@sophiahardt
I love that the Apollo drawing the background says “aghh I have prophecies tomorrow” 😂👍
@blindalleycomics6351
Inhaling ethylene fumes couldn't have been healthy...maybe the real reason for the "Winter Break" was to give the poor Pythia time to recover.
@Restill-v2y
Geologist, PhD here. This video was SO MUCH FUN and exceptionally accurate - discussions ranging from the nature of bituminous limestone to ethylene volatilization risks. I'm seriously impressed! GNEISS work on this! :D
@ThaetusZain
I am actually more surprised nobody really cared what Dionysus thought he's the god of wine... like you would think during that time period people would be asking things like "I did some repairs on my house and now my wine tastes all weird. Is there anything I can do to make ammends?".
@JeraWizard
"And for some reason the only thing helping me is Dr Pepper" -- optimal moment for an in-video link to the Snake Oil Tierlist video, hehe
@pavladavlas
The Pythia was also known to chew on leaves of oleander and inhale its fumes as it burned. These fumes, when inhaled, can lead to symptoms similar to those of epilepsy, which was known as the “sacred disease.” I remember reading a while ago that such fumes were likely led through the air vents and probably to just below the Pythia’s seat, as traces of burnt oleander had also been found in an underground chamber at Delphi. This would also explain why the Oracle was only available in the summer months (oleander flowers from early summer to mid-autumn and inhaling its fumes regularly for a prolonged amount of time can shorten an individual’s lifespan significantly), and might also explain the entire “the goats go crazy there” thing, as they may have eaten the oleander growing in the vicinity, though I have no idea how goats are affected by it in comparison to humans.
@lukaj679
The idea that cannabis was common in the region but NO ONE ever said "it smells like weed in here" is enough for me. I can't go anywhere weed smoke is/has been without someone pointing it out lol
@Sewstine
Interestingly, ethylene is VERY flammable, and the fact that there was no documented source of flames in that room is highly suggestive that it might indeed be ethylene! LOVE this theory!
@teaumanport
If nothing else, this is a much more fun version of the phrase "she's come down with a case of the vapors."
@mashawonder
i just wanna say how smart your makeup is. The elongated dark brows are a staple of the Cretan makeup looks depicted on vases and statues of the time and the soft brown tones look earthy n natural with a modern twist of golden glitter… u an artist
@ElvenAngel
I have to admit, as a Greek and an amateur archaeologist (I had to abandon my studies midway due to financial reasons :( ) I got a bit tense in the first minute of the video. I'm really used to westerners jumping to conclusions or using terrible sources in their research and discourse, so I have to say, I was immensely relieved and very pleasantly surprised as you carried on. Your sources are excellent, exactly the kind I'd reach for while I was still studying the subject in university and you approached the topic from a great position of neutrality, without resorting to presentism. Even your humour is on point and put a smile on my face; I'm sorta fed up with over-the-top humour and reactions and your chill approach is so much more enjoyable. I was especially happy about how frank you were regarding the fact that for a lot of things about the ancient world, we're just never going to have concrete answers. I wish more people would digest that fact and stop trying to impose modern morals and rationality to ancient ways of thought we simply can't understand anymore. It's not a bad thing; it's just the nature and effect of time and change in human society. The further we move away from an old way of thinking, the more alien it will seem to us. I love your content because you keep the quality of the discourse to a very high, yet still accessible level and with just one video, you've made up for a lot of the disappointment I've had from the wider online community about their takeaways from Greek history, culture and myth. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and research with us. <3 As for sybil... yeah, I'd be Athena's. I'm almost always the one sane woman/adult in a situation. As often as I want to just throw people, I find it better to just try and be supportive and stand up for the truth and what's right.
@erraticonteuse
14:21 Or in the case of the famous prophecy "Croeses, if you make war on Persia, a great empire will fall," as one of my favorite (and criminally underrated) YouTubers Generic History Videos put it thus: "The oracle basically said, 'If there is a war, someone is going to lose', and it doesn't exactly take a god to figure that out."
@MFrederickM
I can't read the episode title without thinking of Jerry Seinfeld Live! At The Agora being like "So WHaaAAAaaT's the deal with the Oracle of Delphi??"
@blueskylark9965
A geology nerd who also really likes history, the entire time I was “Why didn’t they do a survey for faults? Greece is VERY VOLCANIC, there could be all sorts of natural gasses!!!” And I feel. So vindicated.
@joeyoung431
The biggest problem I had teaching Greek mythology and religion in New Zealand was convincing my students that there were possible interpretations of Delphi beyond the money-making scam they all immediately assumed it was. This is what happens when you let Goths win the Enlightenment.
@milaces1323
OMG you, covering the oracle?!? I'm obsessed with the spiritual practices of ancient Greece like visiting the oracle or the Dionysiac rituals. Thank you!!! 😊
@paulakaye2108
I truly appreciated your warning, “And don’t be asking Apollo any stupid questions.” I fell over laughing because for about ten years I worked as an “Advisor” with a huge company offering Psychic readings. We were tested not just in the interview but sporadically. I mention this because the absolutely strangest request to use my gift was to find a clients car keys! I wonder what Apollo would have replied to her! LoL
@themysterious_taria
36:11 "like most gay people, I think greek mythology is so interesting" THAT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD SO MUCH? Why did you expose me like that /j
@juliarose.driscoll
Hiya! I have a degree in Classical Humanities and my magnum opus (yes Latin was in there too) was this 20-something-page paper on the Oracle at Delphi. Just popped in to say I think this was an awesome video on one of my all time favorite subjects, and so well researched. Today I’m a public historian, and I love all of your videos no matter what time period you focus on. 😊 Thanks for what you do!
@KazRowe