On p. 230 of our translation of the Birds, in the parabasis, the Koryphaios (the leader of the chorus) says the following:
And birds are good to men in numberless ways.
We lead in the seasons. The clanging Crane
Flies towards Libya, and the sowing begins;
She it is who tells the mariner
When it is time to take his winter sleep...
This same Crane
Inspires our friend ... to knit himself a shirt against the cold...
Later, the Kite brings back the brilliant Spring
And you barber your sheep; and then the summer Swallow
Suggests bargains of thin dress at the shops.
We are Ammon, Delphoi, Dodona, Phoibos Apollo.
Are you not always taking the advice of birds
In matters of business, of marriage, of daily life?
In general oracles are places where humans can consult with gods to get information. In this passage the birds are comparing themselves, and their functions for man, to the gods. The chorus leader is explaining that humans use the annual patterns of birds as indicators of the seasons--the birds, in a certain way, are predictive of the coming seasons. Similarly, oracles provide humans with useful information, information which they can use to make plans for the future. Ammon, Delphoi, and Dodona are all locations of famous oracles.
Dodona(from Wikipedia) (go here for a map of Dodona):
Dodona (Greek: Δωδώνη Dodoni) in Epirus, northwestern Greece, was a prehistoric oracle devoted to the Greek god Zeus and to the Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione. The shrine of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and in fact dates to pre-Hellenic times, perhaps as early as the second millennium BCE. Priests and priestesses in the sacred grove interpreted the rustling of the oak (or beech) leaves to determine the correct actions to be taken. Greek oracles are often misconstrued as having predicted the future.
Delphi Delphi is perhaps best-known for the oracle at the sanctuary that became dedicated to Apollo during the classical period. With origins in prehistoric times and the worship of Gaia, in the last quarter of the 8th century BC there is a steady increase of artifacts found at the settlement site in Delphi. Pottery and bronze work as well as tripod dedications continue in a steady stream, in comparison to Olympia. Neither the range of objects nor the presence of prestigious dedications proves that Delphi was a focus of attention for worshipers of a wide range, but the strong representation of high value goods, found in no other mainland sanctuary, certainly encourages that view.
The priestess of the oracle at Delphi was known as the Pythia.
H.W. Parke writes that the foundation of Delphi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded history and its origins are obscure, but dating to the worship of the Great Goddess, Gaia.[6]
The Oracle exerted considerable influence throughout the Greek world, and she was consulted before all major undertakings: wars, the founding of colonies, and so forth. She also was respected by the semi-Hellenic countries around the Greek world, such as Lydia, Caria, and even Egypt.
Back to Birds' Circumstances research
