The Oracle of Delphi: History and Predictions of Greece’s Most Important Shrine

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

An oracle is an individual or entity believed to convey wise and prophetic advice, particularly regarding precognition of the future, with inspiration drawn from divine sources. It falls within the realm of divination.


The term 'oracle' originates from the Latin verb rre, signifying 'to speak,' and denotes the priest or priestess responsible for delivering the prophecy. In a broader context, 'oracle' encompasses both the physical location of the oracle and the prophetic utterances, known as khrsm 'tresme' in Greek.


Walter Burkert notes the existence of 'frenzied women through whose lips the God speaks' in the Near East, tracing back to Mari in the second millennium BC and Assyria in the first millennium BC.

In Egypt, the goddess Wadjet, depicted as a snake-headed woman or one with two snake-heads, held her oracle at the renowned temple of Wadjet, known as Buto in Greek. The oracular tradition believed to have traveled from Egypt to Greece is thought to find its roots in Wadjet's oracle. Arthur Evans drew parallels between Wadjet and the 'Minoan Snake Goddess.'