Hellenic Society & Roman Society Online Course
6.00pm - 7.30pm (UK time) + recordings will be available
Jan Haywood: Divination in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds
This course explores the prominent role played by divination in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, examining how different individuals and communities sought to obtain knowledge of the future and the diverse ways in which they hoped to ascertain the will of the gods. The course combines literary, historical, archaeological and philosophical sources to provide an in-depth understanding of the varied divinatory practices in classical antiquity, from haruspicy to incubation and from augury to empyromancy, while also considering how different ancient thinkers approached divination as a method for knowledge acquisition. The course will also introduce some of the major centres for divination activity, including the various Apolline sanctuaries (Delphi, Dodona, etc.), Olympia and the Amphiareion at Oropos.
Wednesday 6 May
Session 1: Divination in antiquity
Divination in the ancient world was not marginal or irrational; it was widely embedded in everyday life. The Greeks used the term mantikē, while the Romans used divinatio, both referring broadly to diverse practices that revealed divine insight. But how did the ancient Greeks and Romans obtain knowledge of the future via the gods? And in what contexts was it possible to call upon the divine. This lecture examines the varied types of divination phenomena and introduces some of the different practitioners and key sites of divinatory practice in the classical world.
Wednesday 13 May
Session 2: Consulting the oracle
The oracle at Delphi was one of the most important religious institutions in the ancient Greek world. Individuals and poleis representatives travelled to Delphi where they would consult the Pythia, a priestess who was believed to communicate the words of Apollo. But how did the consultation process at Delphi actually work? This lecture explores the considerable set of sources for Delphi which span more than a millennia, providing a rich yet confused account of oracular processes at the site. The lecture will incorporate several famous Delphic consultations from Greek and Roman history, and will also consider the suite of other Apollonian oracular sanctuaries in the ancient Mediterranean.
Wednesday 20 May
Session 3: Divination in public life
Divination was often operationalised within official state structures in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Augurs interpreted the will of the gods through the observation of birds, while haruspices examined animal entrails. Seers exercise considerable authority in a range of public contexts, including the public assemblies, royal households and on the battlefield. In this lecture, we explore the vital role that divination played in political and military decision-making, while also considering how divinatory practitioners might exploit their position for private gain.
Wednesday 27 May
Session 4: Personal Divination
Divination was not only used by powerful leaders and communities in moments of great political import; individuals hoped to obtain counsel from the gods for a plethora of reasons that touched on issues of health, employment, family and status. In this lecture, we investigate these themes by exploring the popularity of healing sanctuaries, where people slept in sacred spaces to receive divine messages. We will also consider additional ways in which individuals communicated with the divine, including the use of curse tablets and other ‘magical’ practices.
Wednesday 3 June
Session 5: Scepticism and religious change
Despite the popularity of divination, not everyone accepted it without reservation. Philosophers like Plato, Aristotle and Cicero questioned its validity, while other authors such as Aristophanes and Thucydides criticized divination practitioners. What’s more, the emergence of Christianity in the Roman world presented an additional threat to divination, which was increasingly disparaged and suppressed. Thie final lecture examines intellectual approaches to divination as a tool for knowledge while also showing how the business of sign interpretation did not disappear entirely in the Late Roman Imperial period.
Jan Haywood is Associate Professor of Ancient History at the University of Leicester. He has published widely on ancient Greek historiography and ancient Greek religion. He is deeply committed to opening up the study of the classical world to wider audiences and is the co-founder of the Herodotus Helpline – a free online seminar series open to anyone interested in Herodotus and his world.
Fees and Practical Information
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Members of the Hellenic Society and Roman Society may book at a heavily discounted rate.
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Hellenic Society and Roman Society Members: £60
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Hellenic Society and Roman Society Student Members: £30
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After booking, and before the course starts, you will receive an email with the Zoom link and any preparatory reading.
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The course will be held on our Zoom platform. You will be able to ask questions using the chat or Q&A functions. It is not necessary to have a microphone or camera.
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Some courses will include optional additional reading / documents. If so, these will be held on Google Drive and you will be sent the link.
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