Τύχα at the Oracle of Zeus, Dodona

How did those who consulted oracles regard the role of luck (both good and bad) in the events about which they had asked. One way to explore this question is to examine evidence for attitudes to luck in historical oracular consultations. In this article, I will do this by analysing formulations employing τύχα in the texts of the (published) questions posed at the oracle of Zeus at Dodona. This analysis leads to the suggestion that the role of luck was not understood to be dispelled through processes of divination; rather, by including τύχα, in a variety of different ways, in their questions to the oracle, consultants demonstrated their recognition of its active role in their lives.