The “Oracle of the Dead” at Ancient Tainaron
Reconsidering the Literary and Archaeological Evidence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9402327 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gardner Gardner (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 339-339 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Hesperia The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0018-098X • E-ISSN: 1553-5622 |
| Publisher | American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2972/hesperia.90.2.0339 |
| OpenAlex | W3171514437 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
The site of ancient Tainaron has long been associated with the entrance to the underworld and the consultation of souls at an "oracle of the dead." While Tainaron's role as a passageway to Hades is well represented in ancient literature, its function as an oracle of the dead is only ever alluded to by Plutarch (Moralia 560e). This article shows that a misreading of ancient sources has led to this erroneous attribution of Tainaron as a place where souls were consulted in antiquity. Through an examination of the literary and archaeological evidence, this article argues that there is no evidence for any structure or practice related to necromancy at the site of Tainaron
Archaeological evidence · Archaeology · Art · Attribution · Literature · Oracle · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Psychology
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2024 (3) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |