ANCIENT SITE OF DODONE

The sanctuary is located in an idyllic valley between the twin peaks of Mount Tomaros. The site of the oracle of Dodona, very famous in antiquity and probably the oldest oracle of Zeus, can be discovered in great calm, since it seems to date from the Bronze Age, between 2600 and 1100 BC. At that time, there were hardly any buildings, and the oracle of the sacred oak was consulted in the open air. As in any oracle, the priests interpreted for the visitor the signs of Zeus, such as the rustle of the oak leaves or the flight of the pigeons. Then they gave the answers to the questions asked, which were engraved on small tablets, many of which have been found. They were not about the future, but rather about what to do or not to do in a given situation.

In the 4th century B.C., the cult centre that can be seen today appeared: temples, bouleuterion, stadium and of course theatre. The stadium was used for the Naia games, which took place until the 3rd century AD. However, the oracle remained very much consulted, even under the Romans. It takes between 1 and 2 hours to visit the site of the oracle. It ends with the famous temple of Zeus which housed the oracle himself. After the entrance, we go straight ahead following the dirt road. We're actually in the stadium where the Naia games were played, which, like those in Olympia, were held every four years. Then we get to the theater.