S7E10 - The Oracle at Delphi

stories featured in Greaking Out are original adaptations of classic Greek myths.

This week's story features prophetic visions, navels, Gaia's beautiful creation gets destroyed by Olympians, and the death of a majestic snake.

Okay, Oracle, I hope you're ready because today we're going to talk about your namesake, the one and only Oracle of Delphi.

Yeah.

While both the Oracle and I are all knowing beings, I rely on the internet to provide me with my vast array of knowledge.

And the Oracle at Delphi was said to rely on magic from the land of Delphi, as well as the god Apollo, to deliver her prophecies.

Right, and like you said, many people associate the Oracle of Delphi with the god Apollo, but it was actually started by Gaia, the goddess of earth and mother of all life.

Gaia was one of the very first mythological beings.

We reference her in several episodes, most specifically, in the war between the Olympians and the Titans.

Exactly.

So she's quite powerful, and maybe it's because she's the Earth itself that she was able to discover the most enchanted place of all,

Delphi.

Delphi is located between two towering rocks on top of Mount Parnassus, a large mountain in central Greece.

Now, Gaia had a hunch that magical things would happen at Delphi, and since she's the mother of all life, I think it's pretty safe to say that her instincts are on point.

Gaia knew that the place had the power to tell the future.

There was just something magic in the air there.

The only problem was that there was no way to access that magic.

They needed a mouthpiece.

So, Gaia appointed the first oracle to serve as a conduit between the magic of Delphi and the rest of the world.

The word oracle can refer to a place, a prophecy, or a person.

You can go to an oracle to get an oracle from the oracle.

You have to use context clues to decide which meaning is being used.

Right.

Think of it as a puzzle.

So one day Gaia found a young nymph named Daphnis and offered her a spot as the first oracle of Delphi.

Come with me to Delphi.

You will have a life filled with magic and wonder.

You will be known across the land for your wise predictions, Gaia told her.

But I'm only a nymph, Daphnis replied.

Who would bother to come to me for advice?

The land of Delphi is magic, and I will help you interpret its lessons.

When people come to ask for your counsel, you will find wisdom to share.

I will help you.

Gaia promised.

And Gaia was true to her word.

She made a special home for Daphnis on Delphi and set up a simple shrine in front of a small cave.

It was plain, but beautiful.

Daphnis communed with the power of nature and prophesied from a nearby rock.

As it turns out, the prophecies came easily to Daphnis.

Gaia was right.

There was something special about the land, and it was said to be filled with the fumes of prophecy, and that only the chosen oracle could interpret them.

Gaia grew to love the oracle and the place of Delphi.

But she knew it was only a matter of time before someone came to steal the power of Delphi away from her, and she wanted to be prepared for when that day happened.

So Gaia asked her daughter, Pitho, to watch over Delphi and the Oracle.

Pitho was a mighty python that patrolled the area and kept it safe from intruders.

Some versions of the myth claim that Pitho was a dragon, but I think a python just makes the story better.

Plus, her name was Pitho.

So, it's the most obvious interpretation.

Agreed.

And Pitho did a great job on her patrol.

She was a formidable creature, and she kept the oracle safe from anyone who tried to threaten her or steal the land.

The reticulated python, a non-mythical python, can grow up to 30 feet in length.

They are considered a less advanced type of snake because they have hind legs and pelvic bones as well as two lungs instead of one.

Wait a sec, hang on.

Humans have two lungs and all of those things.

Are you saying that humans are less advanced than most snakes?

You said it.

I didn't.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, there's a lot to unpack there, so I'm just gonna move on.

With Gaia around to bless the city of Delphi, Daphnis serving as Oracle, and Pitho being the world's longest bodyguard, they had a pretty good thing going.

The legend of the Oracle of Delphi began to grow and grow.

But unfortunately, that's when the trouble started.

You see, it wasn't long before Zeus and the Olympians started looking for places where they could tap into the power of the Earth itself.

Zeus had a theory that the very center of the earth would be a powerful and mystical place, and he wanted to test the theory.

So, Zeus recruited two eagles from opposite ends of the world to help.

You will fly east, he instructed one eagle.

And you will fly west, he said to the other.

And where you two meet will be the center of the world and the most sacred and enchanted spot in this realm.

After flying a long time, the eagles finally crossed paths in Delphi.

The Olympians were discovering what Gaia knew all along.

Zeus marked the direct spot where the eagles met with a sacred decorative stone called the omphilus, which means navel.

Oh, that's nice.

Wait, well, hang on.

Did you say navel?

Like, like belly button, navel?

Yes, because it's the Earth's center.

And the belly button can be said to be the center of the human body.

So we're referring to the most enchanted spot in ancient Greece as a giant belly button.

Well, a navel.

But yes, I suppose so.

You really want to make a joke, don't you?

I guess we'll be navel-gazing for the rest of the episode.

Ha, ha, ha.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thanks.

I am a professional.

Thanks.

Anyway, once Zeus discovered the world's most sacred lint trap, he realized that Gaia had already laid claim to Delphi.

He was a little bummed, but Zeus wasn't trying to upset Gaia by taking it away.

She was pretty intimidating, after all.

So, for a long time, Gaia held court in Delphi.

Daphnis continued to serve as oracle and make prophecies, and the entire spot was protected by the fierce Pitho.

And it seemed like it would stay that way forever.

Spoiler, alert,

it did not.

Because, although Zeus wasn't about to challenge Gaia for Delphi, he did indirectly cause her to lose it.

Like many stories in Greek mythology, the problem stems from the fact that Zeus was a bit of a ladies' man.

He was married to the goddess Hera, but it wasn't very respectful of the marriage, to say the least.

He had a relationship with a Titan woman named Leto, and she soon became pregnant with twins.

Reasonably, Hera was mad that Zeus was going around having babies with other women while they were married, so when she heard Leto was pregnant, and with twins no less, she was furious.

But she knew she couldn't take action outright.

Zeus wouldn't stand for that.

So she had to be sneaky about it instead.

She needed help, and she had just the creature in mind to help her with the task.

My dear Pitho, how are you doing today?

She cooed to the snake.

Pitho eyed Hera warily.

She didn't get many visitors.

But Hera didn't need Pitho to be social.

She just needed her to be one thing, hungry.

You see, Hera knew that Gaia didn't allow Pitho to eat any mortals unless they directly attacked the oracle.

The Earth Goddess always did have a soft spot for humans.

How about some lunch?

Would Miss Big Snake like a Titan for lunch?

That's a good snakey way.

Pitho had been surviving on a diet of goats and other small animals, and it just wasn't cutting it.

The idea of eating a fully grown titan was very appealing.

Why is she talking to the python like she is a dog?

That is an insult to the intelligence and power of snakes.

Okay, sorry, that was just my creative interpretation.

She probably treated Pitho with the utmost respect.

But regardless of how the conversation went, the end result was the same.

Pitho agreed to eat Leto.

Now, in some way or another, Leto received word that this was going down and she spent the next few months on the run from a giant python.

Leto was starting to panic.

It was almost time for her to give birth to twins, and she had nowhere to safely deliver the babies.

And what's worse, Hera had forbidden any of the other gods and goddesses to help Leto on her quest.

Leto was completely alone.

Hera even forbade Elethea, the goddess of childbirth and midwives, to help Leto with the birth.

She begged Poseidon for a place to rest and hoped that he would create an island for her that was far away from Hera and Pitho.

Please, Poseidon, she begged.

I need your help.

Eventually, Poseidon took pity on the young Titan and turned a floating rock in the middle of the sea into an island.

It was called Delos, and it would become another sacred spot in ancient Greece.

Legend has it that Poseidon anchored the island with chains made of diamonds.

The ancient Greeks believed in this story so much that they often went diving around the island of Delos to look for the treasure.

And when she was finally safe from Hera and Pitho, Leto gave birth to her twin babies, Artemis and Apollo.

Now, eventually, Hera let the matter drop and Pitho was sent back home to Delphi.

Leto got off the island and life continued on as usual.

But she never forgot the story of her children's birth and she made sure to tell them all about their dramatic entry into the world.

At a young age, Apollo even vowed to avenge his mother against Pitho, furious that such a creature would have been allowed to harass his mother.

And when he was old enough to put up a good fight, that is exactly what happened.

Apollo headed down to Earth's belly button to fight the monster that had threatened his mother so long ago.

Pitho!

He called, you tried to kill my mother years ago.

She was innocent and defenseless, but I am not.

Come at me, bro.

Let's go.

Pitho slithered out from behind a giant rock.

Apollo had to admit that the snake was pretty terrifying.

She was as long as a football field and wide as a tree trunk.

Her yellow scales glistened in the sun, and her eyes burned red with anger.

Apollo gulped as the snake slithered toward him.

He was just a young god, and this was his first major fight.

Maybe he had gotten in a little over his head?

Let's refresh.

We're going to take a quick break, we'll regroup and be right back.

Okay, we're back.

The snake lunged towards Apollo, ready to strike with her huge gleaming fangs.

Apollo leapt out of the way at the last second and sprinted towards higher ground.

But Pitho was right on his tail.

He couldn't believe how fast the serpent was moving.

She didn't even have legs.

Apollo was shaking with fear and fumbling with his bow and arrow, and Pitho took advantage of her opponent's momentary distraction and wrapped her body around Apollo before the young god even had time to look up.

Let me go!

Apollo cried.

But the python just encircled Apollo tighter.

The god could feel his bones begin to crunch.

He needed to do something fast.

His fingers grazed against the dagger hanging from his belt loop.

He just needed to reach it.

Finally, he grabbed onto the blade and shoved it into the python's side.

The snake leapt back in shock.

It wasn't enough to seriously hurt the snake, but it got her to loosen her grip, and Apollo was able to slide out of its grasp.

This time, Apollo had a plan.

He sprinted towards the nearest tree and began to climb up as fast as he could.

But the python simply followed him right up the tree trunk.

Apollo was shocked.

This thing could climb trees?

Yes, many species of pythons can climb trees.

Apollo's right, that is terrifying.

Anyway, when he realized his tree plan wasn't gonna work, Apollo jumped down from the branches and sprinted to the giant rock that the oracle prophesied from.

The snake was still slithering back down the tree.

This was Apollo's chance.

He quickly took out his bow and with the aim of a skilled archer, he fired off an arrow straight into the center of the serpent, killing Pitho instantly.

When Gaia found out that her snake daughter had been murdered, she was devastated and furious.

She decided to leave Delphi immediately.

She was done interacting with these Olympians.

I agree with Gaia.

This was an unexcusable murder.

It is said that Gaia was so furious about the death of her daughter that Zeus ordered funeral games to be played in her honor.

This was the start of the Pythian Games, which would have been similar to the ancient Olympics.

But even though Gaia left Delphi, the oracle Daphnis stayed on.

Delphi was her home, and she had nowhere else to go.

Plus, she kind of liked being able to deliver prophecies.

It wasn't a bad job.

I mean, sure, she had never done it without Gaia's help before, but it didn't mean she couldn't try.

And that is exactly how Apollo found the very first Oracle of Delphi, sitting on her rock, trying her best to commune with the magic of the land.

Hello there, he said when he saw the young nymph sitting on the rock.

She had her eyes closed, and an intense look of concentration was on her face.

Well, what exactly are you doing there?

I'm trying to connect with the divine spirits of the land of Delphi, and you're breaking my concentration.

Apollo was so intrigued that he didn't even react to her rudeness.

Divine spirits?

Here?

He looked around.

The place didn't seem like anything special.

It was pretty old and depressing, actually.

Minimalist style, neutral palette, lots of earth tones.

Total Gaia aesthetic.

The oracle explained that Delphi was an enchanted place located in the Earth's belly button.

She told Apollo all about how Gaia was able to communicate with the wisdom of the land and pass that knowledge on to her.

And then I deliver the information in the form of a prophecy.

They call me an oracle.

I'm kind of a big deal, she told Apollo.

So people come and pay for this kind of thing?

Apollo asked.

Oh yes, in the form of great offerings.

The mortals are very appreciative, she replied.

Apollo smiled to himself.

If Gaia could do it, why not him?

Apollo, god of prophecy, certainly had a nice ring to it.

Looks like the Oracle of Delphi is back in business.

And just like that, Apollo took over the land of Delphi and oversaw the Oracle's prophecies.

Things were going to be different under his watch.

He began spicing things up.

He didn't think someone as important as an oracle should be delivering prophecies from a rock, for Pete's sake, so he built an impressive temple instead.

Of course, it was a temple.

for Apollo.

Yeah, I mean, that goes without saying.

He also built it directly on top of the cave and the shrine that Gaia had originally created, which was a little much, if you ask me.

Apollo also wanted to get rid of the rock where the oracle had prophesied from, but she begged him to keep it around as a form of nostalgia.

And since it also happened to be the same spot where he had killed the python, Apollo agreed.

Daphnis also convinced Apollo to let her be known as the Pythia in honor of the python that had once protected her.

Apollo grumbled a bit at that, but the oracle refused to participate in this scheme unless she could keep that sacred title, so he reluctantly agreed.

But those weren't the only changes Apollo had in mind.

Bipithia would now make her prophecies from a sacred room inside the temple.

She would sit up high on a tripod chair behind a sheer curtain and deliver her guidance.

Of course, humans couldn't just access the oracle whenever they wanted.

The oracle was only available at certain times of the year.

It is said that Apollo would leave Delphi in the winter when the weather became too cold.

There would be a large festival each year when he returned in the spring.

The oracle also required several sacrifices and purification rituals before she was able to begin.

Apollo was really into the whole theatrics of the experience.

But the biggest change was the prophecies themselves.

Gaia had let Daphnis try to interpret the magic on her own and helped her out when she got stuck.

But Apollo didn't want Daphnis to be that involved.

He wanted to be in charge.

He simply used the oracle as a mouthpiece and told her the prophecies directly.

And Gaia was always kind and straightforward to the people who visited her oracle, but Apollo was different.

He wouldn't provide direct advice, just a vague interpretation.

You see, Apollo was smart.

He knew that sooner or later he'd make a mistake with a prophecy or deliver really bad news, so he wanted to cover his bases.

He made the prophecies open to interpretation, which meant that the oracle and Apollo weren't to blame if things went south.

This turned out to be a pretty good business decision.

One of the most famous oracle prophecies occurred when Croesus, the greedy king of Lydia, came to ask for advice about going to war against Persia.

Should we go to war against these measly fools?

He asked.

The oracle took her time in her reply.

Finally, she stated, If Lydia goes to war, a great empire will surely fall.

And because Croesus was so sure of himself, he went to war immediately, convinced that Persia would fall.

But his army was soon defeated, and it was the Lydian Empire that fell.

Persian ruler Cyrus II defeated King Croesus of Lydia in a battle that ultimately led to the rise of the Persian Empire.

But just because of the way the prophecy was worded, nobody blamed the oracle.

They just blamed Croesus for being too full of himself to interpret it correctly.

It was a genius strategy, really.

And that's how the oracle of Delphi really came to power.

With Apollo's help, she delivered prophecy after prophecy and quickly became known as one of the wisest women in ancient Greece.

You've heard about her time after time on this very show.

Her prophecies are legendary.

And when she eventually passed away, Apollo appointed a new oracle in her place.

The oracle of Delphi continued on for years and played an important role in history.

Scientists have wondered about what produced the prophetic visions of the oracle of Delphi.

Yeah, that's true.

The theories range from hallucinogenic gases coming from the earth to chewing various semi-poisonous plants to the oracle just being very informed on politics and the community.

We may never know.

But eventually, humans began to fight for power over this sacred place, and the Temple of Apollo was later destroyed by the Roman Empire.

Legend has it that the Oracle's famous last words were, It is over.

That is sad.

Although I still hold a grudge against Apollo, I have nothing against the Oracles, and I wish their legacy wouldn't have ended that way.

Me too, Oracle.

Me too.

And that brings us to the end of our episode today and the end of this season of Greaking Out.

Next season, well, I think it's going to be pretty special.

So stay tuned.

Until then, make sure to go back and enjoy some of the archives.

We have lots of great episodes available for you to revisit.

You have any favorites, Oracle?

Just the ones that feature snakes.

Right, of course.

Thank you for that, Oracle.

Appreciate that.

Thanks.

Greaking Out.

That's it for this season.

I hope everyone had as much fun listening listening as we did making it.

Come back in April for season eight and a special project.

Creaking

Ouch.

National Geographic Kids Creaking Out is written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes and hosted by Kenny Curtis.

With Tori Kerr as the Oracle of Wi-Fi, audio production and sound design by Scotty Beam, and our theme song was composed by Perry Gripp.

Dr.

Adria Haluska is our subject matter expert, and Emily Everhart is our producer.