The stones have been there for thousands of years, but their history is not so clear, shrouded by the mists of time. We know for certain there was an oracle at Delphi, but there are conflicting stories about how it came to be.
Giordorus Siculus, writing in the 1st century BC, said there once was a goat herder named Coretas, who was surprised when one of his goats started acting strangely after it fell into a hole in the ground. When he went in to retrieve his goat, he suddenly felt filled with a divine presence. He could see into the future!
Coretas told other villagers about his experience, they visited the site and also experienced inspirational trances. By the late Bronze Age, about 1600 BC, a shrine had been erected at the site for worshipping the gods.
Many ancient sources tell of “mephitic” vapors surrounding the Pythia during her prophetic sessions. Plutarch wrote of the fumes having a fragrant smell “of the sweetest and most expensive perfumes,” and Pliny the Elder referred to an “intoxicating exhalation issuing from the earth” that caused oracle-speaking.
The Other Great Oracle at Patara
Delphi did not have a monopoly on oracles. There was another, almost as famous, about 500 miles to the east in Patara, Turkey. And because the Pythia at Delphi only operated for a limited number of days during the winter months, the Patara oracle got plenty of visitors, especially when Delphi was closed for the season.
Fast forward about two millennia…
Our May 10 – 20, 2023 Tour of Turkey
- Aphrodisias, a sacred place since 5,800 BC when the Mother Goddess of fertility was worshipped and later the Greek goddess Aphrodite
- Hierapolis, renowned for its sacred hot springs for thousands of years
- Ephesus, the largest ancient city ever uncovered, that legend says was founded by the Amazons
- Istanbul, with its picturesque shopping bazaars, holy mosques and splendid palaces
- There is also an optional May 20 – 23 extension to Cappadocia.