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Definition
Gaia
Gaia (also Gaea or Ge) is a primordial goddess and the personification of the Earth in Greek mythology. Gaia emerged from Chaos and is considered the supreme or mother goddess by immortals and mortals alike. All gods and goddesses are...
Definition
Croesus
Croesus (r. 560-546 BCE) was the King of Lydia, a region in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and was so wealthy that the expression "as rich as Croesus" originates in reference to him. Best known for his wealth, he is also famous...
Definition
Socrates
Socrates of Athens (l. c. 470/469-399 BCE) is among the most famous figures in world history for his contributions to the development of ancient Greek philosophy which provided the foundation for all of Western Philosophy. He is, in...
Definition
Dodona
Dodona in Epirus, north-west Greece, lies in a valley on the eastern slopes of Mt. Tomaros and was famed throughout the ancient Greek world as the site of a great oracle of Zeus. The site was expanded in the Hellenistic period, and one...
Article
The Temple of Apollo at Didyma
Located about 11 miles south of the ancient port city of Miletus on the western coast of modern-day Turkey, the Temple of Apollo at Didyma or Didymaion was the fourth largest temple in the ancient Greek world. The...
Image
Pythia of the Oracle of Delphi
"Priestess of Delphi" by John Collier, 1891.
A 19th century vision of how the Pythia might have looked like, and how she became intoxicated by hallucinogenic gases emerging from the floor.
Video
A Day in the Life of an Ancient Greek Oracle - Mark Robinson
Follow Aristonike, an Oracle-in-training in Delphi, as she studies to become the Pythia and communicate Apollo’s will and prophecies. — As the sun rises over Delphi in 500 BCE, Aristonike...
Image
Aegeus Consults the Oracle at Delphi
Themis and Aegeus. Attic red-figure kylix, from Vulci, 440-430 BCE.
Antikensammlung, Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany.
Definition
Chinese Writing
Ancient Chinese writing evolved from the practice of divination during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). Some theories suggest that images and markings on pottery shards found at Ban Po Village are evidence of an early writing...
Definition
Cadmus
Cadmus is a Phoenician-born prince and the founder and king of Thebes in Boeotia in Greek mythology. He travelled to Greece from his home in Tyre in search of his sister Europa who had been kidnapped by Zeus. His rescue mission was abandoned...