Active faulting at Delphi, Greece: Seismotectonic remarks and a hypothesis for the geologic environment of a myth

Research Article| July 01, 2000 Active faulting at Delphi, Greece: Seismotectonic remarks and a hypothesis for the geologic environment of a myth Luigi Piccardi Luigi Piccardi 1Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Centro di Studio di Geologia dell'Appennino e delle Catene Perimediterranee, Firenze, Italy Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (7): 651–654. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<651:AFADGS>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 23 Nov 1999 rev-recd: 30 Mar 2000 accepted: 20 Apr 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Luigi Piccardi; Active faulting at Delphi, Greece: Seismotectonic remarks and a hypothesis for the geologic environment of a myth. Geology 2000;; 28 (7): 651–654. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<651:AFADGS>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Historical data are fundamental to the understanding of the seismic history of an area. At the same time, knowledge of the active tectonic processes allows us to understand how earthquakes have been perceived by past cultures. Delphi is one of the principal archaeological sites of Greece, the main oracle of Apollo. It was by far the most venerated oracle of the Greek ancient world. According to tradition, the mantic proprieties of the oracle were obtained from an open chasm in the earth. Delphi is directly above one of the main antithetic active faults of the Gulf of Corinth Rift, which bounds Mount Parnassus to the south. The geometry of the fault and slip-parallel lineations on the main fault plane indicate normal movement, with minor right-lateral slip component. Combining tectonic data, archaeological evidence, historical sources, and a reexamination of myths, it appears that the Helice earthquake of 373 B.C. ruptured not only the master fault of the Gulf of Corinth Rift at Helice, but also the antithetic fault at Delphi, similarly to the Corinth earthquake of 1981. Moreover, the presence of an active fault directly below the temples of the oldest sanctuary suggests that the mythological oracular chasm might well have been an ancient tectonic surface rupture. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.