Ancient Greek Divination: How Communication with the Gods Moderates the ‘Fear of the Unknown’ and ‘Intolerance of Uncertainty’

This article explores the cultural and psychological functions of ancient Greek divination as a mechanism for moderating the fundamental human ‘fear of the unknown’ and ‘intolerance of uncertainty.’ By synthesizing modern neurocognitive research on how the human brain processes perceived uncertainty with the epigraphic evidence of the oracular lead tablets from Dodona (6th to 1st centuries BCE), the study explores the emotional and mental states that motivated individual consultations. The paper analyzes two primary categories of queries: past/present concerns – often involving crimes like theft or murder – which are framed through the lens of ‘social pain’ and the Aristotelian definition of anger (orgê) and desire for revenge; and future concerns, which reflect intense ‘anticipatory anxiety’ regarding health, offspring, and high-risk decisions such as travel or migration. Ultimately, the article argues that when individual cognitive and behavioral resources proved insufficient to achieve cognitive closure, ancient Greeks externalized their anxiety by appealing to the superhuman knowledge of the gods, thereby attempting to convert distressing conditions of pure uncertainty into manageable psychological outcomes.