Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

ORACULUM. ORACJ LUMTT. 839
oracle seems to have been consulted, for the Ro 13.. ~ 6; Strab. xiv. p. 634.) H-ence this oracle,
moans, from reverence for it, allowed the inhabit - like that of Delphi, combined purifying or atoning
ants of Abaetogovern themselves. Hadrian built rites with the practice of prophesying. (Miller,
a small temple by the side of the old one, some Dot. ii, 2. ~ 6.) The real antiquity of the oracle,
walls of which were still standing as ruins in the however, cannot be traced further back than the
time of l'ausanias (x. 35. ~ 2, 3). latter half of the 7th century before our aera.
3. Oracle on the hill /'Ptoon, in the territory of (Soldan, p. 553,&c.) The priests called Braichidac,
Thebes. The oracle was here given through the who had the whole administration of the oracle,
medium of a man called 7rp6UacTrrs, and the first were said to be the descendants of Branchus.
promantis was said to have been. Teneros, a son of The high priest bore the name Stephanephorus.
Apollo. (Strab. ix. p. 413; Pans. ix. 33. ~ 3.) Amongr them was one fllllily whichl possessed the
The oracles were usually given in the Aeolian hereditary gift of prophecy, and was called the
dialect, but when Mys, the Carian, consulted the family of the Euangelidae, (Conon, 44.) The
god, the answer was given in the Carian language oracle was under the especial mainagement of a,Pans. I. c.), so that instead of the three Thebans prophet, whose office did not last for life. The
who generally wrote down the oracles, the Carinn oracles were probably inspired in a mann: r similar
wvtas obliged to do it himself. (Herod. viii. i 35.) to that at Delphi. (Pats. v. 7. ~ 3.) Croesus made
When Alexander the Great destroyed Thebes, to this oracle as munificent presenlts as to that of
this oracle also perished. (Paus. ix. 33. ~ 3.) In Delphi. (Herod, i. 46, &c.) The principles whicl
the time of Plutarch the whole district was conl- it followed in its counsels and directions were also
pletely desolate. (De Orac. Def: c. 8.) the same as those followed by the Delphians. The
4. Oracle of Apollo ut Ismrenzion, in Boeotia, Persians burnt and plundered the tenlple as had
south of Thebes. The temple of Apollo Ismenios been predicted by the Pythia of Delphi (Herod. vi.
was the national sanctuary of the Thebans. The 19); but it was soon restored and adorned with a
oracle was here not giv.n by inspiration, as ill fine brazen statue of Apollo (Paus. ii. 10. ~ 4, ix.
other places, but from the inspection of the victims. 10. 1 ~ 2; compare MUiller, Ancieet Art and its
(lierod. viii. 134.) Oni one occasion it gave its Remains, ~ 86), which Xerxes on his retreat carprophecy fiom na huge cobweb in the temple of ried with him to Ecbatana. A part of the BranDeineter. (Diod. xvii. 10; compare Paus. ix. 10. chidae had surrendered to Xerxes the treasures of
~ 2, &c.) the temple, and were at their own request trans5. Oralcke of Apollo at IIysiae, on the frontiers planted to Bactriana (Strabo, I. c.), where their
of Attica. This place contained an oracle of Apollo descendants are said to have been severely punished
with a sacred well, from which those drank who by Alexander for their treachery. (Curt. vii. 5.)
wished to become inspired. Iel the time of Pausa- Seleucus sent the statue of Apollo back to Didyma,
nias the oracle had become extinct. (Paus. ix. 2. ~ 1.) because the oracle had saluted him as king. (Paus.
6. Oracle of Apollo at Teclycra, was an ancient i. 16. ~ 3; Diod. ix. 90.) The oracle continued
and much frequented oracle in Boeotia, which was to be consulted after the faithlessness of its minisconducted by prophets. The Pythia herself on ters. Some ruins of the temple at Didyma are
one occasion declared this to be the birth-place of still extant. (Compare the Commentators oil Herod.
Apollo. In the time of Plutarch the whole dis- i. 9-2; Suid. s. v. Bpa'yXiata; Droysen, Gesch. Alex.
trict was a wilderness. (Plut. de Orac. Def: c. 8, des Grossen, p. 307; and an excellent essay by
Pelop. 1 6; Steph. Byz. s. v. Te'yupa.) W. G. Soldan, Das Orakel desr BJancliden, in
7. Oracle of' Apollo in the village of Ettresis, in Zism2ssermann's Zeitsclrsi fii'J die Altertlsnzswissen.s
the neighlbourhood of Leuctra. (Steph. Byz. s. v. schqeef, 1841. No. 66, &c.)
Eurpuoqas; Eustath. ad Iliad. ii. 502.) This oracle 1] 2. Oracle of Alpollo at Claros, in the teroitory
hecaine extinct during the Macedonian period. of Colophon. It was said to have been founded by
(Plitt. de Orac. Def/ c. 5.) Cretans under Rhacius, previous to the settlement
8. Oracle of Apollo at Orobiae, in Euboea. of the lonians in Asia Minor. The early legends
Apollo here bore the surname of the Selinlmtian. put this oracle in coirnection with Delphi, from
(Strab. x. p. 445.) whence Manto, the daughter of Teiresias, came to
9. Oracle of' Alpollo in tle Lyceeuin at Agyos. Claros, married Rhacius and gave birth to Mopsus,
The oracle was here given by a prophetess. (Plut. from whomn the prophets of Claros were probably
P/sr-h.1 31.) believed to be descended. (Panus. vii. 3. ~~ 1, 2.)
10. Oracle of Apollo Deiradiotes, on the acropo- This oracle was of great celebrity, and continued
lis of Argos. The oracle was given by a pro- to be consulted even at the time of the Roman
pbhetess, who Nwas obliged to abstain from matri- emperors. (Pals. vii. 5. ~ 1, &c.; Strab. xiv.
nionial connectionis once in every mionth. She was p. 642; Tacit. Annal. xii. 22.) The oracles were
believed to become inspired by tasting of the blood given through an inspired prophet, who was taken
of a lamb which was sacrificed during the night. from certain Milesian fanlilies. He was generally
This oracle continued to be consulted in the days a man without any refilned education, had only the
of Pausanias (ii. 24. ~ I ). names and the number of the persons who consulted
] 1. Oracle of Apol/o (at Dieyica, usually called the oracle stated to him, and thin descended into
the oracle of the Branchidae, in the territory of a cavern, drlnkle of the water fiom a secret well,
Miletus. This was the oracle most generally con- and afterwards pronounced the oracle in verse.
sutilted by the lonians and Aeolians. (Herod. i. (Tacit. Annal. ii. 54.)
158 ) The temple, however, was said to have been 13. Oracle of Apollo at Gryucea, in the territory
founded previously to the arrival of the Ionians on of the Myrinaeans. (Hecat. EFrkqcz1. 211.)
the coast of Asia (Piaus. vii. 2. ~ 4), and the altar 14. Orccle of' Apollo CoWI2(iaae2,sm inl Lesbos.
was said to have been bnelt by -leracles, and the (Schol. Arislophl. Nuls. 145.)
temple by Branchus, a son of Apollo, who had 15. Oracle of Apollo at Abdera. (Pindar, ap,'
come from Delphi as a purifying priest. (Pais. v. 7'Tcz-es, La:p/coFisr. 445.)
311 u 4