enquiring the gods at dodona: what concerned people in ancient Greece?
The oracle of Dodona, situated in
a flat valley overshadowed by the mountain of Tomaros in the north-west of
Greece, is currently nothing more than some knee-high stone structures, but it
was once the place where individuals went to discover the will of the gods. The
priests and priestesses working at the oracle interpreted information coming
from Zeus Dodonaeus through the sacred oak, but also through the water, the
thunder, the doves nesting in the trees, and the brazen cauldrons which were
set up in the sacred precinct. Visitors wrote their questions on lead tablets
and gave them to the priestesses, who returned them with an answer written on
them. A great amount of these tablets have been preserved, and we can find all
sorts of questions on them. What kinds of questions were these, and why did
people come all the way to Dodona to have them answered?
Some historical information on the oracle of Dodona
Archaeological excavations have pointed out that most of the surviving structures date from the 4th century BCE, but underneath these excavations plenty of prehistoric material has been found which dates back to at least the time between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. It is clear that from early periods onwards this place was an important religious centre in the Greek world. The main oracular god of Dodona, Zeus, is often accompanied by Dione, his wife at the oracle, but only relatively late their daughter Aphrodite joins them. There are several foundation myths for the oracle, all centering on a dove leading the way to the location of the oracle in ancient times. Doves played an important role at the oracle: in some myths they were regarded as communicators of divinatory information, and Herodotus wrote in his Histories that the priestesses of Dodona were called doves, due to their Egyptian origin and the fact that they spoke a strange language. The oracle of Dodona had been in use for centuries when its position was taken over by the oracle of Delphi later on, but we will see that it kept a central position in stories and myths.
1: Acropole, 2: Theater, 3: Stadium, 4: Bouleuterion, 5: House of priests, 6 & 7: Prytaneum and extension, 8: Temple of Aphrodite, 9: Roman building, 10: Temple of Themis, 11: “Crowned House” (Ἱερά Οἰκία), 12 & 13: New and old temple of Dione, 14 & 15: temple and altar of Heracles, 16: Christian basilica, 17: West wall, 18 & 19: New and old West gate (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plan_Dodona_sanctuary-en.svg)
The oracle of Dodona in ancient literature and academic research
Already in ancient times frequent references to Dodona are made, for example by Achilles and Odysseus in Homer’s Illiad, by Hesiod in his Histories and by Apollonius of Rhode’s Argonautica, which explained the prophetizing abbilities of Jason’s ship because he had visited Dodona. The oracle is also mentioned by Plato, Strabo, Pindar, Pausanias, Philostratus the Elder, Pliny the Elder and Suidas, a Byzantine author. In all these literary sources, the oracle of Dodona is considered the oldest of all oracles, and it apparently had famous visitors like Io, Kreon, Herakles, Orestes, Aeneas and the Argonauts.
After the excavations of the oracle had begun in 1876 and were resumed in the 1930’s, special attention was given to the lead oracular tablets which had been found. It is only quite recently that the study of divination and magical practices, to which these tablets belong, has become a respectable field of study: before, this was viewed as a non-serious topic due to the Judeo-Christian background of many scholars. Today, the subject is treated from an interdisciplinary point of view, and more systematical and analytical approaches are used. Important scholars in the field are S. Iles-Johnston, F. Graf, W. Burkert and E.S. Roberts.
My approach of the topic and why this type of research is useful
There are several sources I use in studying this topic: archaeological material, literary sources, epigraphical sources, comparative and interdisciplinary methods from other fields of study, and of course the works and theories of earlier scholars, to help me articulate new and useful questions in this field of research (and hopefully answers as well). This multitude of sources allows me to compare different types of evidence, bringing about a greater understanding of religion and religious practices in ancient Greece and moving forward in deepening our knowledge of it. Especially the use of the oracular tablets which have been found at Dodona can help us in this respect: it offers an almost direct insight into the minds of individuals in ancient times, and what sorts of questions and struggles they faced. We encounter questions on trade and work-related issues, but also on more daily matters like whether to bring back a borrowed rope and even questions about the fatherhood of somebody’s child. This sort of information about individuals in ancient times cannot be deducted from epic narratives, and it offers a very useful background and context in the study of life in ancient Greece in all its facets.
There are several sources I use in studying this topic: archaeological material, literary sources, epigraphical sources, comparative and interdisciplinary methods from other fields of study, and of course the works and theories of earlier scholars, to help me articulate new and useful questions in this field of research (and hopefully answers as well). This multitude of sources allows me to compare different types of evidence, bringing about a greater understanding of religion and religious practices in ancient Greece and moving forward in deepening our knowledge of it. Especially the use of the oracular tablets which have been found at Dodona can help us in this respect: it offers an almost direct insight into the minds of individuals in ancient times, and what sorts of questions and struggles they faced. We encounter questions on trade and work-related issues, but also on more daily matters like whether to bring back a borrowed rope and even questions about the fatherhood of somebody’s child. This sort of information about individuals in ancient times cannot be deducted from epic narratives, and it offers a very useful background and context in the study of life in ancient Greece in all its facets.
Conclusions
The main question of this modest research webpage was twofold: what concerned people in ancient times, and why did they travel all the way to the oracle of Dodona to receive their answers? The main reason why people consulted oracles was that they wanted to deal with uncertainty, especially in the field of divine matters, civic matters and personal matters. Oracles in general, and the Dodonaic oracle especially with its clear answers it provided its visitors with, worked as a tool to diminish fears and to give people the possibility of obtaining the best possible future. The oracle of Dodona was paid great reverence throughout antiquity because of its acknowledged antiquity and famous visitors, its association with Zeus and his omnipresence at the oracular site, and also the multitude of phenomena and signs which could be interpreted as helpful answers to an individual’s question. These aspects combined proved to be the reason for the immense fame of the oracle of Dodona, attested in the thousands of oracular tablets left behind by visitors and its eternal echo in literature as well.
The main question of this modest research webpage was twofold: what concerned people in ancient times, and why did they travel all the way to the oracle of Dodona to receive their answers? The main reason why people consulted oracles was that they wanted to deal with uncertainty, especially in the field of divine matters, civic matters and personal matters. Oracles in general, and the Dodonaic oracle especially with its clear answers it provided its visitors with, worked as a tool to diminish fears and to give people the possibility of obtaining the best possible future. The oracle of Dodona was paid great reverence throughout antiquity because of its acknowledged antiquity and famous visitors, its association with Zeus and his omnipresence at the oracular site, and also the multitude of phenomena and signs which could be interpreted as helpful answers to an individual’s question. These aspects combined proved to be the reason for the immense fame of the oracle of Dodona, attested in the thousands of oracular tablets left behind by visitors and its eternal echo in literature as well.
References
K. Beerden (2013), Worlds Full of Signs
S. I. Johnston (2004), Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide
D.M. Nicol (1958), “The Oracle of Dodona”, Greece and Rome, 5, p. 128-143
H. W. Parke (1967), Greek Oracles
S. Price (1999), Religions of the Ancient Greeks
Written by E.P.
Source of the banner image: http://dodona777.wordpress.com/category/dodona/
K. Beerden (2013), Worlds Full of Signs
S. I. Johnston (2004), Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide
D.M. Nicol (1958), “The Oracle of Dodona”, Greece and Rome, 5, p. 128-143
H. W. Parke (1967), Greek Oracles
S. Price (1999), Religions of the Ancient Greeks
Written by E.P.
Source of the banner image: http://dodona777.wordpress.com/category/dodona/