Μαντείο Τροφωνίου

Oracle of Trophonius

Useful Information

Location:	Trofoniou Dios 4, Livadia 321 00. (38.4315641, 22.8748924)
Open:	no restrictions. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Cave Church Gateways to Hell
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Oracle of Trophonius, Trofoniou Dios 4, Livadia 321 00, Tel: +30-.
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History

1960s

archaeological excavations.

Description

Μαντείο Τροφωνίου (Manteio Trofoniou, Oracle of Trophonius) is a semi underground site, a sort of quarry or archaeological excavation, with some cave like structures. However, the legend tells about a cave, where Trophonius was swallowed up by the earth while attempting to steal King Hyrieus of Boetia’s treasures. He became a god and lived in the cave named after him, initially more or less unnoticed and allegedly annoyed that he was confined to the cave. Much later the people of Lebadeia were suffering from a plague. Someone told them that the cause of the plague was an angry hero, so they guessed this meant Trophonius, and they began worshipping him at his cave. But pilgrims who entered the cave went mad and, upon leaving, recounted his words to a scribe as if in a trance. Such events made the Oracle of Trophonius notorious throughout the ancient world.

Trophonius is said to have been a son of Apollo, not of Erginus. This I am inclined to believe, as does everyone who has gone to Trophonius to inquire of his oracle. They say that these, when they grew up, proved clever at building sanctuaries for the gods and palaces for men. For they built the temple for Apollo at Delphi and the treasury for Hyrieus. One of the stones in it they made so that they could take it away from the outside. So they kept on removing something from the store. Hyrieus was dumbfounded when he saw keys and seals untampered with, while the treasure kept on getting less.
Paus. 9.37.5.
Pausanias: Description of Greece Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. online

This site, which is only guessed to be the site of the Oracle of Trophonius, was excavated by archaeologists in the 1960s. They revealed remnants of the temple dedicated to Trophonius, along with altars and other structures that played a role in the prophetic rituals. However, the cave was not discovered, so it is unclear if it collapsed, was filled in, or is actually at a different location. It is located at the lower end of a gorge south of Lebadea, in Boeotia, Greece. The cave was considered sacred and was believed to be a gateway between the human world and the divine. We do not have a category for this, as most underground structures are considered to be a connection to hell or afterlife.