Classical Civilisation - Women in Religion

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Currently only has flashcards for Greek women in Religion

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1

hiereia

a greek priestess

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4

common offerings

  • libations

  • food offerings

  • valuable objects

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5

animal sacrifices (4)

  • an animal is killed at the altar and its blood was allowed to cover the altar

  • the priestess would pray and some of the animal meat would be burnt for the gods

  • all female celebrants would shout ‘ololyge’

  • all celebrants would then have a communal feat with the remaining meat

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6

mantis

a prophet, seer or soothsayer

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7

how did the manteis divine messages from the gods (4)

  • examine the entrails after an animal sacrifice

  • for a specific question, the mantis would inspect the internal organs

  • interpreting flights patterns of birds

  • interpreting weather changes

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8

were manteis legit?

many of their prophecies were often vague so that they could leave a lot of room to interpretation (so they could not be proven wrong and their reputation damaged)

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9

how to identify a mantis (2)

  • holding a liver in her hand

  • standing near a palm tree

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10

who was the pythia

the most important greek mantis

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11

where would the pythia reside?

sanctuary of apollo at delphi

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12

how to identify a pythia?

  • she’s sitting on a tripod

  • she may be holding a laurel branch

  • her head is covered

  • holding a libation

  • visited by a man

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13

how would the pythia prepare to give a prophecy?

  • on the seventh day of each month (consultation day)

  • she’d bathe herself in a nearby spring

  • she’d garland herself with bay leaves

  • she’d sit on a tripod

  • she’d burn barley and laurel leaves as an offering to apollo, and breathe in the fumes and go into a trance-like state

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14

how would the Pythia give the prophecy?

  • she ‘temporarily allowed apollo to take control of her body’ when she inhaled the fumes

  • inquirers (always men) brought offerings and sacrificed an animal before asking a question

  • the pythia would make noises which would be interpreted by a temple priest

  • normally these were also quite ambiguous

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15

why was the great panathenaia held

  • to honour the birthday of Athena

  • to celebrate the victory of the gods over the titans (the gigantomachy)

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16

when was the great panathenaia celebrated?

  • the panathenaia was held every year for athena’s birthday

  • every four years, the great panathenaia would be held to celebrate the gigantomachy

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17

who took part in the great panathenaia?

everyone except slaves

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18

what were some of the events at the great panathenaia?

  • wrestling

  • running

  • chariot racing

  • poetry reading

  • javelin

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19

what was the role of women in the great panathenaia?

  • they could watch the events

  • they were part of the procession on day six

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20

making the peplos (panathenaia)

  • the peplos was woven by Ergastinai (professional weavers)

  • on a loom set up by four Arrephoroi (minor priestesses)

  • the peplos was paraded through the streets during the procession and given to the statue of the goddess Athena on a temple in the acropolis

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21

what is a peplos?

  • a long dress that reaches the floor

  • Athena’s woven peplos would be dyed purple and saffron (two of the most expensive colours)

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22

why was the Thesmophoria held?

to honour Demeter and ensure the success of the next years harvest

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23

when was the thesmophoria held?

every autumn

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24

who took part in the thesmophoria?

the festival was exclusively for married athenian women

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25

how long was the thesmophoria?

three days

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26

what events took place each day of the thesmophoria?

day 1 - worshippers took up temporary assembly near the Pnyx

day 2 - worshippers would fast and sit on the ground, covering themselves in ashes

day 3 - worshippers would pray for blessings related to fertility

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27

What other rituals were done for the thesmophoria?

  • (some time before) piglets would be cast into a chasm and their decomposed remains would be retrieved during the festival. these remains were mixed with corn seed and laced on the altar, then scattered on the fields

  • the women would make crude jokes to one other

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28

what type of cult were the thesmophoria and the worship of dionysus?

they were both mystery cults - only the ones who were part of the festivals were allowed to know the details

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29

what happened during the worship of dionysus?

women would go out into the countryside and become intoxicated and dance and sing

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30

what were the worshipers of dionysus called?

maenads

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31

how to identify a maenad

  • loose hair

  • ivory crown

  • holding a thrysus

  • loose clothing or exposing clothing

  • wearing leopard skin / near leopards

  • barefoot

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32

how would women help during burial rites (6)

  • wash the body

  • dress any wounds

  • anoint the body with perfumed oils

  • clothe the body in white burial shroud

  • place garlands of flowers on the body

  • place a coin in the mouth of the dead person

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33

how would women mourn?

  • they’d cut their hair short

  • dress in tattered clothing

  • dirty themselves with ashes

  • wail

  • tear their hair

  • scratch their cheeks till they drew blood

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34

which type of women would prepare the body for burial?

  • direct relatives

  • women over the age of sixty

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35

what happens on the third day after death?

the body is carried in a procession called the ekphora from the deceased’s house to the burial site

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36

what were unmarried girls buried with?

in their wedding clothes, signifying they are wedded to death

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