Dodoʹna
.A famous oracle in Epiʹros, and the most ancient of Greece. It was dedicated to Zeus (Jupiter), and situate in the village of Dodõna.
⁂ The tale is, that Jupiter presented his daughter Thebē with two black pigeons which had the gift of human speech. Lemprière tells us that the Greek word peleiai (pigeons) means, in the dialect of the Epīrots, old women; so that the two black doves with human voice were two black or African women. One went to Libya, in Africa, and founded the oracle of Jupiter Ammon; the other went to Epīrus and founded the oracle of Dodõna. We are also told that plates of brass were suspended on the oak trees of Dodona, which being struck by thongs when the wind blew, gave various sounds from which the responses were concocted. It appears that this suggested to the Greeks the phrase Kalkos Dodõnēs (brass of Dodona), meaning a babbler, or one who talks an infinite deal of nothing.
