"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014" "Shortlisted for the 2015 Runciman Award, Anglo-Hellenic League" Michael Scott is associate professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Warwick. He has written and presented a number of ancient history documentaries for National Geographic, the History channel, Nova, and the BBC, including one on Delphi.
A comprehensive narrative history of the ancient world's center, from its founding to its modern rediscovery
The oracle and sanctuary of the Greek god Apollo at Delphi were known as the "omphalos"-the "center" or "navel"-of the ancient world for more than 1,000 years. Individuals, city leaders, and kings came from all over the Mediterranean and beyond to consult Delphi's oracular priestess; to set up monuments to the gods; and to take part in competitions.
In this richly illustrated account, Michael Scott covers the history and nature of Delphi, from the literary and archaeological evidence surrounding the site, to its rise as a center of worship, to the constant appeal of the oracle despite her cryptic prophecies. He describes how Delphi became a contested sacred site for Greeks and Romans and a storehouse for the treasures of rival city-states and foreign kings. He also examines the eventual decline of the site and how its meaning and importance have continued to be reshaped.
A unique window into the center of the ancient world, Delphi will appeal to general readers, tourists, students, and specialists. "[D]eftly combines literary and material evidence. . . . Overall, Scott offers a broad and well-documented history of the Delphic oracle, including an (excellent) epilogue on how the site was rediscovered at the end of the 19th century."---Barbara Graziosi, Times Higher Education "[O]f absorbing interest. . . . I doubt whether there's a single archaeological report or relevant inscription, however obscure, that has escaped his notice, and no other scholar known to me keeps one so constantly conscious of the realities . . . that leave him with the nagging question: 'What motivated the continuation of settlement in this otherwise rather difficult physical habitat clinging to the mountainside?'. . . [Scott's] final chapters give the fullest and most vivid general account of Delphi's slow excavation over the past century that I've seen. . . . Scott's narrative never falters."---Peter Green, London Review of Books "Judicious, measured and thorough . . . Mr. Scott, like Pausanias before him, is a handy companion to what remains--and what we can only wish was still to be seen."---Brendan Boyle, Wall Street Journal "Scott's passion and expertise are readily apparent. . . . An enjoyable resource for scholars and students. Additionally, prospective visitors to the modern site of Delphi will be interested in Scott's brief guide, which is included at the back of the book." "Tells you everything there is to know about Delphi."---Sam Leith, Spectator "A traveler on a typical ten-hour flight to Greece from the United States will find this book to be a valuable and entertaining companion." "The story is told clearly and engagingly."---Peter Jones, Literary Review "I don't think there can be much about Delphi's history that Dr. Scott has missed out on in this book. I needn't have worried that only one book on the subject wouldn't be enough to give me enough information for my visit. I wanted the definitive book and as far as I'm concerned I picked the right one." "The oracle is not the main concern of this fine, scholarly book. Although you can hardly write about Delphi without writing about the Pythia, Scott's interest is much more in the site itself, the way it developed from a couple of buildings on a mountainside into the elaborate sanctuary of the classical period and beyond. . . . Because Delphi was the focus of so much ancient attention, this rich but remote archaeological site gives us a keyhole view of the history of the ancient world as a whole, a
