oracle at delphi

oracle at delphi Latest

Jul 7 Blog

The Oracle of Delphi—Was She Really Stoned?

By: Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and John R. Hale

According to Strabo and other sources, the Pythia who gave prophecies on behalf of Apollo was inspired by mysterious vapors. Is there evidence that intoxicating gases actually drifted through the Temple of Apollo at Delphi?

Fifth-century B.C. Attic vase, from Basel’s Antikenmuseum. Photo: Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, INV.

May 28 Blog

Lay That Ghost: Necromancy in Ancient Greece and Rome

By: Daniel Ogden

When seeking “hidden” knowledge, ancient Greeks and Romans visited sacred oracles and consulted necromancers, who communed with the dead. The necromancer’s art often involved strange journeys, sleep-and-dreaming rituals and even blood sacrifices—since the ghostly shades were thought to need a tonic of fresh blood to become reanimated. Our modern fascination with exorcism and vampires suggests that necromancy is hardly dead.

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