A review by hilaritas
Delphi: A History of the Center of the Ancient World by Michael Scott

3.0

This is a very interesting and comprehensive account of Delphi from its earliest days through the present, written in the sort of flat, artless prose that suggests an adapted dissertation. Parts of the book were really fascinating, driven by the sheer propulsiveness of the historical role of the site. Other parts drag interminably, particularly the cataloging of archaeological digs that makes up the epigraph. Overall, I came away fascinated by the role that Delphi played in the wider culture of antiquity, and how the success and usefulness of the oracle came not from definitive predictions of the future, but through responses that encouraged further discussion and political debate before taking action. I also was shocked to learn that the Pythia really only took consultations for a handful of days in the year (one day a month for nine months of the year). It's clear that the purpose of the oracle is to slow down and inject some deliberation into decision-making, not to offer a shortcut answer. I think that really turns on its head the modern concept of what an oracle would be like. Also fascinating is the Amphictyony (the counsel of poleis that partially governed the shrine) and its interplay with the city of Delphi. The political structures that surround an institution that lasted over a thousand years were both pliable and yet remarkably consistent. This book is worth reading for even a handful of insights into topics like this.