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THE CENTER OF THE WORLD II

To the ancient Greeks, Delphi, with roots in Neolithic times of 5000-3000 BC, always held a position of central significance. Geographically located about 160 km northwest of Athens in the rugged slopes of sacred Mt. Parnassus, it had been the mythical home of two of the original Gods, Gaia (Earth) and Chronos (Time) — with the protector of the site, the serpent, Python, daughter of Gaia. But myths also weave into a loose web several of the most important Olympian Gods, including Zeus, Apollo, and Athena, all bringing into the mix their own wealth of whims and vagaries. Zeus, son of Gaia, who would rise to the throne of the Olympian Gods, identified Delphi as the “center of the earth,” after a pair of eagles, simultaneously released from “from opposite ends of the earth,” arrived there simultaneously.

Apollo, the son of Zeus, would learn the art of divining the future from Pan — the goat god — associated with wild places, and, ironically, with music. Subsequently, he would erect an oracular temple, the sanctuary of the Delphic Oracle, where visitors — leaders and common folk alike — would trudge up the steep hill, in order to consult about major decisions affecting their lives. Apollo, after choosing an orientation of his temple, with its sides pointing to the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, placed an ‘omphalos’ stone in the ground (literally marking the “center of the earth”). The original omphalos, now lost, is thought to have been either a meteorite or the first land object to surface after the waters of the Universal Deluge had begun to subside. A cone shaped replacement now stands in front of the archaeological museum in Delphi.

Women, who were considered more sensitive than men to absorb the oracular powers of the site, served as the priestesses. They would prepare by undergoing a ritual: first bathe in the waters of the nearby sacred Castalian spring (said to have been created when the winged-horse Pegasus struck the ground with his hoof, and to be favored by the Muses). Next they would drink from the sacred Kassotis spring, and inhale the fumes of burning laurel leaves; and finally, sit in meditation near the omphalos stone. Their seat would consist of a tripod chair positioned over a fissure in the ground from which emanated hallucinogenic vapors. (From the late 19th through the late 20th century, this was thought to be more apocryphal than real, but in the 1990s scientists found evidence to corroborate the ancients’ claim.) The region's underlying rocks turn out to be composed of oily bituminous limestone. Tectonic movements along the faults created friction that heated the limestone to a temperature at which the petrochemicals methane, ethane and ethylene vaporized. And most likely, it was the ethylene that induced the trance associated with euphoria and visionary insight. (A possible scientific explanation on the trance-inducing gases at Delphi can be August, 2003 issue of Scientific American.)

Questions regarding the future would be asked of the oracular priestess. The answers, interpreted by male priests, would be spoken in verse. And frequently they proved accurate, raising the Delphic oracle to redoubtable political and social influence among Greeks for the better part of a millennium. Some of the oracle’s pronouncements were couched in such ambiguous terms, however, with a correct element always present — much as astrologers operate in modern times. One my personal favorites involved the Lydian King Croesus (of Sardis, Turkey), who reigned from 560-546 BC. Croesus had asked the Oracle, “Is it safe to invade the Persian Empire?” The oracle, in its inimitable manner responded, “A great empire will fall!” Heartened by this prognostication, Croesus did not hesitate. He attacked. It was the wrong empire that would fall!

The Delphic oracle was in decline by the 1st century AD when the Romans emerged as the overwhelming power in the Meditterranean. The Christian emperor Theodosius officially closed down the vast temple in AD 393, signaling the end of the ancient tradition of Greek oracles and the ascendancy of the new god of Christianity.

This is a sequel to a photograph that I previously posted at Trekearth that showed the Tholos temple, located several hundred meters from the main temple complex in Delphi. In this photo, as in the earlier, Mount Parnasus was behind me. And although the omphalos, or navel, marking the center of the world was kept in the sanctuary of Apollo's temple itself, the Tholos of Athena's sanctuary, with its unusual circular shape, more clearly evoke the navel of the earth than do any of the other buildings.

I had been serving as a ‘special topics lecturer’ on board the Crystal Symphony in a pair of cruises in tandem, #6218 and #6219. When the ship docked in Pireaus, the port of Athens, for a two day stay, we rented a car and drove the 2 ½ hour distance to Delphi. It was hot and overcast, but for a short time it seems, a shaft of light appeared to illuminate the unusual circular edifice. Dark clouds made way to patches of brilliant light rendering the sky surrealistic and appropriate for the remarkable site.