What happened now can hardly be believed, but it is recorded by the father of history and later writers bear testimony to it.
This had happened time and time again in the past to the hurt of Delphi, why not happen this once to her help? Herodotus says it did happen.
Eëtíon, Dryas, Theria, Nikander heard groan as if the earth, old Gê herself, had spoken. A little bird singing in the laurel bush near by stopped its song and leaped aloft with frightened cries. Then like a wave on the sea-beach the temple platform beneath their feet pitched forward. They saw the wave motion run onward upon the earth, down the glen, and to the farther hillside where the forests received it shivering. The Delphian group on the platform stumbled wildly forward. Old Akeretos fell flat before his altar. The altar itself shook and the Great Temple rocked as if about to begin an elephantine dance.
The earth movement was distinct, outward from Parnassos toward the valley.
Theria, looking up at Phaidriades, saw the cliffs nodding solemnly to each other as if to say: “Ay—so be it.”
Then huge rocks flew hurtling from their summits high overhead and down upon the road, down crashing upon the moving Persian host!
There was a great and bitter cry, death, terror, confusion.
The Persian army fled this way and that. Forward toward the village—downward into the Forethought Precinct where the avenging rocks of Delphi followed them.
Everywhere the mountains sent up clouds and clouds of dust. In the distance upon the distant armies poured down avalanches of earth and rolling stones and dust—more dust!
Of the little group on the temple platform Dryas was the first to get upon his feet.