How did Greek divination differ from Etruscan divination?

Greek and Etruscan divination differed primarily in their methodology and social structure.

The Greeks favored an intuitive, or "oracular," style of divination. This practice often involved inspiration or communication with the divine through mediums, such as the Pythia at Delphi, or through incubation, where inquirers sought answers in dreams. These oracular sanctuaries were typically located apart from centers of political power.12

In contrast, the Etruscans developed a systematic, inductive practice. Their system was concentric and focused at the summit of political power, with positions monopolized by the ruling class. They were particularly famous for haruspicy—the study of animal viscera, especially livers—to interpret the will of the gods. Their cosmology viewed the universe as a reflection of the divine, where natural phenomena like lightning and the flight of birds served as signs to be read by experts. While the Greeks emphasized the inspired individual, the Etruscans relied on an authoritative, state-sanctioned discipline known as the Etrusca disciplina.13