2011-09-18
Explanation
This comic depicts a series of encounters between ancient Greek rulers and the Oracle at Delphi, satirizing the famous historical tradition of ambiguous prophecies. A warrior asks the Oracle if he should cross the river and make war on Persia. The Oracle replies, "If you cross that river, a great empire shall be destroyed." The warrior interprets this as favorable, but soon realizes it was his own empire that was destroyed -- a reference to the famous story of King Croesus of Lydia, who received this exact prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi before his disastrous war against Persia.
The comic continues with another ruler asking how long his reign will last. The Oracle says "Until a mule is king of the Medeans," which he takes to mean forever, since mules cannot be kings. He later discovers that "mule" referred to Cyrus the Great, who was of mixed Persian and Greek heritage -- another real historical anecdote. Finally, the frustrated ruler demands straightforward predictions. The Oracle obliges with blunt truths: "You will die this year. Your empire will fall forever soon after. Ancient Greeks are mostly remembered for pederasty." The warrior immediately asks to go back to the cryptic prophecies, preferring comfortable ambiguity to harsh reality.
The punchline reveals why oracles speak in riddles: people do not actually want the truth. The final panel, where the warrior happily accepts the euphemistic prophecy "You shall be known for conquering many young warriors," shows that vague language allows people to hear what they want. The comic cleverly uses real classical history to make a broader point about human self-deception.