At last he came. The shade of the famous Theban prophet,
holding a golden scepter, knew me at once and hailed me:
"Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, master of exploits,
man of pain, what now, what brings you here,
forsaking the light of day
to see this joyless kingdom of the dead?
Stand back from the trench – put up your sharp sword
so I can drink the blood and tell you all the truth."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 11, lines 100-107. The famous blind prophet Tiresias greets Odysseus in the underworld. Tiresias is the seer of Thebes, who inhabits the underworld and who is meant to guide Odysseus on how to get home.