Classics - Temples

What was a sanctuary?

An area of holy land dedicated to a god or gods that contained the temple and altar

What was pollution?

When a person had done something to make them impure in the eyes of the gods

How was the sanctuary usually separated from the rest of the city?

With a wall

Was a sanctuary just for the one god?

No, it could have many gods

How was the sanctuary usually seperated from the rest of the city?

With a wall

Was a santuary just for the one god?

A santuary could contain temples or altars to vearious gods

What was at the entrance to a sanctuary and why?

A fresh water source for people to wash their hands and feet

Why was it important to wash before entering a sanctuary?

It was important for the Greeks not to pollute a holy site

How did you become polluted?

Coming into contact with a dead person or newborn baby, committing homocide

What is a temple?

A building dedicated to a god

What was the purpose of the temple?

To house the cult statue of the god

How did a god use a temple?

It was their residence when they left Mount Olympus

Who was allowed into the temple?

Only priests

Why was the altar important to the sanctuary?

It was the place where the sacrifice took place

What was important to the community about a sacrifice?

It was their chance to give thanks to the god and it was the part of the worship that could involve the whole city

What was a colonnade?

An open-air covered walkway supported by columns

What was the cella or (Greek: naos)?

it meant small room in Latin and was the room of the temple that contained the cult statue

What was the opisthodomos?

The rear room in a temple that contained the city or town's treasures

What was the temple built on?

A solid foundation plinth

Why were temples built to rise above ground level?

To increase the sense of grandeur

What were the two areas that were decorated on a Greek temple?

The pediments and the friezes

What could the sculptures on a temple be related to?

The city the temple was built in or to the Greeks as a civilisation as a whole

What is the pediment on a temple?

The triangular space at either end of the temple

What could be on the pediment?

It could hold a sculpture or it could be left blank

What was an Ionic frieze?

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

What was an Ionic frieze good for?

Allowing a sculptor to tell a continuous story or to use lots of characters

What was a Doric frieze?

A continuous strip of stone or marble divided into square pieces called metopes

What was the Doric frieze good for?

If a sculptor wanted to tell several stories or scenes from one story.

Name a temple that had a Doric frieze?

Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Parthenon

Name a temple with an Ionic frieze?

The Parthenon

What is a hiereus?

A Greek priest 'one who sacrifices to a god'

What is a hiereia?

A Greek priestess 'One who sacrifices to a god'

Which Greek god was attended to by both male and female priests?

Apollo at Delphi

What differences are there between modern priests and Greek priests?

It was not a full time role, it did not require specific training, some could last for just one festival, some for life, they were not expected to spread the word of god or hold regular services

What job did a Greek priest have to do?

Simply undertake the correct ritual and the correct time and assist in the upkeep of the temple

Where did the priest of Dionysus sit at the City Dionysia?

On a throne on the front row of the theatre

Who was the only female permitted to watch the Olympic games?

The priestess of Demeter

What is a mantis?

A Greek soothsayer who read entrails of animals or bird signs to predict the outcome of future events

What was an augur?

A person who reads the flight of birds to predict the outcome of future events

How could an omen be read in Greek religion?

By looking at the entrails of animals or watching the flight of birds

What was a blood sacrifice?

The killing of an animal to a god

How would the Greeks honour the gods give examples?

Giving them offerings like money, dedications of songs and war booty, blood sacrifice, food or drink

What was the first step in a blood sacrifice?

Choosing an animal suitable for the god

What types of animals were chosen for most blood sacrifices?

Domestic animals

What animals could you choose to sacrifice if you were poorer?

Chickens, piglets

What was the most expensive type of Greek sacrifice?

Hecatomb

What was a hecatomb?

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

Give examples of when a hecatomb might take place in Greek religion?

The Great Panathenaia, The Olympic Games

How much would a hecatomb cost?

8000 drachmae (34 KG of silver

What were the three parts of a Greek sacrifice?

The preparation, the kill and the sharing of the sacrifice

During the preparation for a Greek sacrifice what was the first thing you needed to make sure of and why?

You were clean and well in order to not pollute the sacrifice

What would you wear to a Greek sacrifice?

Your best clothing and garlands of leaves or twigs

How could you decorate an animal for a sacrifice?

Gilding its horns (if possible) tying ribbons to it

What attendants would lead the animal to the altar for a Greek sacrifice and what would they carry?

A maiden carrying a basket of barley and grains or cakes with a sacrificial knife hidden in it, musicians and water bearers

Who took part in the procession for the Great Panathenaia?

The whole city

Why were musicians important in a sacrifice?

Their playing would reduce the chance of the animal taking flight at the noise of the crowd

What would happen if an animal became scared during a sacrifice and why?

It would have to be started again as it would be a sign of a bad omen

What is gilding?

The covering of a surface in a thin layer of gold

What would the participants of a festival do again once they reached the sanctuary?

They would cleanse themselves again

When the participants of the Greek sacrifice gathered round the altar what was the first thing they would do?

Light the fire

How would the animal be prepared to accept the sacrifice and why?

Water would be poured on the head of the animal to make it nod to show the animal agreed to the sacrifice

What would the participants to a Greek sacrifice do when the chief sacrificer had said the prayer and why?

They would throw their grain into the fire to confirm their participation

What was the first thing that the chief sacrificer would do once the preparations had been complete?

Take the knife from the basket and remove some of the animal's hair, throwing them into the fire

How would the blood be collected from a large animal how was this different from a small animal in a Greek sacrifice?

Using a bowl, small animals were held over the altar

How were animals killed in a Greek sacrifice?

Their throat was cut

Where was the blood put in a Greek sacrifice?

Over the altar

What would women then do once an animal had been killed in a Greek sacrifice why and when else did they do this?

They would let out a high-pitched scream to mark the animal's passage from life to death, at a funeral

Once the animal was killed what happened at a Greek sacrifice?

A feast

Who was the most important recipient of a sacrifice and when did they get their portion?

The god, first

What portion of the animal did the god receive from a sacrifice?

Thigh bones wrapped in fat

What happened once the god had been fed in a Greek sacrifice?

The entrails of the animal were read for omens

What happened to the entrails once they had been read in a Greek sacrifice?

They were cooked and shared among the immediate participants

What happened to the remaining meat in a Greek sacrifice?

It was cut up and shared

What did sacrifices mean to the diet of the participants?

It was a rare chance to eat meat

What did the feast element of a sacrifice do for the community?

It brought them together stressing the importance of the communal spirit

Who got the animal skin at the end of a Greek sacrifice?

The sanctuary

What role did Prometheus play in ensuring the meat from a sacrifice was the best for the participants?

He tricked Zeus into taking the worst part

How did Prometheus trick Zeus with regards the offering from a sacrifice?

He gave him the choice of two portions one wrapped in fat the other the best cuts. Zeus was tricked by the fat

Apart from the meat in a sacrifice how else did Prometheus anger Zeus?

He stole fire from Olympus and gave it to man

How was Prometheus punished by Zeus?

He was chained to mount Caucasus and an eagle ate out his liver which grew back each night

Who saved Prometheus from his punishment?

Heracles

When did the Persians sack Athens?

480 BCE

What did the Persians do when they sacked Athens?

They burnt the city to the ground, including the religious buildings

What was the naval alliance that the Athenians became the leaders of?

Delian League

By the 450's what was the Delian League now known as?

The Athenian Empire

What did the Athenian politician Pericles do with the treasury money of the Delian League?

He moved it from Delos to Athens

What did the Athenians do with the money from the Delian League?

They used it to fund a building project

What was the focal point of the Athenian building project in the 450's BC?

The buildings on the Acropolis

What was Pericles hoping would happen on account of the Athenian building project?

Athens would become the architectural centre of the known world

What was kept in the opisthodomos of the Parthenon?

The treasury of the Athenian Empire

Who was the lead architect of the building work on the Acropolis?

Phidias

Apart from Phidias who else worked on the Acropolis building project?

Iktinos and Kallikrates

Where is the Parthenon?

On the Acropolis

What would you see when entering the Acropolis?

A huge statue of Athena Promachos (pro: to go before machos: battle

Where on the Acropolis was the Parthenon?

The south east side

Who specifically did all the temples on the Acropolis seek to worship?

Athena Polias (of the city)

Where was the altar to Athena Polias on the Parthenon?

On the eastern side between the Erechtheion and the Parthenon

When was the Parthenon built?

447-432 BCE

What style was the Parthenon built in?

Ionic and Doric

What was the function of the Parthenon?

Temple and treasury