Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Oracles explained
This chapter describes the nature and origins of oracles in ancient Greece, focusing on the oracle of Jupiter at Dodona and the more famous oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
What happens
This chapter describes the nature and origins of oracles in ancient Greece, focusing on the oracle of Jupiter at Dodona and the more famous oracle of Apollo at Delphi. It explains how the oracles were established, the methods of divination (rustling oak branches at Dodona, intoxicating vapors at Delphi), and the role of the Pythia priestess.
Themes in this chapter
Fate and Free Will
Oracles were consulted to learn about fate and future events, reflecting the tension between divine predestination and human agency.
Cultural Transmission and Education
The establishment of oracles and the interpretation of divine messages were central to the transmission of religious and cultural knowledge in ancient Greece.
Characters to notice
- Jupiter
His oracle at Dodona is described as the most ancient Grecian oracle, established by doves or priestesses from Thebes in Egypt.
- Phoebus Apollo
The oracle at Delphi is ultimately assigned to Apollo, with the Pythia priestess inhaling vapors to deliver his prophecies.
Key passages
“Oracle was the name used to denote the place where answers were supposed to be given by any of the divinities to those who consulted them respecting the future.”
An oracle was a sacred site where people believed they could receive answers from the gods about what would happen in the future.
Defines the term 'oracle' as both a place and the divine response given there.
“The most ancient Grecian oracle was that of Jupiter at Dodona.”
The oldest oracle in Greece was dedicated to Jupiter and located at Dodona.
Highlights the antiquity and importance of the Dodona oracle.
“The responses of the oracle were given from the trees, by the branches rustling in the wind, the sounds being interpreted by the priests.”
The oracle's answers came from the rustling of oak branches in the wind, which priests would interpret.
Describes the unique method of divination at Dodona.
“But the most celebrated of the Grecian oracles was that of Apollo at Delphi, a city built on the slopes of Parnassus in Phocis.”
The most famous Greek oracle was Apollo's at Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus.
Introduces the Delphi oracle as the most renowned.
“A priestess was appointed whose office it was to inhale the hallowed air, and who was named the Pythia.”
A priestess called the Pythia was chosen to breathe in the sacred vapors from the chasm.
Explains the role of the Pythia in delivering prophecies at Delphi.