Oracles. Dreams and Omens: Divination in the Greek World

Module code: AH3086

Tutor: Jan Haywood

This module explores the role of divination in the ancient Greek world. You will look at the full range of divinatory practices (oracles, dreams, haruspicy, etc.), as well as official sites of prophecy, and the role of individual divination experts. You will examine the full suite of evidence for understanding ancient Greek attitudes to divination, from the Dodona oracular tablets to representations of corrupt seers in Aristophanic comedy.

The module will also focus on a series of specific contexts for the history of divination (e.g., the Greco-Persian wars, the Peloponnesian war, and the Athenian democracy of the fourth century), in order to understand the significant place of divinatory activities in ancient Greece. As part of this investigation into the archaeological and historical contexts for ancient Greek divination, we will draw on anthropological parallels from other cultural contexts.