Oracle of Delphi

Delphi

This is the alter where the oracle of Delphi was visited by military generals and rulers from all over Greece. In ancient times the oracle was a young female priestess called a Pythia who gave out prophecies to those who came to her. As fantastical as this sounds, scholars have found a possible explanation for how this happened.

Where the Pythia stood on the alters there were cracks in the ground where gases would seep through the ground. When the priestess would breathe them in she would get hallucinations and start saying gibberish which would get translated by an official and made into a prophecy. Knowing this, to me it is amazing how some of these prophecies actually came true! I find it interesting how the ancient world is full of mysteries like these that we may never know the answers to.