... to be made, whether to sail or to lend or to marry. Cities ask about crops and herds and health even decisions about whether to go to war or not were asked of an oracle. Responses were given in various ways. The most prestigious was "inspired" prophecy. A priest or more commonly a priestess would speak, probably in a state of trance in the voice of a God. With healing oracles the consultant slept a night at the temple (incubation) and the God in theory would appear in a dream. The oracle of Zeus at Olympia worked by "empyromancy" signs drawn from the flames on Zeus' altar. The Pythia was a woman who served for life and was the priestess who alone received messages supposedly from the God. She spoke in a garbled language which was interpreted by the prophetai. Who whether they made it up or not spoke her ...

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