The Impact of the Laurel on Apolline Divination: Affecting the Mind Without the Use of Drugs

• Main Author: Giulia Frigerio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Classicists 2021-03-01
• Series: New Classicists
• Subjects: cognitive approach; ancient greece; divination; oracles; object agency; laurel
• Online Access: https://www.newclassicists.com/journals?lightbox=dataItem-kmc9tboy
• ISSN: 2732-4168; 2732-4168

Many scholars argue about the possible influence of drugs on the mind of the prophets practicing Apolline divination in Ancient Greece. Laurel has been one of the first subjects analysed in this regard, as the Pythia reportedly chewed laurel leaves before uttering oracles. However, previous analyses conducted have revealed that the bay leaf lacks the chemical substances to alter the state of a human mind. In this paper, I argue that the laurel did nevertheless have the power to influence the Pythia’s mind thanks to its agency. My aim is to demonstrate the cognitive impact of the laurel on divinatory practices, due to its symbolical and evocative properties in the context of divination. The use of the laurel in divinatory practices is analysed in relation to the procedure at the sanctuary of Delphi in the Classical period. The methodology followed makes use of a cognitive approach that considers both the object affordances and the human neural response to them. These aspects are subsequently set in the correct cultural and ontological background, widely relying on primary sources. The article concludes that, despite the modality being different from the one proposed in the past, the laurel had a strong impact on divination through its evocative and symbolical properties. At Delphi, its evocative properties were fundamental for a successful divination.