The Oracle: Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi

The Oracle of Delphi would enter into ecstatic union with the god Apollo and bring back his prophecies and counsel for all who came seeking answers. Though the air of magic that surrounds her might cast her as a legend, the Oracle did really exist--and her visions caused her to become the single most influential figure in all of ancient Greece. Eyewitness accounts describe temple practices in detail, claiming that the Oracle breathed in vapors rising from the temple floor. In 1892 French archaeologists unearthed the temple, but could find no evidence that the rocky ground had brought vapors of any kind. Science journalist Broad tells a modern-day detective story that blends history and science to describe how a team of scientists, working from subtle clues scattered throughout the ancient literature, as well as from the latest findings in geology, uncovered scientific evidence to explain the Oracle's powers.--From publisher description.… (more)

Media reviews

Kirkus Reviews

"Nonetheless, The Oracle is an eye-opening account that will fascinate fans of both ancient history and modern science."

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Publishers Weekly

"In a fascinating story that is part detective tale and part science report, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times writer Broad unveils the oracle."

User reviews

LibraryThing member gazzy

Very interesting subject, interesting scientific detective work across subjects, raises questions on scientific institutions and their perceptions.

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LibraryThing member dk_phoenix

I was pleasantly surprised with this book - it reads like a detective story about Delphi and the investigation that 4 men underwent to understand the 'pneuma' that supposedly induced the Pythia's communion with Apollo. The book was detailed but still approachable, intelligent but without confusing

jargon, and scientific without being demeaning to the ancient Greeks and their religious beliefs. I thought it was very balanced, and respected both science and religion in a way that seems highly lacking in many books on the Classical world.

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LibraryThing member kaida46

The Oracle by William J. Broad

This is an enlightening book about the ancient oracle at Delphi and the scientific search to back up what had been written anciently about the famed and influential Oracle. Did she really possess mystical powers? This book takes the reader on a scientific detective

journey to seek out the facts behind the stories. The author shares historical information and Dr. De Boer’s quest to use geological facts to piece together the truth about the “Mistress of Apollo”. It took Dr. De Boer many years to find the answers and he involved other scientists, with specialty disciplines, that enhanced his, so they could contribute to the uncovering of the mysteries. What was the pneuma, did it really exist? This is a great recounting of the process of scientific investigation and reasoning.

In the second half of the book there is a detailed discussion about “Reductive Science”, this might bog some readers down, but if you are at all interested in the scientific process- how it works, some of the psychology behind it and a good overview of what could become a research conundrum, it is excellent material which adds to the great scientific discovery story told within the book.

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