Oracular prophecy and psychology in Ancient Greek warfare
This thesis examines the role of oracular divination in warfare in archaic, classical and Hellenistic Greece, and assesses the extent to which it affected the psychology and military decision-making of ancient Greek poleis. By using a wide range of ancient literary, epigraphical, archaeological and iconographical evidence and relevant modern scholarship, this thesis will fully explore the role of the Oracle in warfare especially the influence of the major oracles at Delphi, Dodona,Olympia,Didyma and Ammon on the foreign policies and military strategies of poleis and their psychological preparation for war as well as the effect of oracular prophecies on a commander's decision making and tactics on the battlefield and on the psychology and reactions for soldiers before and during battle. This thesis contends that oracular prophecy played a fundamental and integral part in ancient Greek warfare and that the act of consulting the Oracles and the subsequent prognostications issued by the Oracles had powerful psychological effects on both the polis citizenry and soldiery, which in turn had a major influence and impact upon military strategy and tactics, and ultimately on the outcome of conflicts in the Ancient Greek
McCallum, Peter
BF Psychology ; DE The Mediterranean Region. The Greco-Roman World
Oracular prophecy and psychology in Ancient Greek warfare. This thesis examines the role of oracular divination in warfare in archaic, classical and Hellenistic Greece, and assesses the extent to which it affected the psychology and military decision-making of ancient Greek poleis. By using a wide range of ancient literary, epigraphical, archaeological and iconographical evidence and relevant modern scholarship, this thesis will fully explore the role of the Oracle in warfare especially the influence of the major oracles at Delphi, Dodona,Olympia,Didyma and Ammon on the foreign policies and military strategies of poleis and their psychological preparation for war as well as the effect of oracular prophecies on a commander's decision making and tactics on the battlefield and on the psychology and reactions for soldiers before and during battle. This thesis contends that oracular prophecy played a fundamental and integral part in ancient Greek warfare and that the act of consulting the Oracles and the subsequent prognostications issued by the Oracles had powerful psychological effects on both the polis citizenry and soldiery, which in turn had a major influence and impact upon military strategy and tactics, and ultimately on the outcome of conflicts in the Ancient Greek
prophecy psychology ancient_greek warfare examines_role divination warfare archaic_classical hellenistic greece assess_extent affect psychology military decision_making ancient_greek poleis use wide_range ancient_literary epigraphical archaeological iconographical evidence relevant modern_scholarship fully_explore role oracle warfare especially influence major oracle delphi foreign_policy military_strategy poleis psychological preparation war well effect prophecy commander decision_making tactic battlefield psychology reaction soldier battle contend prophecy play fundamental integral_part ancient_greek warfare act consult subsequent issue powerful psychological effect polis turn major influence impact_upon military_strategy tactic ultimately outcome conflict ancient_greek