Oracle of Dodona

Situated at the foot of Mount Tomaros, Dodona was the home of the oldest Greek oracle. Myth has it that a single black dove perched on a great oak tree at Dodona and spoke. It declared that the will of Zeus would be heard from the oak, and that the site should be a place of worship. After such a miraculous beginning, prophecy was delivered through the rustling of leaves and the songs of the doves. The oracle would interpret these sounds, and record answers to questions on lead tablets. By the 4th century BC, walls enclosed the oak tree, and a stone temple was built. A century later, a fortified refuge was built, along with other temples. Although destroyed by the Aetolians in 219BC, the Dodona was rebuilt and then finally destroyed by the Romans in 168BC.