Charonium at Aornum
Aornum was an oracle in Ancient Greece, located in Thesprotia in a cave called Charonium (Χαρώνειον ἄντρον or χάσμα) which gave forth poisonous vapours.
- The Oracles of the Ancient World: A Comprehensive Guide (Duckworth Archaeology) by Trevor Curnow,2004,page 184,”… outside it, to the N, there is a place called Aornum, with a sacred cave called the Charonium which emitted deadly vapours…””
The name of the cave, “Charon‘s Cave”, reflects the belief that it was an entrance for Hades, the Greek underworld.
The Greek Myths (Volume 1) by Robert Graves, 1990),page 112: “… He used the passage which opens at Aornum in Thesprotis and, on his arrival, not only charmed the ferryman Charon…”
In a version of the myth, Orpheus travels to Aornum to recover his wife, Eurydice, from Hades.
- Pausanias, Description of Greece,Boeotia9.30.1,[6] Others have said that his wife died before him, and that for her sake he came to Aornum in Thesprotis, where of old was an oracle of the dead. He thought, they say, that the soul of Eurydice followed him, but turning round he lost her. The Thracians say that such nightingales as nest on the grave of Orpheus sing more sweetly and louder than others.
See also
- Leibethra
- Leibethra or Libethra, in the modern pronunciation Leivithra was an ancient Macedonian city at the foot of Mount Olympus, near the present settlement of Skotina. Archaeologists have discovered tombs there from the late Bronze Age containing rich burial objects.
- Pimpleia
- Pimpleia was a city in Pieria in Ancient Greece, located near Dion and ancient Leivithra at Mount Olympus. Pimpleia is described as a “κώμη” of Dion by Strabo. The location of Pimpleia is possibly to be identified with the modern village of Agia Paraskevi near Litochoron.
References
- The Oracles of the Ancient World: A Comprehensive Guide (Duckworth Archaeology) by Trevor Curnow,2004,page 184,”… outside it, to the N, there is a place called Aornum, with a sacred cave called the Charonium which emitted deadly vapours…””
- The Greek Myths (Volume 1) by Robert Graves, 1990),page 112: “… He used the passage which opens at Aornum in Thesprotis and, on his arrival, not only charmed the ferryman Charon…”
- Pausanias, Description of Greece,Boeotia9.30.1,[6] Others have said that his wife died before him, and that for her sake he came to Aornum in Thesprotis, where of old was an oracle of the dead. He thought, they say, that the soul of Eurydice followed him, but turning round he lost her. The Thracians say that such nightingales as nest on the grave of Orpheus sing more sweetly and louder than others.
