[Greek] In its modern usage, the word "oracle" is used to describe either a prophet inspired by spiritual forces, or to describe a particular prophesy. In ancient Greece, the oracle was a place where these divinely-inspired prophesies of the future were passed down to mortals. Usually these prophesies were given in response to questions, but sometimes they flowed out randomly from the priest or priestess acting as an intermediary. To be an oracle, the place needed to have a variable and periodic attribute that could be subject to the interpretation of the priesthood. The priests would then ascribe both the event and the interpretation of the event to their patron god or goddess. For example, the ancient oracles of Zeus were areas where priests could interpret the wind rustling through the trees. An exception to this definition was the oracle of Asclepius at Epidaurus, where the sick were treated with something akin to faith-healing and hypnosis. Although the priests performed the healings w...
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