Home -> Articoli -> Grecia- Oracoli

Looking into the future

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Looking into the future of Ancient Greece
The oracles – In Ancient Greece there were oracles, sanctuaries of Apollo, to which everybody who wanted to learn something about the future went. To them it was always entrusted any decision that had to be taken and many oustanding men – kings, generals and politicians – never did anything if they did not receive their approbation. Each man had his favourite oracle. Celebrated was Delphi, but it was not the only one. Due to the numbers of those sanctuaries where oracles were given Lucian, in his “Double claim”, took the opportunity to laugh at poor Apollo, who, to be with any prophetess who called him, had always to run here and there around all Greece. The passage give to us a good list of all the principal sanctuaries. In his work the poet has Zeus listing them and deprecating the kind of hard work that his son chose.


Apollo with the kind of absorbent calling he chose is always deafened by the bores who are asking for oracles. It happen that he must go to Delphis but not even a moment is passed that he has to rush to Colophon and from there join Xanthos. Tthen, always running, here he is at Claros and then to the Branchids. To sum it up in a word wherever a prophetess after having drank the holy draught, chewed laurel leaves and tossed on the tripod asks him to appear, the poor god has to arrive on time and give out the oracles and, if doesn’t want to get a bad reputation, they must be good.

Bibliography

Loukianos - Double accused