Oracle (Civ7)

Oracle
Wonder of the Antiquity Age
Introduced in Civilization VII
Associated with	Greek
Unlocked by	Public Life Symmachia II
Production cost	375
Placement	On Rough terrain.
Effects
+2 Culture. When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain an additional 10 Culture per Age. Ageless.

Back to List of wonders in Civ7

 "I count the grains of sand on the beach and measure the sea; I understand the speech of the dumb and hear the voiceless."
– The Pythia

The Oracle is an Antiquity Age wonder in Civilization VII. It is associated with the Greek civilization and must be built on a Rough tile.

• Effects:
  • +2 Culture.
  • When gaining rewards from a Narrative Event, gain an additional 10 Culture per Age.

Strategy

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Civilopedia entry

Those with the responsibility to make potentially calamitous or fortuitous decisions often treat that responsibility carefully. An outside voice – from the gods or the future – could be a good way to think through difficult choices and weigh the consequences. In Hellenistic Greece, this voice was the Pythia – the oracle of Apollo at Delphi – who was guided by the phrases inscribed on the temple: “know thyself,” “nothing to excess,” and “surety brings ruin.”

According to legend, the earth-goddess Gaia gave birth to a dragon named Python. Jealous of Zeus’ infidelity, Hera sent Python after the infant Apollo. However, Apollo slew Python at Gaia’s shrine and took over the place.

The secrets of how the oracle worked are lost to time. Those seeking natural explanations might rationalize the Pythia’s ramblings through the release of local volcanic gases (and their hallucinogenic effects). However, a more likely explanation could be that it was a cultural phenomenon – trances and prophetic statements are common enough in many societies.

Advice from Delphi was often cryptic. For instance, the Pythia told Alexander’s father Philip, “with silver spears, you may conquer the world,” seemingly foreshadowing Philip’s canny use of silver mines in subverting the Greek city-states. Before the Greek navy's defeat of the Persians, the Oracle reportedly called the winds “mighty allies of Greece.”

Trivia

• The Oracle's wonder quote comes from the Histories by ancient Greek historian Herodotus, specifically book 1, where the Pythia speaks to Lydian king Croesus.
• As was the case in previous Civilization games, the in-game depiction of the the Oracle is based on the Tholos of Delphi located in the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, rather than the Temple of Apollo inside of the main Delphic sanctuary, which is historically where the Delphic Oracle (also known as the Pythia) would speak her prophecies.

Gallery

Oracle in-game

Videos

Tell your empire's story with the 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞 in -Civ7! -gaming -Greece

Oracle teaser

See also

• Oracle in other games

Civilization VII Wonders [edit]
Antiquity	Angkor Wat Byrsa1 Colosseum Colossus Dur-Sharrukin Emile Bell Gate of All Nations Great Stele Ha'amonga 'a Maui Hanging Gardens Mausoleum of Theodoric Monks Mound Mundo Perdido Nalanda Oracle Petra Pyramid Of The Sun Pyramids Sanchi Stupa Terracotta Army Weiyang Palace
Exploration	Borobudur Brihadeeswarar Temple El Escorial Erdene Zuu Forbidden City Hale o Keawe House of Wisdom Machu Pikchu Notre Dame Rila Monastery1 Serpent Mound1 Shwedagon Zedi Daw Tomb of Askia White Tower
Modern	Battersea Power Station1 Boudhanath1 Brandenburg Gate Chengde Mountain Resort Dogo Onsen Doi Suthep Eiffel Tower Hermitage Manhattan Project Muzibu Azaala Mpanga Oxford University Palacio de Bellas Artes Red Fort Statue of Liberty Taj Mahal World's Fair
Natural	Bermuda Triangle Grand Canyon Great Barrier Reef Gullfoss Hoerikwaggo Iguazú Falls Machapuchare1 Mount Everest Mount Fuji1 Mount Kilimanjaro Redwood Forest Thera Torres del Paine Uluru Valley of Flowers Vihren1 Vinicunca1 Zhangjiajie
1 Requires DLC