Sacred Springs & the Lithium Myth

For millennia, mineral springs sacred to the the Ancient Greeks & their gods were used for their ability to heal myriad illnesses, including mental illness and mood. Now, modern medicine has proven the truth behind the hellenistic belief and science that drove people all over the mediterranean world into these sacred springs, and that truth lies in one element: lithium.

But did we take the evidence and run wild with it? Or is there something uniquely special about the minerals in that region that makes them better medicine than anywhere else? Why did the myth of springs stewarded by the gods of madness start for the Ancient Greeks? And where did the myth of the mediterranean being a bastion for healing waters begin for modern classics and medicine?

Sources

Borgeaud, Philippe. The Cult of Pan in Ancient Greece. Translated by Kathleen Atlass and James Redfield, University of Chicago Press, 1988.

Giotakos, Orestis, et al. “Lithium in the Public Water Supply and Suicide Mortality in Greece.” Biological Trace Element Research, vol. 156, no. 1, 2013, pp. 376–79. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9815-4.

“Homeric Hymn 19 to Pan.” The Perseus Digital Library, edited by Gregory R. Crane, Tufts University, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0138:hymn=19. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Laskaridis, S. “Presentation on Greek Raw Materials.” 7th Greek Raw Materials Community Dialogue, National Technical University of Athens, Nov. 2022. EIT RawMaterials, https://eitrmgreece.ntua.gr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/LASKARIDIS_7th_Greek_Raw_Materials_Community_Dialogue_Presentation-final.pdf

“Magnesium Use in Reducing Size and Symptoms of Gallstones.” PubMed, PubMed ID 26087862, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26087862/.

Orphic Hymn to Pan (Orphic Hymn 10). Translated by Thomas Taylor, Theoi Classical Texts Library, https://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html#10.

Orphic Hymn (Orphic Hymn 66). Translated by Thomas Taylor, Theoi Classical Texts Library, https://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns2.html#66.

“Rare Earth Mineral Exploration in Greece on the Rise.” MineralPrices.com, https://mineralprices.com/rare-earth-mineral-exploration-in-greece-on-the-rise/. Accessed 1 June 2026.

Virtual Mentor. “Ethics and the Use of Lithium.” AMA Journal of Ethics, vol. 4, no. 7, 2002, pp. 206–08, https://doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2002.4.7.mhst1-0207.

Zainaldin, J. L. “The Architectonic Ars of Architecture: Explanation and Method in Vitruvius’ De Architectura.” The Artes and the Emergence of a Scientific Culture in the Early Roman Empire, Cambridge University Press, 2025, pp. 81–136

• “Ancient Greek Healing Sanctuaries.” PMC, PMC10917557, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10917557/.
• “Lithium in Neuropsychiatry.” PMC, PMC9768399, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9768399/.
• “Historical Use of Mineral Waters.” PMC, PMC4272359, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4272359/.
• “Lithium and Mental Health Review.” PMC, PMC3712976, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3712976/.
• “Trace Elements in Ancient Medicine.” PMC, PMC2560740, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2560740/.

Why is this podcast called The Pythia Podcast? What is a Pythia? Is it a person? A place? A thing? Yes! All of the above..kind of. We are going to look at the myths around the Pythia at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, and the religion that came out of that myth. Also, the Pythia herself, a little bit at least. Because the Pythia was not for herself (yes, it's a she!) she was for the gods. So "she" was nobody. And everybody. 

Welcome to The Pythia Podcast, where we dive into all things Ancient Greek Religion. Whether it's mythology, science, astrology, mathematics, we have it all! Because they had it all. So join me, your host, Hayley, as we explore the depths of Hellenistic Religion.