Editing Pythia (section)

===Fumes and vapors===
[[File:John Collier - Priestess of Delphi.jpg|thumb|''Priestess of Delphi'' (1891) by [[John Collier (Pre-Raphaelite painter)|John Collier]], showing the Pythia sitting on a tripod with vapor rising from a crack in the earth beneath her]]

There have been many attempts to find a [[scientific]] explanation for the Pythia's inspiration. Most commonly,<ref name=":0">J.Z. De Boer, and J. R. Hale. "The Geological Origins of the Oracle of Delphi, Greece", in W. G. McGuire, D. R. Griffiths, P Hancock, and I. S. Stewart, eds. ''The Archaeology of Geological Catastrophes''. (Geological Society of London) 2000. Popular accounts in A&E Television Networks. History Channel documentary Oracle at Delphi, Secrets Revealed, 2003, and in William J. Broad,  ''The Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Message of Ancient Delphi''. (New York: Penguin) 2006.</ref> these refer to an observation made by [[Plutarch]], who presided as high [[priest]] at Delphi for several years, who stated that her oracular powers appeared to be associated with vapors from the Kerna [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring waters]] that flowed under the temple. It has often been suggested that these vapors may have been [[hallucinogen]]ic gases.{{CN|date=June 2023}}

Recent geological investigations have suggested that gas emissions from a geologic chasm in the earth could have inspired the Delphic Oracle to "connect with the divine". Some researchers suggest the possibility that [[ethylene]] gas caused the Pythia's state of inspiration, based on the matching symptoms, ethylene's use as an anesthetic, and the smell of the chamber, as described by Plutarch.<ref name=":0" /> Traces of ethylene have been found in the waters of the Castallian spring, which is now largely diverted for the town water supply of the town of modern [[Delphi]]. However, Lehoux argues<ref>Lehoux, 2007 ''[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17357391 The delphic oracle and the ethylene-intoxication hypothesis.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125135007/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17357391 |date=2018-01-25 }}'' Retrieved 4 December 2017.</ref> that ethylene is "impossible" and benzene is "crucially underdetermined". Others argue instead that [[methane]] might have been the gas emitted from the chasm, or {{chem|C|O|2}} and {{chem|H|2|S}}, arguing that the chasm itself might have been a seismic ground rupture.<ref>Piccardi, 2000; Spiller et al., 2000; de Boer, et al., 2001; Hale et al. 2003; Etiope et al., 2006; Piccardi et al., 2008.</ref><ref>Mason, Betsy. ''[http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1002/2 The Prophet of Gases] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208095700/http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2006/1002/2 |date=2008-12-08 }}'' in ScienceNow Daily News 2 October 2006. Retrieved 11 October 2006.</ref>

[[Nerium|Oleander]], in contemporary toxicological literature, has also been considered responsible for contributing symptoms similar to those of the Pythia. The Pythia used oleander as a complement during the oracular procedure, chewing its leaves and inhaling their smoke. The toxic substances of oleander results in symptoms similar to those of epilepsy, the "sacred disease", which could have amounted to the possession of the Pythia by the spirit of Apollo, rendering Pythia his spokesperson and prophetess. The oleander fumes (the "spirit of Apollo") could have originated in a brazier located in an underground chamber (the antron) and have escaped through an opening (the "chasm") in the temple's floor. This hypothesis fits the findings of the archaeological excavations that revealed an underground space under the temple. This explanation sheds light on the alleged spirit and chasm of Delphi, that have been the subject of intense debate and interdisciplinary research for the last hundred years.<ref name="Harissis 2015">Harissis 2015</ref>

Regardless of which fumes existed in the chasm, winter months would bring cooler weather, decreasing release of gases in the chamber. This offers a plausible explanation for the absence of summer deities in winter months. A toxic gas also explains the reason why the Pythia could only venture into her oracular chamber once a month, both to coincide with the correct concentration of gases,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stadter |first=Phillip A. |title=Plutarch and his Roman Readers |date=18 December 2014 |chapter=Plutarch and Apollo of Delphi |pages=82–97 |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198718338.003.0006 |isbn=978-0-19-871833-8 |chapter-url=https://academic.oup.com/book/26287/chapter/194529059 |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208024431/https://academic.oup.com/book/26287/chapter/194529059 |url-status=live }}</ref> and to prolong the already-short lifespan of the Pythia by limiting her exposure to such fumes.