Concept in Definition ABC

The oracle is a figure or a space to which the men of Antiquity (especially those of Greece) attended to receive answers, guides and advice on what life had in store for them. In this sense, the oracle was not the same as any mortal since it offered advice and suggestions that were either prophetic or that were sent by the gods of Olympus themselves to human beings. The oracle can be related in some cases to the examples of divination and current horoscopes in which people turn to supposed specialists to tell them how Act in certain situations.

In Ancient Greece, one of the most important oracles was that of Delphi. This oracle was visited by huge numbers of people who could only attend it on the seventh day of each month as this number was related to the god of the oracle: Apollo. In it, a woman expert in divination of the gods was known as a fortune teller and was the responsable to transmit the message divine to the gods. To do so, she could perform different rites that made her enter a state of ecstasy.

However, Greece was not the only civilization who practiced the custom of consulting the oracle: we also find this phenomenon among the Egyptians, the Hebrews, the Phoenicians and the Romans, among others. With the rise of the religion Christian, these practices were considered pagan and slowly lost importance.

The oracles were generally isolated from the urban centers since they were considered divine altars and temples, so they could not be in the middle of the homes and businesses of a town. In addition, this location, on the slopes of the mountains or in open spaces was considered superior to establish Contact with the gods and also get away from the chores of everyday life.