When people speak of the oracles of Apollo, Delphi immediately comes to mind. But the Greek world had other oracular sanctuaries of the god, some of which enjoyed enormous prestige, especially in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The two most important stood on the coast of Ionia, in present-day western Turkey: Didyma, near Miletus, and Claros, near Colophon.
Didyma: the sanctuary of the Branchidae
In the archaic age the oracle of Didyma was run by a priestly family, the Branchidae, who traced their origin to Branchus, a youth loved by Apollo. The sanctuary was rich and famous: Herodotus himself mentions the offerings sent there by the Lydian king Croesus.
After the Ionian revolt against the Persians, at the beginning of the fifth century BC, the sanctuary was plundered and the oracle remained silent for a long time. Tradition says that the sacred spring, which had dried up, began to flow again when Alexander the Great arrived, and that the reborn oracle proclaimed Alexander the son of Zeus.
An open-air temple
In the Hellenistic period, from around 300 BC, the construction began at Didyma of one of the largest temples in the Greek world. It was never finished, but its ruins are still impressive. Its peculiarity is that the heart of the sanctuary, the adyton, was a large courtyard without a roof. Inside it stood:
- a small shrine, the naiskos, which housed the cult statue;
- the sacred spring, linked to prophecy;
- a grove of laurels, Apollo's tree.
The visitor, on entering, passed through a dark hall and sloping corridors before finding himself in a bright open space, with a carefully designed theatrical effect.
The prophetess and the spring
At Didyma the responses were uttered by a prophetess, while an annual magistrate, the prophetes, managed the consultations and transmitted the answers, often in verse. The philosopher Iamblichus, in his treatise On the Mysteries, describes the prophetess receiving inspiration while seated on a support and wetting herself with, or breathing the vapour of, the water of the spring, and he insists that it is not the water itself that produces prophecy, but the presence of the god that makes it suitable.
An episode from late antique history shows how authoritative the oracle still was: according to Lactantius, the emperor Diocletian sent a messenger to consult the Apollo of Miletus before launching the great persecution of Christians at the beginning of the fourth century.
Claros: the cave and the water
The second great oracle of Ionia, Claros, was sacred to Apollo Clarius. The most precise account of how it worked is found in the Annals of Tacitus, who describes the visit of Germanicus in AD 18.
According to Tacitus, at Claros it was not a woman who prophesied, as at Delphi, but a priest chosen from certain families, usually from Miletus. The priest was told only the number and names of the consultants, then went down into a cave, drank the water of a secret spring and, though often unacquainted with letters and poetry, answered in verse whatever each person had in mind. Tacitus adds that he was said to have foretold to Germanicus, in obscure terms, his early death.
The underground passages
Archaeological excavations have confirmed Tacitus' account in a striking way. Beneath the temple of Apollo at Claros, narrow and winding underground corridors were discovered, leading to two vaulted rooms. The innermost contains a water well, while the other may have held those waiting for the response. The dark, labyrinthine route prepared the consultant for an experience of separation from the ordinary world.
Theological oracles
In the imperial age Claros also became famous for theological responses, in which the god answered questions about the nature of the supreme deity. An inscription found at Oenoanda, in Lycia, generally linked to Claros, describes the supreme god as self-born, motherless, taught by no one, and presents the traditional gods as his messengers. It is an example of how oracles, in late antiquity, entered into dialogue with philosophy.
The two sanctuaries compared
| Aspect | Didyma | Claros |
|---|---|---|
| Who prophesied | A prophetess | A priest |
| Ritual element | Spring in the open-air adyton | Spring in underground passages |
| Main source | Inscriptions, Iamblichus, Lactantius | Tacitus and the excavations |
| Late fame | Consulted by Diocletian | Theological oracles |
In short
- Didyma and Claros were the great oracles of Apollo in Ionia, alongside Delphi.
- At Didyma a colossal, unfinished temple enclosed an open-air adyton with a spring and laurels.
- The prophetess of Didyma received inspiration beside the sacred water, according to Iamblichus.
- At Claros a priest drank from a spring in a cave and answered in verse, as Tacitus relates.
- The excavations at Claros revealed underground passages that confirm the ancient description.
