Legend of Mount Parnassus
The origins of our firm’s name, Parnassus Investments, is tied to Mount Parnassus.
The mountain is located in central Greece, and its twin peaks rise more than 8,000
feet above sea level. The mountain plays a prominent role in Greek mythology because
on its southern slope, overlooking the Gulf of Corinth, lies Delphi, site of the
famous oracle. There were many oracles in ancient Greece, but only the one at Delphi
achieved a record of reliability.
Greek god Apollo inspired the prophesies that the Delphic oracle communicated to
the people. The most “Greek” of the gods, Apollo represented enlightenment and civilization
and presided over the establishment of cities. Identified with the development of
Greek codes of law, Apollo was also the god of light, a master musician and a skilled
archer.
The oracle obtained a great deal of knowledge and information from talking to people
who came from all over the Greek world to consult at the shrine of Apollo. Quite
often, the oracle went against the prevailing wisdom of the time. Just like the
oracle, our investment team gathers information from a wide range of sources and
thinks independently of prevailing market sentiment.