That happens all the time, though, on the Web. Someone comes up with an intriguing phrase and, to lend it authority, attributes it to an ancient source like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, or (in this case) Apollo's temple at Delphi. Once it's on the Internet, it spreads like an airborne virus.
In fact, there was no such inscription in or on the temple — only the two Δελφικὰ παραγγέλματα, ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ and ΜΗΔΕΝ ΑΓΑΝ. (Pausanias 10.24.1)
I was
told this phrase in ancient Greek with its French translation (I speak no ancient or modern Greek) by an editor of the most renowned French newspaper in the late 80s, when the Internet was not widespread and we were not yet using it.
Today, I am looking for the exact original Greek version, and have
only found this so far:
"""
Know thyself, a message from the gods
This message isn’t merely a simple piece of advice or recommendation. The words were written at the entrance to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. However, they were meant to serve as an appeal or even a warning that went far beyond mere ethical or religious values. Pausanias, the famous traveler of the second century AD, stated in his work, Description of Greece, that the phrase on the temple was inscribed in gold.
The sibyls were wise women who’d trained since childhood to reveal the message of the oracles. In their room, the following inscription was written:
“I warn you, whoever you are, Oh! You who want to probe the “Arcana of Nature”, that if you do not find “within yourself” that which you are looking for, you shall not find it outside either! If you ignore the excellences of your own house, how do you pretend to find other excellences? Within you is hidden the treasure of treasures!
“Know Thyself” and you will know the Universe and the Gods.”
"""