Divination
The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or hidden things through divine communication
The Meaning of Divination
Divination held a central place in Greek religious and political life. The Greeks believed the gods communicated their will through signs, and trained interpreters made these messages intelligible to mortals. The most prestigious form was oracular prophecy, delivered at sanctuaries such as Delphi, where the Pythia spoke the words of Apollo while in a trance state. Other methods included the reading of bird flights (ornithomancy), the examination of sacrificial entrails (hieroscopy), the interpretation of dreams (oneiromancy), and the casting of lots (cleromancy). No major military campaign, colonial expedition, or legislative reform was undertaken without first consulting the gods through divination. Generals kept seers in their retinues, and cities maintained official diviners. The practice blurred the line between religion, politics, and statecraft, remaining influential well into the Roman period.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
God of Prophecy
💭 conceptProphecy, oracles, divination, truth
Apollo speaks through oracles, revealing the will of the gods and the shape of things to come.
Oracle
💭 conceptSacred site of prophecy
Oracles were sacred sites where mortals could consult the gods — the most important decision-making institutions in ancient Greece.
Augury
💭 conceptReligion
The practice of interpreting the flight patterns and behaviour of birds to discern divine will
Mystery Cults
💭 conceptReligion
Secret religious rites promising initiates spiritual transformation and a blessed afterlife
Hermeticism
💭 conceptPhilosophy
A syncretic philosophical and spiritual tradition attributed to the legendary sage Hermes Trismegistus
Theoria
💭 conceptPhilosophy and Contemplation
The Greek practice of contemplative observation, originally a sacred embassy sent to witness religious festivals.
Goddess of Justice
💭 conceptJustice, law, moral order, custom
Themis upholds divine law and natural order, counselling Zeus on what is right and presiding over assemblies.
Enthousiasmos
💭 conceptReligion and Inspiration
The state of being possessed by a god, the original meaning of divine inspiration in Greek religion.
Haruspicy
💭 conceptReligion
The divinatory practice of examining the entrails of sacrificed animals to interpret the will of the gods
Eleusinian Mysteries
💭 conceptreligion, initiation
The most famous secret religious rites of ancient Greece, held annually at Eleusis in honour of Demeter and Persephone, promising initiates a blessed afterlife.
Apotropaic
💭 conceptWarding off evil
Apotropaic rituals and symbols were used to ward off evil, bad luck, and malicious spirits — from Gorgon heads on temples to the evil eye protections still used today.
God of Messengers
💭 conceptMessages, travel, boundaries, commerce, thieves
Hermes serves as divine messenger and psychopomp, escorting both words and souls between worlds.