Topic 3 - Temples

What is a sanctuary?

An area of holy land dedicated to a God or Gods that contained a temple and altar

What was the purpose of a sanctuary?

1. Could be dedicated to one god or multiple gods

2. Common to have a water source at the entrance to allow people to wash out their religious pollution

What was pollution?

When a person has done something to make them impure in the eyes of the Gods

What is the function of a temple?

1. A temple was dedicated to s God and housed the cult statue

2. A temple was a place for the Gods to reside when they left Olympus for Earth

What is the altar?

The altar was where the sacrifice took place to allow the Gods to be honoured

What is the frieze?

A strip of marble that goes around a temple - can be either ionic or doric

What is a colonnade?

An-open-air covered walkway supported by columns

What was the cella?

The main room in the temple that contained the cult statue

What is the opisthodomos?

The rear room in a temple that contained a city or town’s treasure

What are Greek priests called?

1. Hiereus (Male)

2. Hiereia (Female)

What was the role of a hiereus/ hiereia?

One who sacrifices to a God

What is a mantis?

Soothsayer that predicted the future by reading omens in the entrails of a sacrificed animal

What is an augur?

They read the flight of birds to predict the future

Characteristics of a Greek temple building?

1. Was raised to give sends of grandeur and for a closer proximity to the Gods

2. A colonnade ran around the temple and provided support

3. There was a cella (Roman)/ naos (Greek)

4. There was an opisthodomos

What was a temple dedicated with?

Decorated using pediments and friezes

What is a pediment?

Triangular space at either end of the temple building that often contained scuplutres

What is an ionic frieze?

A continuous strip of stone or marble that runs around a temple

What is a Doric Frieze?

A continuous strip of stone or marble divided into metopes

What was the purpose of the Parthenon?

To honour Athena

Who were the 2 leading architects?

Pericles and Phidias

When was the Parthenon built?

447 - 432 BC

What was the Parthenon built out of?

Marble

What did the buildings symbolise?

Symbolised the power and wealth of Athens

Where was the Parthenon located?

Acropolis

What did the eastern (front) pediment show?

Birth of Athena

What does the western pediment show?

Naming contest of Athens (Athena VS Poseidon)

What was the cult statue made of?

It was a chryselephantine statue - it was made from gold and ivory

What made the temple of Zeus so significant?

1. Was found in the sanctuary called the altis

2. The altar was built before the temple - showing the significance of sacrifice

3. The altar itself was made from the ash of sacrificial animals

What was on the east pediment of the temple of Zeus?

1. on the pediment - the myth of Pelops and Oinomaos

2. The 12 labours of Heracles was shown on the metopes

What was on the west pediment?

Depicts the mythical battle between Centaurs and Lapiths - which represented civilization vs barbarism

Who designed the cult statue of Zeus?

Phidias - it was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world

What was a hecatomb?

The sacrifice in honour of a god of at least 100 oxen during large festivals

What is Gliding?

The covering of a surface in a thin layer of gold

What were semi - engaged columns?

A supporting column that is embedded in a wall, half protruding from it

Who was the Popa?

An official at a Roman sacrifice who struck the sacrificial animal with a wooden rod

What was an Oculus?

A circular opening at the top of a dome

What was the most common way of honouring the Gods?

Blood sacrifices which is the killing of an animal as offering to the god

What was usually sacrificed?

1. Smaller sacrifices used household animals

2. Larger sacrifices used a hecatomb

Process of sacrifices?

1. Animals had horns glided

2. Water was poured on its head to nod and consent to the sacrifice

3. Some of the animals hair was removed and thrown into the fire.

4. The animal would be raised over the altar and its throat slit, the blood would pour onto the altar

5. Woman would let out a scream to mark death - called an ololyge

6. The gods portion was prepared by remove the thigh bones and wrapping them in fat

7. The animal’s entrails were read for omens

What was different about Roman temples compared to Greek temples

Although they were influenced by the Greek and Etruscan style:

1. Columns were semi-engaged

2. THe naos was called the cells in Rome

How was a Roman sacrifice different?

The popa struck the animal on the head to stun it and the cultrarius would slit its throat

What was the importance of meat?

Meat was not a common part of the Greek and Roman diet so it offered a chance to enjoy a rare meal as a community

What was a role of Roman priest?

To maintain the pax deorum

Main role of Pontifices?

1. Most important college or priests

Concerned with:

1. Protecting temples

2. Regulating burial

3. Supervising the religious calender

What was the main role of Augurs?

Reading the flight of bird, behaviour of animals or direction of thunder to work out the will of the Gods

What are the main roles of the vestal virgin?

. Would have taken a vow of chastity and remain at post for 30 years:

1. 10 years for training

2. 10 years for being an actual vestal virgin

3. 10 years training another vestal virgin

. Protected the sacred flame

Why would you want to become a vestal virgin?

1. Respect and honour

2. Allowed access to front row seated at games and to write will

3. Would be able to set a criminal free

What was the main role of the Haruspex?

Specialised in the reading of entrails of sacrificed animals

Who was the Temple of Portunus built for?

Portunus, God of harbours

When was the temple of portunus built?

120 - 80 BC

Where was the Temple of Portunus located?

Near the River Tiber in the Forum

Who commissioned the Pantheon?

1. Commissioned by Augustus - built by Agrippa (27 - 25 BC)

2. Hadrian rebuilt it after it was burnt down (125AD)

What does the word “pantheon” mean?

All of the Gods

Where was the temple located?

Located in the campus Martius

Why was the Pantheon unique to other temples?

1. It was Rotunda

2. It had an occulus

3. Dedicated to all the Gods

4. Cella contained many cult statues