Nekromanteion of Acheron, Preveza

The most famous nekromanteion (necromancy temple) in the ancient Greek world is located near the north-western banks of Lake Acherusia, where the two rivers of Hades, Acheron and Cocytus, intersect. In ancient sources, the site of Lake Acherusia is mentioned as the place where the dead descended to Hades, while Efyra, a nearby city of Epirus, is associated with the age-old worship of the deity of Death. Believers went to the Nekromanteion to meet the souls of the dead, who, after being released from their mortal bodies, acquired the capacity to predict the future. The oldest mention of the Nekromanteion of Acheron was made by Homer in his Odyssey, when Circe advises Odysseus to meet the blind seer Teiresias in the underworld, in order to obtain an oracle about his return to his homeland (Book 10, line 488 and the following). A few lines later, he also gives a fascinating description of mortal Odysseus’ descent to Hades (Book 11,  line 24 and the following). The resemblance of Homer’s description to the actual site of the Nekromanteion is stunning. The Nekromanteion of Acheron was excavated between 1958-1964 and 1976-1977. It was the first sanctuary and oracle of the Underworld gods to achieve fame.