I can’t believe this game actually exists! My jaw is on the floor! This is absolutely beautiful!

I freaking love this. Having been a history nerd for a very long time (like most of us here im guessing) having this kind of visual isn't just beautful but removes the romanticism and shows us that people from the past are REAL

I hope you all are enjoying these history tours in Discovery Mode. Many sites lay yet un-visited so let me know where you think we should go next! P.S. please also share this with anyone who you think will appreciate the content, it helps the channel out a ton : )

I've played this game for over 200 hours and it's one of my favorite games. Thanks the great video!

I’ve been to Delphi, it’s one of the most incredible (geographically speaking) places I’ve ever seen. I have 3 inaccuracies to mention here: 1. The complex with the temple is not represented correctly in this 3D visualisation. It’s indeed longer than wider, and there’s also a stadium in its southeast part. 2. Major artefact is not displayed in the visualisation. That’s the rounded rock “Ormala”, which was placed there by Zeus to indicate the Center of the World. One can see it if visiting the complex itself. 3. The landscape is also not correctly displayed, the complex is indeed more than 40 km far from the sea. The complex is placed at the beginning of two “sleeves” of mountains, going all the way down to the sea. All those are covered with olive trees, it’s mesmerising to just stay there and to observe this mind blowing landscape around the complex. I hope everyone will go see Delphi someday, it worth every second spent there, it’s like going back to the times when the modern civilisation was born, it’s unique experience.

This reminds me of the times where I've looked up old places in Greece and then tried to find them in the game. I remember Delphi being one of the places I looked for, and it's just so much fun to see far they go to recreate the stories and places of old. :D

I actually did read what the oracle's last words were. In the fourth century, when Christianity was ascending, the pythia said, "The temples of the gods have fallen into ruin. The voice of Apollo is silent forever."

Probably the most beautiful place I've seen in Greece. I hope you'll also show us the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia at the bottom of the hill!

2:35 The Oracle and Temple of Zeus Amun is also present in the prequel to this game Assasins creed: Origins which takes place in Egypt and Siwa Oasis particularly. That game also has a Discovery/Tour Mode, so you can also visit Egypt in similar manner around 48-44 BCE. The game also showcases Assassination of Julius Caeser .

Something you didn’t notice, is that the dog scene at 5:41 is a Molossian, which is a extinct breed of K9 native to Epirus.

This is amazing! Discovery mode definitely enhances your videos tenfold. I just felt like I traveled through time :)

I started searching for The Parthenon and have wound up here. This is so impressive. What a great find. Thanks for all the time you’ve put into these.

i really enjoy this series, the half hour length is perfect

I was there in 2016 and this brings an entirely new context- thank you!!

I really love the fact that you're using a video game to teach historical situations it's so cool thanks a lot I really appreciate it

Thanks for explaining the site. Love the architecture, and all the trappings of how they would have used the site on a day to day basis. Well done.

Excellent presentation, and very well researched as always. This is quickly becomming one of my favortie you tube channels. Thank you for all the hard work and effort you put in. I look forward to watching more of your content. Its always good to learn more from other totalwar , history buffs.

Great video, thank you! One of the first treasuries shown in the video is based the treasury of the Siphnians, made by the island of where I come from in 525 BC. It is pretty cool to see it in a video game.

Thank you for this history tour! Great feelings.

The triple snake column was the first triumphal column made for marathon. It still exists today in former Constantinople.

Very much enjoying these virtual tours. Thanks!

Keep doing these please and I don’t care how long they are I’ll watch it all

Loving the tour of ancient Greece, its my favorite historical subject! :)

Great video! I will note, since you mentioned it so often how "humbling" it must be for a normal person/nobleman to see these offerings displayed by poleis and kingdoms - Hesiod touches on this in his Work And Days and mentions that the pious poor man who pours a libation of water every morning and every night is more beloved by the god than the king who sacrifices 100 bulls annually. People would not feel humbled in comparison with their "meager" offerings; you offered what you could, and the gods would appreciate that, pinning no richer man above another.

Well researched. Topography was perfect. The representations of the buildings and cult statues also accurate.

I love the insight about the oracles. Would be great to hear more about it

This is a great series. While I had minor issues with AC Odyssey, I was impressed by the attention to detail.

Oracle of Delphi: *doesn't answer to the Alexander* Alexander: *drags her out to the shrine* Oracle:Wait,this is illegal

I like your cinematic animation tours around different Greek places such as this one on the Oracle ar Delphi. My students find this presentation very informative and engaging. Your narrative is very interesting. Will you be doing other ones on Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt? If you have already done some can you give me the links.

I was in Delphos a month ago... It'a amazing the work they've done here. The area today is a lot greener and less "rockie" but apart from that I recognize everything! Also the stadium at the top of the site is missing, but maybe that was a later development.

The lets visit series is the best way i learn stuff about history. I think there should be school örograms teaching stuff in a similar way

14:15 took me a while but when the prompt popped up in-game i realized i'd seen what's left of that tripod in real-life when i went to Istanbul.

Great video. Phokis and Delphi were considered the "navel" (Ομφαλός) of the universe ( Κόσμου). Assassin's Creed portrays very well the Ancient Greek world ( Έλλάς). The game is simply accurate with everything, including the Greek geography and historical characters. Nevertheless, in my personal analysis, the game also should have included Asia Minor and Magna Graecia/Μεγάλη Έλλάς in Assassin's Creed Odyssey ( both were also part of the Έλλάς). In Asia Minor, for exemple, it would be interesting to include the twelve Ionian city-states of Asia Minor ( currently located in the Turkish provinces of İzmir; Aydın; Manisa; Uşak and Muğla). With the exception of Samos/Σάμος and Quios/ Χίος ( which were included in the Twelve Ionian cities and are present in the game), Assassin's Creed Odyssey could have included Miletus/Μίλητος ( the cradle of philosophy/Το λίκνο της φιλοσοφίας); Ephesus/Έφεσος; Teos/Τέως; Klazomenae/Κλαζομεναί; Colophon/ Κολοφώv; Myus/Μυος; Priene/Πριήνη; Erythrae/Έρυθραί; Phocaea/Φώκαια and Lebedos/Λέβεδος. In Magna Graecia/Μεγάλη Έλλάς ( as the Romans called the Greek colonization in the present Italian regions of Sicily; Calabria; Basilicata; Puglia and Campania), on the other hand, it would be interesting to include the poleis ( cities) of Syracuse/Συράκουσαι ( the largest city of Magna Graecia since the days of the tyrants Gelon I and Hiero I); Agrigento/Agrigentum/Ακράγας ( Sicily's second most important city since the days of the tyrant Theron/Θήρων in the early V century BCE); Croton/Κρότων ( the most important polis of Calabria/Brutium); Metapontium/Μεταπόντιον ( the most important polis of Basilicata/Lucania); Taranto/Tarentum/Τάρας ( the most important polis of Puglia and once the ONLY Spartan colony in Magna Graecia) and/or Paestum/Ποσειδωνία ( the most important polis of Campania). However, the Game portrays the Greek world IN present-day Greece ( which was the center of the Έλλάς) perfectly well. Thanks Ubisoft! Rome ( REGINA ITALIAE) for the next Assassin's Creed!

Thank you for this great video representation. I have been fascinated by the ancient Greek religions and mystery cults. I spent a month in Delphi going to the Temple everyday and I reckon you nailed it except for the Temple of Apollo was where the ancient Greeks believed the Omphalos was located, that is, the navel of the universe, the centre of the earth. I would love to see a similar video presentation of the Elusinian Mysteries and the Samothraki Mysteries where Alexander the Great's parents met when they were initiates to the cult.🥰

I love these types of videos

The world is really one of the best parts of this beautiful game, amazing videos! the Arena in Pephka would be cool to see if it's available in Discovery Tour

Μου αρέσει πολύ ο χρησμός του Μαντείου των Δελφών όταν ρωτήθηκε για το μέλλον της Ελλάδας "Ασκός κλυδωνιζόμενος μηδέποτε βυθιζόμενος"

Fantastic! Tanks´ so very much for doing all this for us all.

Great video. Very informative. I am surprised that you only made a brief mention of King Croessus and his quests to Delphi

Shit, this is amazing. I'm always reminded of bladerunner's "lost in time" speech when thinking about civilizations like Rome, but it's so cool to catch a glimpse of what it might have been like. This might "only" be a video game, but it brings you so much closer than just imagination.

This is such a great channel

Great job man!

This is really interesting and im amazed this game has so much detail.

Love these so thanks. I have an idea for a video, taking these ancient sites and showing where they are/were located in the present day. Could go into detail on whats surviving now to see with your own eyes etc, although maybe that's a bit too touristy channel? Anyway love the channel and thanks for the content!.

I liked the video. Keep going

Amazing game, their representation of Delphi is terrific. Still today, that site has remnants of its former majesty well present. What about Zeus statue in Olympia or the Temple of Artemis?

These videos are amazing!

I'd love to see this same type of video series on Assassin's Creed Origins, even though it's an "old" game now. The most interesting part about these games is how they recreate the historical settings.

Been there. It's really beautiful!

I hope you make more of these videos, they're absolutely brilliant 🧡

So did the Oracle sell some gold or gifts that were sacrificed to the gods? I imagine that after hundreds of years this place mustve been overflowing with wealth

The Romans respected the Oracle of Delphi. They sent representatives to seek its guidance during the Punic wars. What made this particular Oracle so special, why didn’t they have their own?

Love it 😀

Delphi, for its importance in the greek world, was knowk also as the "onphalon" of the world

Thanks so much for such an informative (and entertaining video) on Delphi. My Dad's family is from Crete and I would love to see one on the palace of Knossos and its incredible art and architecture. What eventually happened to the oracle of Delphi during the advent of the Christian era in Greece? How long did it actually survive & continue? Thanks!

I enjoyed this video and Assassin's Creed

Fantastic

I’ve been playing the FUCK out of this game and it, along with these videos makes me so happy 😩

I was in the oracle of Delphi and the developers of the game or invicta( i didn't play the game so i don't know) forgot to add an amphiteatre( odeon i think it was called in the ancient Greece), a temple to Artemis, and another temple( i forgot to which god it was because it was some 5 years ago), also a hippodrome( although i think that was added in the roman times but again I'm not sure). Also the oracle itself had a basement level and it was off limits to any visitors, and that basement was basically an enlargement of that tectonic fissure which as invicta said was most likely leaking sulfur gas which in conjunction with some other psychoactive substances induced trans- like state in the priestesses which "convened with the gods". But yeah everything else is pretty much spot on and good job to the devs and to the Invicta!

seems like you found a great way to make content

Very informative🙏👍

dude, this is cool

Brilliant. What are the random vertical light columns about?

dear Invicta, thank you very much for your tour trips, I really enjoy these. touring the Akropolis was extraordinary and impressive. would you mind doing a *tour for the battle site of Thermophylae* next? I know it's covered in the game. with a little input on the battle itself, how the landscape changed within the last 2500 years, nice view spots, etc. could be a fantastic episode I suppose, kind of a nature excursion ;)

You need to do some origins....like these last 2 games were on point looking at history

You should explore Crete, specifically the cities, like Pephka

10:05 Synchronized writing. That's some hardcore statesmanship

Delphi being the second of the most well-known ancient sites, Alexios visits, was inspired. - How the writers used the location was pretty iffy though.. The truth is that the Oracle was linked to (what they called) pre-history. By the time this game takes place. The "Age of dreams" written of in the Illiad was already considered an ancient dreamtime. - In other words, the old religion that venerated the Titans. - So then, the Pythia was only consulted for things of that nature; the ancient world having been recorded as rife with cataclysmic events. For example, a polis that chiefly venerated Poseidon, a Tsunami was as real a monster, as any molded by Ray Harryhaussen animated for his films. They know its water, but water doesn't rise up, up to 300' and obliterate entire city states, everyday, either.. If you wanted to know whether your merchant ships would arrive at the destination of a long voyage, or be swallowed by a storm? One consulted the Pythia. - but *never* was she consulted on political issues. She would tell you to "fuck off with your petty problems", and had her own guards to enforce her will. For this reason Delphi was populated by politicians, always in the shadows of society, jockying for ways to discredit the Pythia. You wouldn't dare read into the words of the Pythia in her presence. Athough questors got clever with their questions; you didn't ask a Stoic whether it was ok to cross a border to war with others, anymore than you would todays clergy. They'd look at you like you've lost all reason. - Like what difference does it make whether the Earth opens up beneath your battle; when you're already engaged in a zero-sum contest, anyway? As far as the Stoics were concerned, its just tidying up! The elemental Pantheon that emerged from the Titans, helped people navigate and understand the world, on many of its, quite natural, movements. We now know that it was simply that violent geological shifts in the region eventually settled down. However, the various Pythia had a pretty good strike rate predicting Volcanic eruptions, Tidal waves, excessive droughts, and other natural calamity. Including matters of love, because love was also considered to be elemental. Aphroditi was the first of the gods to be elevated by Christianity. As our consciousness transforms, so does our spirituality reawaken to begin the process of understanding.

The sacred sites in Greece used to play the role of the Federal Reserve in the US. They were used as safe deposits of gold and silver as it was considered to be a blasphemy to attack those sites. In fact there where 3 levels of safety : Half of the Parthenon on the acropolis of Athens was a gold reserve for the town. It was the temple of Athena therfore was sacred to Athenians. This didn't stop the Persians to destroy it though. The island of Delos gave a better level of safety, since it was sacred for the entire leage of Delos. Delphi offered the higher level of safety since all Greeks respected its holyness. All the Greeks but not the Gauls who came all the way from Nowdays France to steal the gold. Later the Romans took the gold of Delphi from the Gauls and finaly the gold desapeared with the roman general who was supposed to secure it... There is a huge monument of Delphi missing in the 3d scene : the stadium. It's sill intact today and very impressive. It was the place where the delphian games took place every 4 years.

Love it!!! Could you make more videos like that???

I love this game so much. I just bought it few days ago.

I love what you do- I have no previous knowledge of this game- you move so fast that sometimes it’s dizzying. I’ve stumbled on it- what is this?

very interesting.

I'd really like it if you went to Siwa and Alexandria using assassins creed Origins tour mode. It'd help expand what the Hellenistic world was like

I figure they would be fantastic actresses and singers considering their patron. Imagine how it could have been, you hardly know what art is in the ancient world, believe in the gods and an oracle basically lays out a performance that history itself doesn't forget.

lovely

from my own understanding from watching a few certain documentaries there was a stream that ran through the mountains, and these streams were heated and had chemicals in it as it flowed beneath the temple. Beneath the oracle there was a vent where this water steamed up from being heated and the chemicals in the water gave her hallucinations or "visions" if you will. And that was how the Oracle communicated with the gods. In the last documentary I watched on this, there was one archaeologist/geologist who thought he had located the fabled stream as he tried to trace it towards the supposed spot where the Oracle did her work. Of course there was barely much of a ruin to the temple there to go on. Or they were not sure it was the location of the temple at all and were just going off theories of the location. Its been a few years since I've seen this documentary so I may be remembering the details all wrong, so dont quote me on it c_c

*Divine!*

14:50 nice to see the gorgeous palm tree statue, in its correct position.

The Pythia prophesized from a small room to one side of the temple of Apollo. She wasn't standing on a podium.

14:29 this snake statue still exists - it is located in Constantinople, in the centre of a vehicle roundabout! The bowl at the top is missing, unfortunately.

You forgot to show the stadium of Delphi at the very top. Or the game didn’t have it? I was there in October. Beautiful place.

You forgot the Pythian Games which were held at Delphi. Also important were the ethylene fumes in the basement of Apollo's temple which intoxicated the priestesses and assisted in their trances and spouting of gibberish which was interpreted as profound utterances of the god Apollo. Didn't see the stadium which is adjacent to the shrine. The vegetation is way off. It should be Mediterranean scrub, no aspens and sycamores. Very arid. Mostly olive and scrub oak. It's a good start. It needs more work to be realistic and more historically accurate.

Love this - I just visited Delphi a few weeks back so this visual helps understand the entire area as now it is mere ruins. My tour guide had made it known women were not allowed in many places and were not dressed in such revealing clothes - again, the greek culture evolved as did the fashions. There is still a lot of unknown which i will probably recommend history nerds to read up on in some well published books about delphi. I was also informed in delphi it was not a city but a spiritual temple so no one resided there. Again this could be misinformation? Also there is the stadium beyond and higher than the theater - not sure if the game covers that? The stadium forbade women as the athletes played naked.

What is the blue streaks on the screen.

are you going to make videos with the assasains creed origins or any other ones?

13:28 Nice attention to detail that they have the flags with owls on it. It must be an offering to Athena.

Dude you should make like online lectures about this stuff or something you could make a fortune! Like Magellan TV but then Invicta TV!

could you perhaps do Olympia or one of the various greek islands like Delos? :)

In the 90s, Scientific American published a geological study that concluded there is evidence that there were ethylene fumes emanating from a fissure here in ancient times. The myth may have a real foundation.

This is really terrific. Thank you so much. Brilliant teaching tool.

been there. looks just like it.

I thought a historian would notice that the Discovery Tour got some things wrong. 08:20m Treasury of Cnideans is where the Treasury of Thebes should be, and some other switches. I thought you people would have read Pausanias’ Book X on Delphi and/or looked at a map of the location.

So how many more tours do we have left?

Thanks for helping with hw

Great video, Invicta. However, the Siwa Oasis and Oracle of Zeus-Ammon is in EGYPT (not Libya, as you indicated).

Any idea if there's a similar video for Dodona?

It looks like Mecca during Pagan Times. I read the following book this year, that might interest a lot of people; “Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World” by Tim Whitmarsh.

I feel like the eagle mode is a bit gimmicky. Would be much easier and cleaner if they just let you navigate "flight" mode without the bird icon blocking the screen or having to awkwardly coordinate it's forward momentum.

I wonder if the treasures in 7:34 are the ones mentioned by Herodotus (Hist. 1.14) to be donated by Gyges (the bowls) and Midas (the throne)