Studied by 4 peopleWhat is a priestess ? ( Greece )
Heireai
Who did priestesses usually worship ?( Greece )
Mostly female goddesses except for Dionysus and Apollo
How could you become a priestess ?( Greece )
by election
inheritance form parents
winning a lottery
buying the position
What did a priestess do ?( Greece )
mainly and administrative role
looked after the temple and sanctuary
supervised washing and clothing the stute
lead sacrifices and some festivals
How long are you a priestess for ?( Greece )
it is a part time job and only donwe for a year
What did they wear ?( Greece )
a special headband and white and purple - pure and royal colours
How important would being a priestess be to a woman ? ( Greece )
Very important as it is the only way women can take part in public life - and gave them a role in decision making over the temple and religious laws
What would you receive by being a priestess ? ( Greece )
You would be paid and didn’t have to pay taxes
you might get parts of animals from sacrifices ( which can be sold for high prices )
got front seats at the theatre /games
received a public burial which was a honour
some could even own property an pass it on (make a will)
Dates marked with their names and inscribed on building
What is a libation ? ( Greece )
a liquid offering
What could be sacrificed ? ( Greece )
animals
little figurines
objects
food
pour out libations
What were the most important sacrifices ?( Greece )
Animals
What could a priestess do at a sacrifice ?( Greece )
They could lead it
What would happen at a sacrifice ? ( Greece )
prayed
killed the animal
prayed again
ordered the assistants to cook and carve the meet
eat the meat
Who would inspect the organ after a sacrifice ? And what would they do ? ( Greece )
A mantis to see if the gods accepted the sacrifice
What did a mantis do ? ( Greece )
decide if a god accepted an offering
read omens in the movements of birds and weather patterns
gave vague prophecies so were never technically wrong
could advise politicians and leaders
Could anyone be a mantis ? ( Greece )
Yes as long as you said you were in touch with the gods
Who is the most important mantis in greece ? ( Greece )
The pythia
Where was the pythia located ? ( Greece )
Delphi
Why was the Pythia the most reliable oracle ? ( Greece )
Apollo is the god of prophecy so her prophecy’s are the best
Why is the pythia the most powerful woman in greece ? ( Greece )
She would give prophecies to people and people would come from all over the world so she can influence things
What did the Pythia often give advice about ? ( Greece )
How to clear yourself of religious pollution
Who other than the pythia is present ? ( Greece )
2 male priests and assistants
How long were you a pythia for ? ( Greece )
it was a job for life
What couldn’t you do as the pythia ? ( Greece )
have sex
When did the Pythia answer questions ? ( Greece )
7th day of the 9 warmest months as Apollo is god of the sun
How did the pythia give a prophecy ? ( Greece )
bathed in the castalian spring
wore a garland of bay leaves
sat on a tripod
went in a druggy trance
whilst giving a prophecy held a laurel leaf and a bowl of water
mumbled and it was written down by a priest as poetry
Where did the pythia sit in the temple ? ( Greece )
The Adyton
Who could ask the Pythia a question ? ( Greece )
Only men but women could ask through men
What did you have to do before asking the Pythia ? ( Greece )
bathe in the Castilian spring
sacrifice an animal
What is a cult ? ( Greece )
A group dedicated to one god with special rituals and festivals
What is a public cult ?( Greece )
For main gods you could just worship or be a priest
What is a mystery cult ? ( Greece )
for less popular gods with a big focus on death and the afterlife
How did religion link to being a kyria ?( Greece )
Being part of a cult was seen as part of being a good kyria - it was also an opportunity to get out of the house and to socialise with other women
What was the yearly festival to honour Athenas birthday in july ? ( Greece )
The Panathenaia and every 4 years the great panathenaia
Who participated in The panathenaia yearly and who participated every 4 years ? ( Greece )
The yearly one was only for people in athens and lasted 4 days but the large one was huge with people from other cities coming to participate
Because its in honour of a goddess there are many ways women can participate
How long was the Great Panathenaia ? ( Greece )
8 days
What happened during the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )Wh
There were religious events and competition ( but only for men )
What happened on day 1 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Reciting poems and music competitions
shows how clever they are
What happened on day 2 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Boys athletics competition
What happened on day 3 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Mens athletics competition
What happened on day 4 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Equestrian competition
What happened on day 5 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Sailing and dance competitions ( Athenians only )
Male beauty competition ( the Euandrion )
What happened on day 6 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
All night race , pannychis , procession with the peplos to the acropolis and sacrifice
What happened on day 7 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
Chariot and boat races
What happened on day 8 of the great panathenaia ? ( Greece )
prize giving
Who set up the loom to weave the peplos ? ( Greece )
4 Arrephoroi - noble virgins
Who wove the peplos for a year and lived at the acropolis ? ( Greece )
Ergastinai
What did priestesses do all night after day 6 ? ( Greece )
sang songs to athena
What is the thesmophoria ? ( Greece )
A festival just for married women held in the autumn time for demeter
What story is the thesmophoria based off of ? ( Greece )
Demeters daughter persephone being abducted by hades
What do they do before the festival ? ( Greece )
piglets sacrificed and buried in pits to rot
( symbolises Persephone going into the underworld )
What happens to the piglets buried before the thesmophoria ? ( Greece )
special women dig them up but had to spend 3 days purifying themselves beforehand
piglet remains mixed with corn to make cakes and put on Demeter’s alter
these cakes were later mixed with seeds and scattered over fields to help fertility
What happens on the andos ? ( Greece )
They set up huts to camp near the pynx ( symbolises women taking over )
2 leaders are elected
What happens on the nestia ? ( Greece )
fast for the day
sit on the ground on seats made of plants ( like mourning to symbolise demeters grief )
What happens on the kalligeneia ? ( Greece )
pray for blessings of fertility
have a big celebration
tell rude jokes
What was dionysus the god of ? ( Greece )
Wine, theatre and madness
What were dionysus’ female followers called ? ( Greece )
Maenads
What did dionysus’ followers try to reach ? ( Greece )
exstasis
What did they do to worship dionysus ? ( Greece )
went into the countryside to get drunk and high to reach exstasis
possibly could become violent and end in sparagmos
and maybe did omophagia
What did the maenads wear ? ( Greece )
lepoard skins
thyrsus
fawn skins
bull helmet
Who were responsible for the body in a funeral ? ( Greece )
women aged 60 + who were direct relatives
What did they do on the 1st day of the funeral ? ( Greece )
wash the body
anointed it with perfumed oils
wrapped it in a white shroud
put on a flower garland and put a coin in its mouth to pay charon
What did they do on the 2nd day of the funeral ? ( Greece )
family and friends visit the body
female relatives wearing dark robes stand around the body in ritual mourning
they cut hair short tore clother beat breasts scratch cheeks dirty themselves with ashes and sing funeral dirges
What did they do on the 3rd day of the funeral ? ( Greece )
ekphora - funeral procession before dawn from dead persons house to the burial site accompanied by family female mourners and musicians
What are people buried with ? ( Greece )
meaningful belongings and unmarried girls buried in wedding clothes
What offerings are given to the dead ? ( Greece )
1st - choai (libation) & haimacouria ( lock of hair w/ honey milk water and olis )
2nd - enagismata ( milk honey water wine and fruit
3rd -
What do they do after a burial ? ( Greece )
women return home whilst men put up the stele over the grave
they prepare the feast - perideipnon
they all feast using meat from sacrafice
What days do you visit the tomb afterwards to decorate and give offerings ? ( Greece )
3rd
9th
13th
30th
Who usually worshipped each god ? ( Rome )
mainly men were priests even for goddesses very few priestesses
Who could lead sacrafices ? ( Rome )
only men
What were colleges ? ( Rome )
groups of male priests in charge of a different area of religious life
What was the relationship between politics and religion ?( Rome )
politicians competed to be elected for the most important preisthoods as it gave them power and influence
This was why there was a lack of women in these roles
Who were the vestal virgins ? ( Rome )
college of women devoted to vesta (hestia)
How many vestal virgins are there ? ( Rome )
6
What was the only full time religious role in rome ? ( Rome )
Being a vestal virgin
What happened when they needed to choose a new vestal virgin ? ( Rome )
they would choose 20 candidates
the candidates were between 6-10 they had to have living parents and no physical defects
they were not eligible if their sister was a vestal or their father was a flamen
the pontifex maximus then chose one girls by drawing straws
What do vestal virgins wear ? ( Rome )
wore clothes similar to a bride or matrona
stola
bride hair & white veil
red and white ribbons to symbolise vows of fire and chastity
What is the name of the ceremony in which the chosen vestal was immediately lead away by the pontifex maximus to the temple of vesta ? ( Rome )
Captio
What happens after a vestal is chosen ? ( Rome )
she is no longer part of her family and is no longer under her paterfamillias’ control
What is the most important job of a vestal ? ( Rome )
to keep the sacred fire burning if it stops rome will fall
What are other jobs of the vestal virgins other than the fire ? ( Rome )
attended religious festivals and sacrifices
baked mola salsa for sacrifices and offerings
helped worship bona dea and vesta
gave fire to homeowners for shrines
What did they have to make a vow of ? ( Rome )
chastity
Did the fire ever go out ? ( Rome )
yes once a year they put it out and cleaned and purified the temple and then re-lit the fire
How long did vestal virgins serve for ? ( Rome )
30 years but did not return to the control of their paterfamillias
What did vestal virgins do after they have served ? ( Rome )
They could own property and write willss
They could marry and it would be a great honour for the husband
many chose to carry on living in the house of the vestal virgins
they had VIP seats at shows and festivals
could free prisoners by touching them
What happened if they let the fire out ? ( Rome )
They were beaten by the pontifex maximus in a dark room
What happened is a vestal was unchaste ? ( Rome )
they were walled into a cave with a small amount of food and water so they aren’t technically killing her
Who were the Flamines ? ( Rome )
A college of 15 priests each for a different god / goddess
Who was the Flamen Dials ? ( Rome )
Chief priest of Jupiter
Who is the Flaminica Dialis ? ( Rome )
The wife of the Flamen Dialis who automatically becomes a priestess
What are the requirements to be a Flaminica DIalis ? ( Rome )
Virgin before marriage
Married via confarreatio
must be patrician
not allowed to divorce ( would upset Jupiter )
What happened if one of the Dialis’ died ?
The other would resign
What would the Flaminica Dialis wear ? ( Rome )
wore red/orange veil
pomegranate wreath
purple robes
wore a ceremonial cloak for husband
What duties did the Flaminica have ? ( Rome )
She sacrificed a ram to Jupiter every 8th day on market day
Went to certain festivals w/ husband
had to avoid religious pollution
What was pudicitia ? ( Rome )
Modesty
Who had the most effective prayers and sacrifices answered by the gods ? ( Rome )
Rome believed chaste women were the most effective and would be used in times of rome’s crisis
Who was Patricia Pudicitia ? ( Rome )
Goddess of modesty
What was the cult of Patricia Pudicitia like ? ( Rome )
idealised women staying home
only open to patrician women
Only univara did sacrifices
had public influence
Who created plebia pudicitia ? And why ? ( Rome )
Verginia as she was a partician who married a rich plebian so could not join patricia pudicitia so created plebia pudicitia to worship out of her house that she coverted into a temple
it was the same as the other one
Who was Bona Dea ? ( Rome )
A goddess worshipped by women associated with fertility, womanhood and fertility
Note
Flashcard