The third class of oracles finds its best ex amples in the temples of _lisculapius (q.v.), where the sick who came to consult the god slept in a hall attached to the sanctuary, and were either cured by a vision of the god during the night, or received directions whieh were later interpreted to them by the attendants. The most celebrated of these shrines was the Hieron of Epidaurus (q.v.), and the inscriptions found there throw much light upon the character of these establishments. The dream-oraeles were not confined, however, to the sick. In the sanc tuary of Amphiarans at Oropus in ..1ttiea visions not only helped the sick, but enlightened the inquirer on other subjects. Before the incuba tion certain sacrifices and purifications with fasting were required, and fees were of course collected, especially from those who had been cured of disease. Peculiar in many ways, and not above a very strong suspicion of charlatanry, was the procedure at the oracle of Trophonius at Lebadea in It eotia. After prolonged prepara tory rites and sacrifices, the inquirer, a honey cake in each hand, descended by a ladder into an artificial subt erra nea n chamber, where he thrust his feet through a hole in the side wall. He was then seized by some unseen power and borne below the earth, where by apparitions or voices the future was revealed, and he then found Idin self hurried feet foremost into the chamber he had left, whence he was removed by the priests in it dazed and bewildered condition. By Lake Aver
nus, near• Cu inn, in Italy. was a celebrated oracle where the future was revealed by the spirits of the dead, and we hear of other places where necromancy was practiced. either by calling the spirits in person to answer the inquirer, or by means of dreams.
As it was believed that many of the great prophets of the past had predicted the distant future, there were also in circulation in the ancient world ninny collections of oracles at tributed to Bacis, Musams, Orpheus. and other famous seers, and these predictions were freely cited at any time of national calamity or con sulted for guidance in difficulties by the less educated.
Consult; Hisloire de la diri nation ( Paris. 1879) ; Stengel, "Grieehisehe Kul tusaltertumer," in Handbuch dcr klas sischen Alterlxmsit-isscnsehafl (Munich. 1898); Bureseh, Maros (Leipzig, 1889) : Stiitzle, Des gricchischc Oral:du-cm?. (Ellwangen. 1887, 1891) Sehnreann-Lipsixs, Gricchischc Altertamcr, vol. ii. (Berlin, 1902).