The Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi.THE ORACLE: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi WILLIAM J. BROAD The Oracle of Delphi was a real figure in Greek history, bestowing advice and prophecy to multitudes of men on matters as diverse as marriage and war. Both Socrates and Plato sought her counsel. The oracle was not just one person but a series of priestesses who passed on their secret knowledge from woman to woman and whose power and influence were unprecedented in misogynistic mi·sog·y·nis·tic also mi·sog·y·nous adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. Adj. 1. misogynistic - hating women in particular misogynous ill-natured - having an irritable and unpleasant disposition Greek society. The mysteries surrounding the oracle's influence have fascinated archaeologists and historians for centuries. Broad, a writer for the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, examines the scientific research and theories behind the oracle's legend. For instance, he probes the eyewitness An individual who was present during an event and is called by a party in a lawsuit to testify as to what he or she observed. The state and Federal Rules of Evidence, which govern the admissibility of evidence in civil actions and criminal proceedings, impose requirements account by Plutarch of the oracle entering a vapor-induced trance before making her prophetic statements. Did the ancient temple of Delphi lie atop some sort of gas-filled chasm? Though excavations by French researchers in the 1950s seemed to debunk de·bunk tr.v. de·bunked, de·bunk·ing, de·bunks To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of: debunk a supposed miracle drug. this claim, subsequent findings gave it new credence. Broad follows geologists to the flanks of Mount Parnassus in search of a gas vent and describes an astonishing a·ston·ish tr.v. as·ton·ished, as·ton·ish·ing, as·ton·ish·es To fill with sudden wonder or amazement. See Synonyms at surprise. find: a fault similar to the one in ancient descriptions of the temple at Delphi. Penguin, 2006, 336 p., b&w photos and illus., hardcover, $25.95. |
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