Excerpt from Prophecy by Carissa Véliz, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Oracles often sponsored athletic games that attracted competitors and spectators from all over the world. The Pythian Games were held every four years at Delphi. The stadium overflowed with thousands of spectators, their excited shouts echoing off the mountain walls as athletes competed in honor of Apollo. In the theater, poets declaimed their newest works while musicians competed on the kithara. The hippodrome thundered with the pounding of hooves as chariots raced neck and neck, wheels nearly touching, while the crowd roared with each dangerous turn. Laurel wreaths awaited the victors.

As dusk fell, celebrations spilled into the streets; singing, dancing, and impromptu performances blossomed, while the smell of roasting meat and wine filled the air. Everyone joined in the sacred festivities. The union of athletic aptitude, artistic excellence, and divine inspiration made the Pythian Games second only to the Olympics in prestige. It was one big, profitable party.

Excerpted from PROPHECY: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI by Carissa Véliz. Reprinted by Doubleday, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2025 by Carissa Véliz.