Top 3 Prophecies and Oracles from the Ancient World

        One of the most interesting aspects of the ancient world was its prolific uses of oracles and prophecies to foretell the future. It adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to ancient tales that would otherwise have been much more mundane.

The truth is, and I assume that most of you would already understand, most of these tales are simply apocryphal. 

However, they still offer us a deep view into the way that past civilizations thought both about themselves, and their place in their world. 

I will be ranking my top five favorite examples of prophecies and oracles in the ancient world. I am using the word “prophecy” here only to a vague degree, however. Some on the list will not be “prophecies” strictly speaking, but they embody the oracular properties of prophecies and oracles.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

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3. Ides of March

By 44BC, the Roman Republic had been embroiled in increasing levels of conflict ever since the death of the Gracchi brothers seventy years prior. In the short term, the crossing of the Rubicon in 49BC had momentous consequences – it marked the beginning of the decline and eventual fall of the Roman Republic, its transition into the empire phase under soon-to-be Augustus.

The events on 15 of March, 44BC, would play a key role in this story. Gaius Julius Caesar, of Galic War fame, had by this point, at least according to some, began a process of slowly usurping power for himself and putting an end to the whole Republic thing. 

As such, a conspiracy formed in order to rid Rome of this threat before it was too late. 

Marcus Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Brutus Albinus, and Gaius Trebonius all men with a great amount of influence, were the ringleaders of the event. They would eventually convince over 60 senators to join them in their plot.

The assassination of Julius Caesar, painted by William Holmes Sullivan, c. 1888

On March 15, 44BC, Caesar’s wife, Calpurnia, woke up in a pool of her own sweat – she had dreamed that she held a deceased Caesar in her arms, mourning. Caesar, hearing about the dream, and after Calpurnia had begged, reluctantly decided not to go, sending his second-in-command Mark Antony to inform the senate of his absence.

Of course, the conspirators were not happy about this.

So, they sent one of the ring leaders, Decius, to try to convince Caesar to join the senate meeting. Supposedly, after some convincing, Decius said, “Will someone of your stature pay attention to a woman's dreams and the omens of foolish men?” and Caesar relented, and began making his way towards the senate house.

Upon arriving at the Senate house… Well, we all know what happened.

2. Fall of Constantinople

By the mid-1400s, the Byzantine Empire was in a bad spot. Having been gradually reduced in size over the centuries, Byzantine was an empire in name only. Being surrounded by the Ottoman Turks on all sides, the Byzantines were simply waiting for their destruction.

Though the Ottomans had laid siege to the great cities multiple times in the past, the stalwart defenses of the city had been able to drive them back.

Siege of Constantinople, Chronique de Charles VII by Jean Chartier.

On April 6th, 1453, the Ottomans would again lay siege to the capital of Constantinople. 

However, this time, it would be different.

The siege had been proceeding normally, however, on the 22 of May 1453, the sun began to be obscured by the moon –  a partial eclipse.

It was said that at its apex, the partial eclipse resembled a crescent, foretelling the future of the city. 

Less than a week later, the city would fall to the Ottomans on 29th of May, 1543.

1. Battle of Drepana

One more about Rome.

During the second Punic War between Rome and its Mediterranean foe, the Carthaginians, some of the most crucial battles, in stark contrast with past Roman history, were fought on the sea.

The Battle of Drepana was one such battle.

In 249BC, Publius Claudius Pulcher, the commander of the Roman fleet at the time, was blockading the port of Lilybaeum, modern Marsala. While engaging in the blockade, Pulcher decided to take a light detour and attack the Carthaginian fleet stationed in the nearby port of Drepana. 

Seeing an opportunity, Pulcher decided to commit to a night attack.

When committing to such attacks, the Romans had a tradition of observing the feeding behavior of sacred chickens: when the chickens were offered food, it they consumed it, that was a good omen; on the other hand, if the chicken refuses to eat, then it was a bad omen.

On their trip to Drepana, one such ceremony was performed.

Unfortunately, the chicken refused to eat.

Seeing this, Pulcher became enraged, and screamed something to the effect of: “If they were not hungry, then perhaps they were thirsty.”

He then tossed the sacred chickens into the water.

A sketch of the battle of Drepana drawn by Muriel somewhere in 2004.

Needless to say, the gods were not pleased. The Carthaginians managed to get around Pulcher’s forces, counter-attacked from the rear and pinning Pulcher to the coast.

93 Roman ships would be captured by the Carthaginians, and 20,000 Romans would lose their lives.

All because of a chicken.

Sources

Augusta 89. Français :  Positions Des Flottes Romaine et Carthaginoise Avant Le Début de La Bataille de Drépane En 249 Av. J.-C.. Les Effectifs Sont Basés Sur Les Effectifs Les plus Faibles Donnés Par Les Sources Antiques. November 6, 2019. Adrian Goldsworthy, The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265–146 BC, Londres, 2006, p. 119. File:Drepana.png Vercingetorix~commonswiki. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Drepana-fr.svg.

Bagnall, Nigel. The Punic Wars: Rome, Carthage and the Struggle for the Mediterranean. Pimlico 331. London: Pimlico, 1999.

Goldsworthy, Adrian Keith. The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars, 265-146 BC. Cassell Military Paperbacks. London: Cassell, 2003.

Guillermier, Pierre. Total Eclipses : Science, Observations, Myths, and Legends. New York : Springer, 1999. http://archive.org/details/totaleclipsessci0000guil.

“Ides of March: The Death of Caesar.” Accessed June 18, 2024. https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/ides.html.

Lazenby, John F. The First Punic War: A Military History. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1996.

Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt (biography). “Sacred Chickens.” Encyclopedia of Diderot & d’Alembert - Collaborative Translation Project, September 1, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0000.865.

Miles, Richard. Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Mediterranean Civilization. London: Penguin Books, 2011.

Philippe, de Mazerolles. Français :  Enluminure Ornant La Cronicque Du Temps de Tres Chrestien Roy Charles, Septisme de Ce Nom, Roy de France Par Jean Chartier, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Ms. Français 2691, Folio 254 Verso. circa  -1479 1470. Bibliothèque nationale de France. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siege_constantinople_bnf_fr2691.jpg.

Strauss, Barry S. The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination. First Simon&Schuster hardcover edition. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2015.

Sullivan, William Holmes. English:  The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Painted by William Holmes Sullivan, c. 1888. circa 1888date QS:P,+ - -00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902 1888. Self-photographed. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Death_of_Julius_Caesar_2.png.