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- 02/26/2023
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
ARROW - 162. Chapter 162
In the morning at breakfast, Arnaud suggested we continue taking buses to famous areas close to the area around Athens. “We can hire someone to take us to places a distance from Athens. When we come back, we can tour more of Athens.”
“Dad, the museum in Athens has a program at night which highlights key factors in the development of Athens. Could we see that when we return?”
“Yes, if we have time when we return.”
After talking to the Desk Clerk he recommended a tour of Delphi. Arnaud thought that would be an easy one-day tour. The Desk Clerk made a phone call and when he was finished, he said a bus will be here in 20 or 30 minutes.
While we waited, Arnaud, Jean, Roger, and I checked the art gallery in a small room of the hotel. I didn’t realize we had a tail until Carl asked a question about one of the paintings.
I looked at Carl, smiling I put my arm around his shoulders. As I pulled him toward me, the other boys came and said the bus was there. Carl was gone, he joined the boys boarding the bus.
While traveling, Arnaud said we were heading toward Mount Parnassus. “This Mountain was very sacred to the early people of Greece. There is a building built by the people of Athens. It contains the treasure of people who made offers to the Delhi oracles as well as offerings to Apollo.
“Who was Apollo?”
“Apollo was one of the Olympian gods of the Greek people”
“Dad, we saw a temple to Apollo in Pompey. Is this the same person?”
“Yes, Gene. Pompey was originally occupied by people from Greece. They brought their religion with them. Then when the early Romans conquered Pompey, the people continued to worship Apollo.”
The next question they had, I expected. “Uncle Arnaud, what is the Delphi oracle?”
Arnaud looked at me, I smiled back. I knew he didn’t expect questions, at least not these. It was Roger who bailed him out.
“The Delphi oracle was a priestess, the Pitia, a .woman of more than 50 years old who gave up a normal life and live in seclusion. She sat in an underground cell surrounded by bay leaves and barley flour. She had water and a conical stone representing the center of the earth.”
On the rest of the trip, Roger held the audience. Before more questions were asked, he continued. “When someone wanted to consult the Pitia, they had a ritual they needed to follow. Then they were admitted to the room where the Pitia was sitting. They asked their questions. The response of the Pythia was communicated by sounds and body movements which were interpreted by the prophets and communicated to the priests who gave the answer to the individual. “
“Did they ask about the future?”
“No, but an opportunity to get God’s support.”
“So will we see this oracle?”
“You need to ask Uncle Arnaud that.”
Before they asked, Arnaud answered. “We can see the Temple of Apollo. There are several temples built on the site but the oldest is the Temple of Apollo. This Temple dates back to the 4th century BC. There was an ancient rumor that there was a chasm in the interior of the Temple where vapors came that caused the trance of the oracle but it has never been found. Let’s look at the ruins of the Temple to Apollo.”
As they walked into the ruins of the temple, “This Temple held the treasury of people who came to worship at this temple. Guess who moved their city treasure here?”
“We don’t know?”
“The people from Athens moved their treasury here. People who visit the Temple added their votive offerings to the treasure. The treasury also included an offering to the Delphi oracle.”
“Do you know who Heracles was?”
One of the young boys said he was a strong man like Ronnie. They laughed but Armand knew what would happen, Ronnie’s nickname will be Heracles. When Armand told Colin, “It’ll be more like Herc.”
“There is a belief that the Etruscan kings of Rome communicated with the Delphi oracle and knew about Apollo.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that knowledge of Delphi and Apollo was well known among the countries surrounding Greece. The ancient Greeks thought that Delphi was the center of the world.”
“How could they believe that?”
“The belief was based on their belief that Zeus released two eagles, one to the east and one to the west. They met at Delphi at the temple of Apollo.. Therefore Delphi was the center of the world.”
“But that isn’t true.”
“You know that because you have been taught and are aware that the world is round.”
“Arnaud, isn’t this area with the ruins a UNESCO site?”
“Yes, the site was declared a UNESCO site in 1987.”
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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