As the Delphic Oracle no doubt foresaw, scientists are questioning today whether its famous prophecies were the work of a god, or gobbledegook.

Many have had their doubts about the Oracle’s racier pronouncements, yet have chosen to respect that age-old wisdom: don’t quibble with a sibyl.

But fresh research now prompts Greek and Italian archaeologists to suggest that toxic gases were leaking into the temple on Mount Parnassus, making the Pythia — the succession of Delphic women who served as the possessed priestesses through which the god, Apollo, spoke — hallucinate. This reading turns the Oracle into the Pete Doherty of ancient Greece.

The Oracle was smart enough to know that when you’re in the forecasting business, success lies in prophesying regularly, and prophesying often.

Such was the volume of the Oracle’s output that much of it was overshadowed by the most headline-grabbing edicts; such as the encouragement to Orestes to take revenge on his mother for having murdered his father, and the warning to Oedipus that he would kill his father and marry his mother.

But some of the Oracle’s less well-known, and more wayward, predictions may support the view that the Pythia might have been a little high.

Among the Oracle’s less publicised pronouncements are: “Your call will be important to them and will be answered shortly”; also, “James Blunt’s new single will be great!” ; and “Britain will have sorted out its education system by 2006”. Then there was, “America will not leave Iraq until the job is done”. And, “Heather Mills will make Paul McCartney the perfect wife”. Can you believe it? No, neither can we.