An approximately 1,800-year-old stone inscription discovered in modern-day southwestern Turkey is revealing how people used ancient Greek fortune-telling rituals to seek answers about illness, travel and major decisions. Carved in ancient Greek across four sides of a limestone block, the text connects the results of casting animal bones with messages linked to the gods.
The monument was unearthed in 2024 inside a later chapel built on the third terrace of the agora, or public square, at the ancient city of Kibyra. Researchers date it to the second or third century A.D. The block stands about 4 feet tall, though sections of the original inscription are missing. Some of the writing has survived clearly, while other sections are badly damaged.
The findings were published in the journal Gephyra by Şenkal Kileci and co-authors. Their study places Kibyra within a wider tradition of oracles found across southern Asia Minor during the Roman Empire.
Stone inscription explains ancient Greek fortune-telling with animal bones
Instead of consulting a distant shrine, a person could seek guidance by throwing five knucklebones, generally taken from sheep, goats, or calves. Each bone had four usable faces, assigned values of 1, 3, 4 and 6.
Unlike modern dice, the uneven bones did not land equally on each face. Together, the five bones produced one of 56 combinations, each matched to a written prediction. The inscription listed the numbers and the associated deity before giving the prediction.
A throw of five ones, for example, corresponded to a message from Zeus. Some responses encouraged action. Others warned people to wait, avoid a journey, or reconsider a purchase. One passage linked to Apollo advised, “Do not hasten! For it is not yet the time.”
The messages also addressed sickness, separation from loved ones, and hopes of returning home. Their practical concerns suggest why this form of divination appealed to people dealing with everyday uncertainty.
Hermes dedication points to a public oracle monument
At the top of the stone, a damaged dedication provides another clue. The researchers interpret it as referring to a statue of Hermes, a base and surrounding features paid for by an individual donor. Hermes was closely associated with casting lots and delivering divine messages.
Although the block was found reused in a chapel, the researchers believe it probably came from Kibyra’s agora. Similar monuments elsewhere stood in public spaces, where visitors could seek divine guidance about everyday concerns.
Comparisons with inscriptions from other cities show that Kibyra shared the same divination system, but its wording was not identical. The text contains copying mistakes and variations in verse, suggesting local stonecutters or editors adapted oracle texts as the tradition spread.
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