· The Role and Image of the Seer
· The Role and Image of the Seer
What the Greeks called “the craft of divination” (mantik ē technē) was the art of interpreting the meaning of signs that were sent by the gods. The god-sent sign was the instrument of mediation between the knowledge of the gods and the more limited knowledge of humans. It was not only the responsibility of the seer to choose the correct interpretation amidst a range of possible interpretations; it was also essential first to recognize the sign as a sign. A chance event becomes an omen when the circumstances require it, “when the underlying tension of a personal situation kindles the signifying power of an omen.” The meaning of some omens and portents was obvious once they were recognized as such, of others less so; but in either case there could be no interpretation until the act of recognition had taken place. The experienced seer, therefore, needed both to recognize the portent and then to interpret it. The social function of divination, averting bad omens, a typology of Greek divination, the self-image of a seer, and what one could ask a seer are discussed.
Keywords: seers, omens, portents, Greek divination, social function, typology of divination, self-image
California Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
