Kingdom of Gouneus
Little is known of the far-west kingdom of Gouneus, of Gouneous himself, the place he came from, Cyphus, or the identification of the rivers mentioned by Homer (Iliad, 2.748-755). Dodona is the exception. It is known to have been inhabited since prehistoric times. There was a sacred oak and after Homer's day a temple to Zeus. "In a rare manner," the information board at the site explains, "the god dwelt in the roots of the prophetic oak tree and was worshipped in the open air. The priests pronounced oracles according to the rustling of the leaves of the sacred tree, the flight and cawing of the birds that nested in its branches, or other portentous signs and symbols. From the 8th century B.C., the oak was encircled by adjoining bronze cauldrons set upon tripod stands. The oracles were given by the continuous sound these vessels produced when someone struck them. From the 6th century B.C., questions were submitted in writing, incised on lead tablets. The answers were usually delivered orally and very occasionally written on the reverse of the tablet.... The oracle continued to operate until the predominance of Christianity in the late 4th century A.D." Achilles offered a prayer to Zeus at Dodona (Iliad, 16.233), and Odysseus consulted the oak at Dodona (Odyssey, 14.327-328). The site was re-discovered in the 19th century. An impressive early 3rd century B.C. theatre estimated to have accommodated about 17,000 spectators was excavated. An oak tree was re-planted, and a trough was built for the hopeful to throw coins into. The short video shows some still photographs of the site, the theatre, and the oak tree.
Location: 39°32'46.8"N 20°47'05.9"E (Archaelogical Site of Dodona)