1.5 Rituals and Priests

Greek religious rituals followed a very precise procedure- why ? hence what had to occur ?

Any deviance from the procedure could provoke the anger of the gods. Hence, priests and priestesses had to be practised in their services.

what role did priests and priestesses have ?

They fulfilled the important role of invoking the goodwill of the gods on behalf of the entire community.

What distinguishes the ‘priest’ in the ancient world from modern priests?

Their tasks were very different, and their position and expertise varied depending on where they practiced.

They sometimes had to be what?

Seers, dream-interpreters, doctors, butchers, accountants and much more.

What role they had depended on what?

On the deity in question and the local peculiarities of the deity’s cult in which they served.

Despite not having specific training, Greek priests had to have what?

Many skills.

They did no form an overall ——?

They did not form an overall ‘caste’ or association and they kept their individuality and provided assistance and required to the sanctuaries they were appointed at.

What was the main task of priests and priestesses in Ancient Greece?

The performance of the ritual sacrifice and other religious services.

A civic priest was always under the responsibility of what?

The local authorities

Politicians did not need priests to perform religious activities but…

Priests were dependant of a civic representative to perform a public sacrifice.

Priests were often employed by who?

The city to perform rituals at specific civic occasions and assisting magistrates.

If they were special oracular priests, they would be interpreting what? they did not have actual what ?

a deity's oracles when the city sought a god's advice, but did not have actual direct political significance

Who was the archon basileus?

The person in charge of all religious matters (but individual priests were employed for each deity).

Where priests paid?

No - it was an unpaid post or only a part-time occupation.

What privileges do priests get?

• front row seats in the theatre of Dionysus

• Best cuts of sacrificial meats

• Prestige and respect (well regarded in society)

What were the three basic ways to obtain priesthood?

• through inheritance

• by lot

• through purchase

how long were Hereditary priesthoods? they were particularly prominent in what cults ?

were mostly lifelong and particularly prominent in important civic cults such as the cult of Athena Polias in Athens and the priests of Demeter and Kore at Eleusis

Two most famous hereditary priesthood in Greece.

Eumolpidae and Kerykes.

Eumolpidae provided what for the mysteries?

Eumolpidae provided the priests called hierophants

The Eumolpidae traced their family roots back to who?

The mythical king Eumolpos, who was introduced to the mysteries by Demeter herself.

The Kerykes provided what?

the second most important priest (the dadouchos - torchbearer)

The Kerykes traced their roots back to who?

Keryx, the (mythological) first priest of Demeter at Eleusis.

What was the dadouchos main duty?

to provide light which played an important part in the nocturnal part of the ceremony.

How often were priests elected by lot or vote?

On an annual basis.

Who could pay t be appointed as priests?

Both men and women could pay to be appointed as priests, whereas female priesthoods cost less than male priesthoods.

what was the most important female priesthood in Greece ?

The priestess of Athena Polias (Athena of the city)

The priestesses were provided by who?

the noble family of the Eteoboutadae who traced their roots back to the mythical age.

Priesthood allowed women to do what?

Take part in the male sphere of politics that they were normally excluded from and become more visible/influential in society.

define priestess of Athena Polias

key participant in the Panathenaic procession carrying the peplos of Athena

What did priestesses lead?

organised and held their own festivals, such as the Thesmophoria, a female-citizen-only festival in honour of Demeter

Greek cities employed priestesses for what deities?

female deities and priests for their male counterparts.

Men also served where?

in the sanctuaries and festivals of female deities, at least additionally.

Priests and priestesses were not only responsible for rituals celebrated in the sanctuary they were appointed at but equally for what ?

the physical care of the sanctuary (Including its buildings, votive-gifts and its finances)

what was used for sacrifice?

vegetable products such as grain and flowers as well as special sacrificial savoury cakes were offered to the gods, the blood sacrifice was the standard type of ancient Greek sacrifice.

The ritual slaughtering served many proses such as?

centre of the community or group and served many purposes, one of which was the supply of meat.

Species used for sacrifice and what the choice of animal depended on.

Commonly: sheep, goats, pig and cattle

Rarely: fish, wild animals, dogs, horses or fowl

Depended on the type of festival and the budget available.

For the Thesmophoria and the Eleusinian Mysteries, the participants brought what to be sacrificed ?

piglets to be sacrificed

What was the hecatomb?

The most famous blood sacrifices which included rage slaughtering and consumption of originally one hundred oxen (over time became a dozen oxen rather than a hundred!) - was a rare occasion

A famous hecatomb of ancient Greece was the what?

hecatomb at Olympia at the end of the Olympic Games

on the great altar of zeus, what did they bring to be sacrificed?

smaller and hence cheaper animals and leave the cattle for civic festivals

The most information about the actual procedure of the sacrifice is taken from what ?

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and from Euripides (Electra) and Aristophanes (Birds)

name the three stages of a sacrifice

the preparation
the act of killing
handling of the meat

Preparation

• animal led to the altar in a procession (usually)

• Each participant cleansed their hands and took a handful of barley grain

• The sacrificial victims head was sprinkled with water to force a nod of agreement

• followed by the cut of a strand of hair of the victim by the main sacrificer

• The hair was put on the altar, the fire was lit, a prayer was said in which the desired outcome of the sacrifice was formulated (e.g. health, victory)

• Now the other participants threw their handfuls of barley forward.

The Act of Killing

• the main sacrificer cut the animal's throat with a knife (larger victims were stunned by a blow with an axe beforehand)

• Women now chanted the ritual cry called ololygé

• the altar was bloodied by either holding the animal directly over the altar or catching a larger animal's blood in a bowl and then pouring it over the altar

Handling of the meat

• The deity's portions were taken away (typically the thigh bones and small portions of meat from all the limbs were burned on the altar and wine was poured over it)

• the entrails were taken out and roasted on spits over the fire and shared among the worshippers

• the remaining meat was cooked and distributed among the participants

During the sacrifice, the omens were often taken both from what - these were read according to what?

the burning of the god's portion and from the condition of the entrails, which were read according to a manual

Prescribed Source: Sacrifice by the Nausicaa Painter

• two women standing back to back, concentrating on preparing two bulls for a sacrifice

• Date: 450BC

• Significance: The vase shows the adornment of the sacrificial animals, a crucial part during the preparatory stage of a sacrifice

Blood sacrifice served to do what?

unite a community, fed people, displayed strength and the relationship between animals and humans and within the community

AND

appease the gods and request their goodwill

The next most common form of sacrificial ritual was the what?

Ritual libation (the ancient Greeks poured water, wine, milk or honey honouring the gods, heroes or even the dead and asking their favour in return)

where were libations poured?

Libations were poured in public and private contexts, often to mark beginnings and endings of, say, a day, a banquet or the sacrifice itself.

Libations often poured for what?

the occasion of safe arrivals on land and (on larger scale) the dead and chthonic or nature deities (nymphs, muses) often directly into grave vessels or the earth.

In most cases, libations were poured out of what?

a wine-jug into a libation bowl and from there onto the altar or the ground

Another form of sacrifice that does not include actual butchering is what ?

the burying of the sacrificial victims or objects (e.g. at the Thesmophoria the women ritually buried the sacrificial piglets to use the remains as fertilising agent on the Athenian fields the following year)

Greek sanctuaries were crowded with what?

everything a worship per could possibly dedicate to a deity or any object dear to the worshipper (jewellery, statues, inscription)

Led to the annual or biannual clearance of sanctuaries

What is a votive offering?

a vow by an individual or a community to one or more gods (not prescribed by ritual) which record the reciprocal relationship between gods and mortals

Why were votive offerings made?

• as thanks after a deity showed goodwill (e.g. lucky escape from a storm at sea)

• Illness

• Birth of a child

• As a guarantee for future goodwill of the gods (sometimes with special instructions)

On becoming adolescents, children offered what?

toys or locks from the first haircut (gave us clues about person's life stages)

Votive offerings were kept where?

In the sanctuary and expensive offering were often recorded in inventory lists.

A large votive offering (e.g. a temple) could also serve as what?

A way of displaying one’s position and wealth in a city

Define megaron.

underground chamber for ritual offerings