The Oracles of the Ancient World: A Comprehensive Guide
Trevor Curnow
Language: English
Pages: 240
ISBN: 2:00290187
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Ranging from Abai to Zeleia, from massive temples in Egypt to modest tombs in Turkey, oracles were a major feature of the religions of many ancient cultures until their demise under the Christian Roman emperors. This work is a guide to all the known oracles of the ancient world. The greater part of it is devoted to an alphabetical listing providing details of nearly 300 sites in more than 25 countries where oracles of one kind or another functioned in antiquity. The text is extensively cross-referenced and illustrated, and supplemented by indexes, a glossary, and a substantial introduction.
under either 'K' or 'C', depending on which form is more commonly encountered in the literature and on maps (so Cyrene not Kyrene). Whatever loss there is in consistency should be offset by the practical advantages in actually tracking the places down. Cross-references have been provided where confusion is most likely to occur. In the case of personal names I have used V throughout (so Sophocles rather than Sophokles), again on the principle of familiarity. The Greek letter phi also poses
the oracle of the god (or gods) within. Whether the temple was oracular before this time is not known, but it seems likely. The new arrangement is most easily understood as making access to an existing oracle easier. It is also not known whether it was Isis or Sarapis who presided over the oracular function of the temple, or whether they shared these duties between them. MAHARRAQA. see PSELCHIS MEMPHIS: sanctuaries of Ptah, Imhotep (or Asclepius) and Apis in N Egypt (29 51N, 3 1 15E). Memphis lay
the Gulf of Corinth near Diakofto. For part of the way it flows through its own spectacular gorge, which also provides the route for the Kalavrita railway. The city lay some way inland on a hill top. Even in Pausanias' time it had been the victim of earthquakes, and they have done more damage since, so that ruins are difficult to find or identify. However, the oracle itself was located in a cave or grotto somewhere between the city and the sea, near the river. Some think the cave in question was
This probably dates to the third century BC originally, although the mosaics found inside it are significantly later. A number of statues, especially of Asclepius and Hygeia, have been found in the area. Most of these can now be seen in the museums of Iraklio and Hania. The evidence suggests that the immediate cause of the sanctuary's demise was an earthquake. Despite the distance, it seems that Lissos had a special connection with GORTYNA in antiquity. LOUSOI: a sanctuary of Artemis in Arkadia,
intercession walked there in procession from her temple in Rome. There is little to be seen there now. The temple was built on a terrace, and part of that can be seen. The temple itself stood at the N comer of the terrace. However, if there are few actual remains, the site is not lacking in aesthetic appeal, and J.M.W. Turner was moved to give the place his characteristically atmospheric treatment in 1840. The painting is now owned by the British Museum. OSTIA: sanctuaries of Isis and Sarapis in