Necromancy of Acheron
The ancient Necromancy is located at Mesopotamos of Preveza, at the location of ancient Ephyra. It was discovered by the excavations that took place there in 1958 – 1964, under the existing graveyard and the monastery of St. Ioannis (of the 18th century). The excavations took place under the orders of the professor of archaeology S. Dakaris.
The visitors, here, along with the help of priests, got in touch with the souls of the dead and asked information about the future. The oracle was a little island at the lake of Acherousia of that period and it was surrounded by the park of Persephone. The oracle was like a fortress.
At Odyssey of Homer, which was written in the end of the 8th century B.C., is mentioned the worship to Persephone and Hades. In Odyssey, also, is mentioned that Kirki the witch advices Odysseus to go to Hades and meet the soul of Teiresias the seer, so as to finnd his road to Ithaca.
It seems that Homer had visited the region. Close to the necromancy there was also a downing gate to Hades. It was the only one necromancy in ancient Greece for the communication of the souls. The souls were spirits like shadows and predicted the future. The priests greeted the pilgrims and tested them into a psychological trial.
The visitors offered a lot of the things for the purifying of the souls. The priests were the mediators, who with the help of iron wheels raised the idols of the dead from the hall which there was under the main hall. The visitors were leaving from another exit, so as not find the next visitors and keep the secrecy. The narration of what they had seen to others, was considered as a blasphemy and was punished with execution.
Herodotus mentions the importance of the oracle and especially the prophecy of Melissa to Periandrus. The oracle was burnt in 167 B.C by the Romans.
