GREEK RELIG TEXTBOOK

Homer’s gods

Anthropomorphic, powerful, governed by personal desire and used for comic relief

Hesiod

Gives advice on how to perform worship- Works and Days- never pour wine with unwashed hands AND offer the gods libations and burnt offerings

ZEUS EPITHETS

Zeus Agoraios= Zeus of the agora

Zeus Phratrios= Patron deity of Phratrys

Zeus Philios= Individual and household well-being

Zeus Herkios = protector of families

Issue with Greeks knowing who to worship

Artemis or Zeus Philios for childbirth? Many oracular tablets found at Sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona asking what god to pray to

A hero had to achieve something unusual to become a hero eg.

Cleomedes who ripped a school roof on top of him and killed 60 children

Who can be initiated into the Eleusinian mysteries?

Anyone as long as they spoke Greek and hadn’t committed any serious crime and could be initiated if they could pay

Myst

Wants to be initiated

Mystagogue

Already initiated and can initiate others

Archon Basileus

Archon in charge of all things sacred in Athens and the mysteries

ORDER OF THE PROCESSION

1- 3,000 gather in the agora

2- purification bathing in seaside with sac animals

3,4,5- rest!

6- 15m procession from agora to Eleusis where young mocked old and Aphrodite and Iacchus were worshipped

7,8,9- fasting and drinking kykeon, re-living myth of Demeter and Kore in the dark, simulating own death, blinding light in the Telestrion simulating rebirth (epopteia)

Panhellenic sanctuaries to Asclepius

Asclepieion at Epidaurus and sanctuary of Asclepius at the island of Cos

Incubation

Sleeping in the stoa, often being cured overnight

where is the Oracle of Zeus

Dodona, Epirus

Oracular responses at the Oracle of Zeus at Dodona

emanating from rustling leaves from sacred oak (from Odyssey) or sitting doves on a tree

5th C onwards most common questions on oracular tablets @ Oracle of Zeus, Dodona

What god to pray to? Should I do x or y?

3 main household gods

Zeus Ktesios- protector of property/ wealth

Zeus Herkios- Protector of outside the house

Apollo Agyeios- Protected the house from within

The hearth

dedicated to Hestia, reps the home to the family, ritual of walking round the fire showered by fruits and nuts to the welcome newcomer eg. baby

Herm

A pillar with the head of Hermes and an erect phallus placed outside the house as a protective symbol

The role of the father in the oikos

tend to oikos gods, tend to family tombs and welcome the son into his phratry

Girls religious participation

Arrephoros- taking a basket from sanctuary of Athena to sanctuary of Aphrodite

Grinder- ground the meal for sacrificial cakes

Brauronia- dress up as bears at the festival of Artemis Brauronia

Basket bearer- carrying baskets for sacrificial occasions eg. Panathenaea

Demes had their own religious calenders eg.

Erchia sacrificed to six Apollos and celebrated 3 local heroes

Polis religion was payed for by

state funds and organised by state officials

Panhellenic sanctuaries

Delphi worshipping Pythian Apollo at Pythian games

Olympia worshipping Olympian Zeus at Olympic games

Nemea worshipping Nemean Zeus at Nemean games

Isthmus worshipping Isthmian Poseidon at Isthmian games

Archons

Archon Basileus= main relig official- responsible for sacrifices in cults

Eponymous archon= authority over festivals eg. City Dionysia

Polemarch = war archon

Examples of miasma

Pregnancy, murder, physically dirty, not honouring gods, sex, presence of dead body

Links between politics and religion

political decisions made with religious consultations- eg. King of Lydia asked oracle whether to invade Persia

Military victories celebrated with gods in mind- Persian triremes to Poseidon at Isthmia and Nemea

Law courts had jurisdiction over sacred matters eg. Alcibiades and Socrates charged at Areopagus (Athenian law courts)

Civic funds housed at treasuries eg. Parthenon stored money from Athenian allies

Panathenaic procession

procession (pompe) started at Dipylon gates went through agora and propylaia to Acropolis along Panathenaic way

Ionic frieze shows aristocrats, elders, women in the procession showing wide range of people could participate

Presentation of the peplos

Maidens from aristocratic families made the smaller one and for the great Panathenaea professional male weavers made it

Bigger one also used as sail on big ship (militairy purpose 2)

meat from sacrifices in the Panathenaea

Civic officials and maidens who carried the vessels had meat on Acropolis and meat from sacrifice distributed among men who took part in the festival -all citizens entitled to a portion and at public expense

Contests at the Panathenaea

musical and rhapsodic

athletic

Euandrion- national prize if you had the ‘prettiest man’

Pyhrric dance- Athena’s battle dance (relig) and shows off athleticism of tribe (civic)

How to become a priest

Inheritance- eg. Eumolpidae fam providing hierophants

Lot

Purchase- women priesthoods normally cost less

Women in relig rituals

Athena Polis- Etaboutadae family- On ionic frieze w/ Archon Basileus - women not typically involved in politics- priesthood exception

Involved in important sacrifices eg. Panathenaia

Women also important consultants eg. Pythia

Priest tasks

Mediator between mortal and divine

Looking after sanctuary- votives and finances

Blood sacrifice

prep- sprinkle animal head if it nods u can sacrifice light fire and say prayer

act of killing- cut throat, ololygye and bloody altar

handling of meat- burn deity portion, entrails roasted and read

When was Socrates born?

469BC

Xenophanes beleifs

1st to suggest one cosmic god

suggests origin of everything is earth and water

Uses natural phenomena to explain supernatural interpretations- iris is a cloud

criticises Homer’s anthropomorphic gods- a horse would see his gods as horses

Stoics

4thC - advocated for belief of one god

Socrates charges

Didn’t believe in the ‘right’ deities (Athens civic deities)

Corruption of the youngas he infected them w/ his thoughts

Aristophanes’ Socrates

in Clouds he likens them to Sophists (charge for their teachings)

Xenophon and Plato’s Socrates

Soc refused money for his teachings and never saw himself as a teacher

Socrates’ beliefs of the gods

Aware/ believes in their existence and aware they’re superior to mortals but never thought he had to prove their existence

Obeys Apollo at the Oracle

follows his daimonion

Believes in justice- never tried to escape his punishment

Were Socrates’ views controversial?

Soc never criticises the gods

He discusses the gods and questions them using Socratic method- threat to authorities

Surrounded himself with individuals who were against democracy eg. Alcibiades

Doric frieze of Parthenon

Battles- Gigantomachy, Centauromachy, Amazonmachy and Trojan War

Ionic frieze of Parthenon

Depiction of procession and varied people worshipping Athena

Pediments of the Parthenon

East- her birth

West- contest for patronage

Inside the Parthenon

Chryselephantine statue of Athena by Pheidias (gold borrowed in times of need)

Used somewhat as a treasury- inscriptions show large amounts of gold held in Parthenon

Erechtheion

Where Athena won patronage

grave of King Kekrops

Dedicated to Erechtheus who all citizens could claim descent from

Used for Plyntera (cleaning festival when businesses were ceased) and Panathenaea (destination of procession)

Statue of Athena Polias inside

Oracle reliability

Oracle as neutral as possible- hardly any accusations - once a noble Athenian family had bribed the Pythia to advise the Spartans to free Athens

Sanctuary at Delphi

6thC

Omphalos of the world (two eagles met)

Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Large altar from people of Chios to give them promanteia

Adyton where Pythia would give consultations

in the Naos there was a laurel tree which P would chew on to get to her prophetic state

East pediment- Apollo on chariot

West pediment- Gigantomachy

Sacred way at Delphi

Steep- visually exciting

monuments eg. Athens after victory against Persians and Spartans 3x size opposite to commemorate their victory over Athens

eg. Serpent column commemorating poleis joining forces against Persians (relig 2 as serpernts rep Pytho who Apollo slew and tripod reps the Pythia)

Treasuries eg. Treasury of Athenians

The theatre at Delphi

N-W of temple of Apollo

musical contests held here apart of Pythian games

Stadium at Delphi

N-W of sanctuary of Apollo

inscription forbids removal of sacrificial wine links athletic contests and religion

Oracular consultation at Delphi

Consultation of Pythia on 7th day for 9 months only

1st day of every month Pythia would purify herself

Promanteia given by Amphitryonic league as per relationship w/ Delphi

worshippers assembled in buildings such as stoa of Athenians where people could meet new people and discuss ideas (civic)

Only men can consult Pythia

Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Chryselephantine statue of Zeus by Pheidias affirms supremacy through throne and sceptre

East pediment- chariot race with Pelops (Zeus’ grandson) origin of Olympic games

West pediment- centauromachy civilisation over barbarity

Metopes show Herc’s 12 labours - son of Zeus

Ash Altar of Zeus at Olympia

Where Zeus struck his lightning

10thC -old

Ashes from sacrifice mixed with water from local river

Athletes and visitors sacrificed- relig purpose to games

Treasuries at Olympia

Before entering the stadium 12 panhellenic treasuries- prime visibility and self-promotion

Zanes outside mini statues of Zeus paid for by cheating athletes to warn about cheating

The stadium at Olympia

N-E side

running races always finished facing the altis- relig element of games

Priestess of Demeter Chamyne was the ONLY WOMAN allowed to view the contests

Olympic games

held every 4 years

Origins= Hercules and Pelops= descendants of Zeus

games also gave visitors an excuse to visit the sanctuary and sacrifice and assert Greek identity through panhellenic poleis taking part in games