conclusion with the author’s thoughts is a bit dense and imprecise, but the story itself is what makes the read worth it.

[Leda Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF ch. 4/pg. 131

The information is good, scientific, and presented in a mostly-interesting way, but aside from the first chapter this has little to do with the Oracle herself and much, much more about the archeological discoveries (or lack thereof) and the people who accomplished those things (*cough* men *cough*), which is simply not what I was looking for in this book.

[Colton Hornstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for anyone interested in the oracle at Delphi! Highly authentic, as I can attest.

The first half of the book deals with the oracle in antiquity, and the second half with a (surprisingly intriguing and dramatic) retelling of how modern scientists (re)discovered evidence in and around Delphi that supported the oracle's use of hallucinogenics to aid her prophecies.

[Jess Monnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and informative read! Not as much on the Oracle herself as I excepted, but I'm not mad about the direction it took. It was sort of an academic adventure story, what happens when a geology professor and an archeology professor join forces?

[Angelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The amount of research that went into this book is amazing. And yet, Broad not only provided the facts and research, he wrote in such a way that there was some narrative and story telling regarding the archeologist and geologist, who were the driving forces of the book.

[Rem71090 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mixing history with modern sciences this book is extremely readable, with just enough philosophy to convince you of its own importance in serious scholarship.

Also, geologists are bananas.

[Nick Mole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting scientific and spiritual examination of the Oracle

[janna ✭]

DNF @ ~50%

Okay, I think I got what I wanted from this. The rest is too science-y and boring for me. So, I’m gonna put it down.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not realize there was so much debate over what was going on at Delphi. This book was an interesting exploration not only of the history of Delphi, but also of the evolution of the sciences and our ability (and need) to combine multiple disciplines to unravel the true stories of ancient sites. I would totally have volunteered to be the modern oracle and sit in the shed! #ForScience

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I figured that before I started tackling my ever-growing “to-read” list, I should probably start with the books I already own, mostly in an effort to (slowly) create more space and lighten my load. This is one of the first I picked up in that effort.

I was surprised by how much I liked it. It has its flaws but overall it was an informative and fast-paced read. It’s got ancient history and modern science, as well as a mystery/adventure story of some scholars. That last item was the one I enjoyed the least. At first it was actually pretty exciting—would they find what they thought they would? How would it all come together? But after nearly 100 pages, it’s like, we really don’t need to know what the guy-who-measured-the-gas-sample’s 11 year old son did on his summer holiday, and we don’t need to hear about every email and phone call the scholars made to each other, and about every single sample they took from various pools and marshes around Greece. Honestly, we don’t. Way too much about the dudes. The book is called The Oracle, not Scholarly Guys and What They Think About the Oracle and the Things They Ate and Drank While Talking about Delphi with Each Other. It recovered pretty well though, discussing reductive scientistic viewpoints and what they lack as well as leaving much of the question of the Oracle open.

The highlight for me was the first chapter of the book, which was the longest one at almost a third of the book’s length, and dealt with the history of Delphi and the Oracle in context. I also liked hearing about the excavation, rivalries, etc., on the archeological front.

The writing is smooth and the reading goes quickly; if the Oracle interests you, I definitely recommend it (not having any expertise in the field), with the caveat that you may want to skim some of the later sections of the scholarly adventure part.