>> Dean Lanham:
Good Morning. I am Alan Lanham. 

I am Dean of Library Services here and it's a pleasure to welcome you back to Booth Library, or to Booth Library, for the next session of our Symposium on Ancient Greece.  

As you will notice in your program, we have several more opportunities this afternoon and tomorrow, most all day tomorrow, including the evening, and then there are several more in the week to come, before this closes on the seventh of November.  

So, I encourage you to study your programs, and see what other topics you may be interested in, or would like to learn a little bit about.  

We appreciate you attendance here, and we are happy that we are featuring one of Eastern's student's today.  

And Dr. Wafeek Wahby, from the School of Technology, will introduce him.

>> Dr. Wahby:
Thank you. Thank you Dean Lanham.  

It is my pleasure to welcome you to this special session of ancient Greece Symposium. 

Its actual longer name is A Futuristic Look through Ancient Lenses.  

So, we are trying to look into the future while we are standing at the present, using ancient lenses.  

If you are confused by now, but I am sure you know what we are try to do with this symposium. 

 Andrew Brachear is one of my best should I call friends because I tell my students you are my friends, not my students or anything else.  

Wafeek is my name, and Wafeek; one of the meanings of my name is friend.  

So I start my classes by saying you are my friends.  

And I extend my hand in friendship, and I tell them if you shake my hand back, and become my friend, it will be a pleasure to me.  

He did that.  And he became my friend. 

Actually he became my helper also in class, while he was a student, but you name it. 

If you have a problem with computers, or PowerPoint’s or anything, he just say ok, and smile, and he can solve this problem.  

And I looked in the future and I think he will become Dr. Brachear very soon.  

So look at his name, in the future and you are today in for a treat.  

Andy Brachear. 

>> Andy Brachear:
Hello, my name is Andy Brachear. 

I am acquiring my Masters this year in computer technology, and my presentation is over the city of Delphi.  

In Greece, Delphi is centrally located along the side of Mt. Parnassus. 

This place is the sanctuary of Apollo. 

And it is where the ancient Oracles reside.  

It's their chamber. 

Apollo is the god of music, poetry, sun, medicine, and knowledge.  

And he was the son of Zeus and Leto. 

Delphi is located 9.5 miles northeast of the Corinthian gulf.  

And the Delphi citizens live without fear due to the traditions of the Oracle. 

Throughout the year, people came from throughout the world to ask the Oracle questions.  

This is the present day view of Delphi, along Mt. Parnassus.  

The future of the city was also determined by Apollo.  

The residents of Delphi then believed that Apollo spoke through the Oracle and a priest then interpreted the Oracles words.  

This is a much larger view of the temple today.  

The location of Delphi is sacred because the ancient Greeks believed that the cave was originally a shrine where Apollo defeated the giant snake and then took over the shrine.  

According to archeologist John Hale, the events then, this occurred because there was a methane gas leak.  

And if you breathe enough of this methane gas in a person got high and then said mysterious things.  

Long before the Oracle appeared, there were goat herders that appeared over this break in the earth, and then they noticed their goats was acting kind of funny like, so then the goat herders decided to try it themselves, and then they got high, and then this occurred until their parents intervened.  

Later, the temple of Apollo, built over this location.  

And then they could ask Apollo questions through the Oracle. 

The priests were then sent down to the shrine to collect the answers to the questions.  

The scientists aren't sure when this started, but it was well before 700 BC and then ended in 600 AD, which means this occurred for over a 1000 years.  Another name for the Oracle was Pythia.  

Apollo was believed to speak through this oracle and the Oracle needed to be an honorable, older woman, selected from the lower class population.  The Oracle always spoke on a tripod seat over the opening in the fault line.   

The woman would then be intoxicated by the vapors, and then went into a trance-like state.  

This was portrayed as Apollo taking over their spirits, and then the priests would interpret the riddles spoken.  


During the process of the Greek oracles, the prophecies were very similar most of the time, since the same questions were asked.  In order for the process to work, the people who wanted to ask the questions they had to come and spend some time in the temple.  

Since the Oracles only spoke once a month, they may be there for at least three weeks.  

Through this time, they were able to ask questions like, "shall I get married?" but then the priests would kind of know what they were talking about, because they would have talked to both parties.  

And then the Oracle would then confirm it.  

Making their money worth their while.  

Today, scientists have found the fault line with the natural vapors and the gaseous emissions through a sacred spring, intoxicating the people who would breathe in.  

The researchers found the methane and ethane detected in large amounts.  

This gas has ethylene, which causes and anesthetic like effect that produces euphoria.  

This stimulates the nervous system, and has a sweet smell. 

Euphoria is described as an extreme state of happiness.  

This is a representation of the fault lines. 

As you can see here in Delphi, there is a fault line that goes right through it.  

Another part of Delphi is the Croesus statues of the archaic period, in early 16th century.  

Kleobis and Biton were recognized in history of Argive stock, this means they are of excellent body strength, live comfortably and won prizes for athletic contests.  In their honor, there was a festival in the Herego of Argos.  

Even their mother was recognized for having given birth to these two sons.  

Now during the process, usually there's a wagon and a team of oxen that they carried mother and the two sons to town.  

They were late that day.  

So the two men took it upon themselves to carry the wagon with their mother, to make the sacrifice.  

Since it was a good deed that they did the sacrifice and at this time they believed through this god that it was better to die than to live.  

Once these people were at the temple, they had the sacrifice and had a meal in their honor, then after the two brothers went to the temple, and went to sleep, and they never woke up again.  

These two statues were then created because they are the best of the best.  

The Athenian treasury was built in 530 BC. 

The construction was of the ionic style.  

And it was measured to be 8.9 meters by 6.3 meters. 

This was then where the offerings were stored for the priests, gods, and goddesses.  

The treasury was only accessible by select visitors and the administrators who oversaw the building operations.  

And the material of the building was constructed from a local mine of gold and silver.  

This picture is actually the treasury of Athena, which is the only treasury still left standing intact.  

The charioteer of Delphi was a statue made of bronze cast, and is most well-known in ancient Greece.  

The statue was created for a victory of a chariot team in the Delphi python games.  

Scientists are not sure how many horses have raced during this time, but they knew it was at least six for team.  

The theatre at Delphi was built next to the temple of Apollo. 

The theater seated 5000 people in 35 rows.  

It was constructed in a valley the 4th century BC and this was made up of limestone and it was remodeled multiple times.  

This structure allowed people to hear everything being said from the center of the stage, and they didn't even have microphones.  

The Delphi stadium was placed even higher than the theatre. 

The stone seats could hold 6500 people, and it was mostly used for the athletic events and the python games.  

This track was 177.55 meters longs by 25.5 meters wide.  

The ancient Greece gymnasium was discovered in 1898. And it was located next to the Casla fountain.  

The buildings in this area were served for the training of the athletes during bad weather.  

The polygana wall was built in the second half of the 6th century BC. 

The wall was built with curved rocks creating better support for temple of Apollo stands.  

These stones had many engravings and ascriptions.  

Delphi's sacred water supply came from the Castilian spring.  Its water was important for the rituals of the Oracle.  

As well, as it served where the priests and priestess and the temple staff cleaned up here. 

And anyone wishing to ask the Oracle questions was also expected to wash here to purify themselves.  

The Delphi traditions came to a halt after new leaders were appointed and they banished the old ways and beliefs but one final message was sent to the oracle.  Delphi leaves us with an interesting question in walking among the old buildings. 

Something happened there a long time ago, and the people of the time believed in the Oracle. 

Was there actually a presence of a spirit? 

Is it still there?  

And perhaps one should stop and listen when visiting the area. 

Maybe you'll hear the voice speaking.  

Are there any questions? 

>> Dr. Wahby:
Sure.  Lots of questions, any questions you want to ask? 

[Unclear dialogue]

>> Attendee:
Ok, you mentioned the Oracle of Delphi was an older woman from the lower class.  

I wonder why, followed up with what happens when she dies?  

>> Dr. Wahby:
Good question.

>> Mr. Brachear:
Well, in addition it was an honor, so they couldn't have created any murders or crimes, or anything, but as far as them dying, they didn't they just saw it as a natural form of life, after the Oracle performed their deed, by answering the questions.  

I missed the last part of that question.

>> Attendee:
Why was she lower class as opposed to upper class?

>> Mr. Brachear:
Whenever the scientist found the inscriptions they decided just to choose the lower class, there wasn't a specific reason.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
I have a question regarding the inscriptions that were found. Is it the same language that they have now, or [unclear dialogue] 

>> Mr. Brachear:
I believe by what I've read, it was a little bit of the same things, but it was more of the ancient times. 

So it kind of modified over time, with the today's Greek language.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
Is it like Chinese language for example? 

If we read it back then, we can understand it, like the Hebrew, you can find the writing? 

>> Mr. Brachear:
I believe so.  Yes. 

>> Dr. Wahby:
Another question, if you have not had a question yet. [Unclear dialogue] 

>> Mr. Brachear:
I don't believe so. 

My readings didn't show anything that mentioned them being together, any relation. 

They did go to Athens a lot for protection. 

>> Dr. Wahby:
Any relation to Jordan, and Israel, and city of Delphi or something like that? 

>> Mr. Brachear:
Nothing in my readings in that either. Sorry.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
Is there any other questions? Yes.

>> Attendee:
I have another one.  

Under Curos, you said of the two brothers went to the temple to make a sacrifice, but you didn't state why, was it a monthly thing, a yearly thing, and how much did it cost?  

>> Mr. Brachear:
There wasn't a specific thing on the cost, but they just made sacrifices so they could feast, it would like the local herds, and they would feast upon it. 

>> Attendee:
So they would bring animals offerings, is that what you are saying?

>> Mr. Brachear:
It would be animal offerings, yeah.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
[unclear dialogue]

>> Mr. Brachear:
I believe it was before that time, when this occurred, yeah.  

>> Attendee:
On your little clip, I didn't hear, what was the last thing they said, 

>> Mr. Brachear:
With the, like how the downfall, is that what you are talking about? 

>> Attendee:
The guy on the boat.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
The guy on the boat. What did the guy on the boat say [unclear dialogue] the oracle.

>> Mr. Brachear:
The oracle was silent. Like he didn't talk, say anything.  So that was the downfall.  

>> Dr. Wahby:
Any other questions?  I hope this opens the door for us, to just delve more into Delphi.  Ok, we will give hand for Andrew. 

[applause]