Around 430 BCE, Socrates' best friend Chaerephon made a trip that would change the history of human thought. He traveled to Delphi — the most important oracle in the ancient Greek world, where a priestess called the Pythia channeled the god Apollo — and asked one bold question: "Is anyone wiser than Socrates?" The Pythia's answer was short and stunning: "No one."
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Prophets & Pilgrims·6/7·1′
The place
Delphi - Sanctuary of Apollo & Oracle
Socrates — Wisest of Men
The Oracle that launched philosophy
430 BCEDelphi - Sanctuary of Apollo & Oracle
Moral of the Story
“True wisdom begins with knowing that you know nothing. The man who admits his ignorance is wiser than the man who claims knowledge he does not possess.”
Characters
S
SocratesC
ChaerephonT
The PythiaA
ApolloA
Athenian citizensSource
Plato's Apology (20e-23c), Xenophon's Apology, Diogenes Laertius's Lives of Eminent Philosophers