Prophesying While Intoxicated
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History of the Oracle
The Oracle of Delphi is regarded as one of the most influential persons in history. The succession of priestesses who served as Oracle starting in 1400 BC lived in the Delphi temple on the south slope of Mount Parnassus, near Greece’s geologically active Delphi fault line. The temple had a spring, who’s water was described by Plutarch, a priest of Apollo at the Delphic sanctuary, as being “filled with such a fragrant odor and scent, that no perfumes in the world can exceed it.” The location of the temple was chosen after Koretas, a goatherd, observed that his goats grazing near a “certain fissure in the mountainside” began to bleat oddly. When Koretas investigated the mountainside, he was “filled with a prophetic spirit” (Hale). The spring water and fissure, archeologists later discovered, was releasing ethylene gas, which creates mild euphoria and hallucinations when inhaled (Hudgens). The Oracle was considered to be the “mouthpiece” for the god Apollo, and was consulted on all matters from planting harvests to when empires should declare war. She gave advice on how to lift curses, choose political leaders, and establish colonies. Kingdoms, cities, and individuals were dependent on her consultations. She was the most powerful woman in the ancient world, and she was chronically exposed to ethylene, petrochemicals, and other light hydrocarbon gases leeching from her cave’s limestone as a result of Delphi fault line’s geologic activity.
Effects of Ethylene Gas Exposure
Ethylene glycol is metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenase, rendering a toxic metabolite. Compared to methanol and ethanol, ethylene is metabolized relatively fast. After alcohol dehydrogenase metabolism, ethylene is converted into glycolaldehyde, and ultimately to glycolate. Glycolate is dangerous because it precipitates into calcium oxalate and is responsible for metabolic acidosis (Jacobsen et al). Metabolic acidosis is when the body’s fluids (including blood) contain too much acid, which can be life-threatening (Piagnerelli et al). Chronic exposure to ethylene gas, like the Oracle of Delphi would have experienced, can also cause pulmonary edema and neurological damage, leading to seizures and loss of consciousness. Individuals suffering from ethylene glycol poisoning, if untreated, often die of renal failure. Toxicologist Henry Spiller, one of the first to realize the Oracle may have been exposure to ethylene, compared ancient documents describing how the Oracle “went awry” in relation to modern-day ethylene exposure cases. The Oracle had two types of “prophetic trance.” In the first, she was semi-conscious and responded to questions in a “strangely altered voice,” not unlike the goats whose bleats changed when inhaling ethylene. According to Plutarch, she was “composed” and “relaxed” in this trance. Her second trance was much more violent and frenzied. She had “wild movement of the limbs, harsh groaning and inarticulate cries.” She was “being horribly disordered and running with dreadful screeches towards the door to get out, she threw herself violently on the ground, so that only only the pilgrims fled for fear, but also the high priest Nicander [...] Being out of her senses, and indeed she lived but a few days after.” After her bout of delirium, the Oracle died (potentially of renal failure, thought it is hard to discern in ancient records), and was replaced by another priestess. The behavior of the Oracle high on ethylene is similar to that of individuals high on “huffers,” like paint thinner and glue (Zeilinga et al). As with “huffers,” those intoxicated by small quantities of ethylene are lucid, but their speech patterns are affected.
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Historical Influence
Some of the Oracle’s prophecies are vivid and disturbing, such as her statement in 480 BC during the Persian conquering of Greece, which contains surreal if not metaphorical imagery: “Now your statues are standing and pouring sweat. They shiver with dread. The black blood drips from the highest rooftops. They have seen the necessity of evil. Get out, get out of my sanctum and drown your spirits in woe.” Interestingly, and coincidentally, she predicted the downfall of Emperor Nero in 67 AD, who had murdered his mother: “Your presence here outrages the god you seek. Go back, matricide! The number 73 marks the hour of your downfall!” While Nero did not die at age 73, his reign was dissolved when his rival, 73-year-old Galba, revolted against him. Whether through divine inspiration as the ancients believed, or the modern scientific evidence of ethylene gas intoxication, the Oracle of Delphi is responsible for much of what shaped ancient Western history.
References
Hudgens, Michael. Sisters of Fate: The Myths That Speak Themselves. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars, 2013. Print.
McMartin, KE, and D. Jacobsen. "Methanol and Ethylene Glycol Poisonings. Mechanism of Toxicity, Clinical Course, Diagnosis and Treatment." Medical Toxicology 5.1 (1986): 309-34. Web. 22 Mar. 2016. Piagnerelli, M., P. Lejeune, and M. Vanhaeverbeek. "Diagnosis and treatment of an unusual cause of metabolic acidosis: Ethylene glycol poisoning." Acta Clin Belg. 54 (1999): 351-60. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. Plutarch. Moralia. 1935. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. “The Obsolescence of Oracles.” Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Print. Zeilinga De Boer, Jelle, and John Hale. "The Oracle of Delphi." Bringing the Ancient World to Life. Archaeology Odyssey, 1 July 2015. Web. |
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