Divination and Prophecy in the Ancient Greek World

This volume examines the phenomena of ancient Greek prophecy and divination. With contributions from a cast of distinguished, inter­national scholars, it offers fresh perspectives and interpretations of key aspects of these practices. Considering issues such as comparati- vism, ethnography, cognitive function, orality, and intertextuality, the volume demonstrates their relevance to the elucidation of Greek proph­etic practices. The volume also shows how multi- and interdisciplinary approaches can be applied to a range of topics, from an examination of the very inception of Greek divination, explored within the frame of more archaic cult ideas, through emic elaboration of divinatory practice in the Archaic and Classical periods, to the consideration of intentional manipulation of prophecy, as depicted in Hellenistic and Imperial Roman sources. Collectively, the essays deepen our understanding of ancient Greek prophecy by offering insights into divinition as téhkne¯, the centrality or marginality of Delphi and the Pythic priestess, proph­etic ambiguity, and cognition, including cognitive dissonance.