Sortes Homericae facts for kids

Sortes Homericae (say: SOR-tays Hoh-MER-ih-kay) is a Latin phrase that means "Homeric lots." It was a way people tried to predict the future or find answers to questions. This method was a type of divination, which means trying to gain insight into a question or situation by using a ritual. Specifically, it was a form of bibliomancy, which is divination using books.

To practice Sortes Homericae, someone would randomly pick a sentence or line from the famous ancient Greek poems by Homer, usually the Iliad. They believed this random line would give them the answer they were looking for. In ancient Rome, this practice was similar to other types of "sortes" (lots), like the Sortes Virgilianae (using poems by Virgil) and later, the Christian Sortes Sanctorum (using holy books).

Famous Users of Homeric Lots

Some well-known figures from history are said to have used Sortes Homericae:

Socrates and His Fate

The famous Greek philosopher Socrates reportedly used this practice. He supposedly used it to figure out the day he would be executed.

Brutus and the Battle of Pharsalus

Brutus, a Roman politician, is also said to have used Sortes Homericae. The story goes that it helped him learn that Pompey would lose the important Battle of Pharsalus in 48 BCE.

Emperor Macrinus's Short Reign

The Roman emperor Marcus Opellius Macrinus, who ruled from 217 to 218 CE, also reportedly used sortes Homericae. He supposedly learned that he would not stay on the imperial throne for very long.

How It Was Different

Unlike the Sortes Virgilianae, Sortes Homericae was not a widely recognized or common practice. There are only three known stories about its use, and these stories are separated by hundreds of years. Also, it's not certain if these stories are completely true.

Interestingly, two of these stories (about Socrates and Brutus) didn't involve opening the Iliad randomly and picking a passage, which is the usual way bibliomancy works. Instead, these stories suggest the person either dreamed about a passage or thought about one.

The Homer Oracle

Another method of divination related to Homer's works was called the "Homer Oracle," or Homeromanteion. This method is described in an ancient text called Greek Magical Papyrus 121.

The Homer Oracle used parts of Homer's poetry that were organized by triple digits. After preparing with certain rituals, a person would roll a die three times. The numbers from the dice would then tell them which verse to consult for their answer.

Sources

• Gargantua and Pantagruel, Book 3, from "The Complete Works of Francois Rabelais", p285