Religion and society

What are the four different levels at which the Olympian gods could be worshipped?

household, deme, polis, Panhellenic

What could epithets relate to?

the location of the cult or the god's area of responsibility

Where did household religion take place?

the oikos

Who was the head of the house?

the eldest male figure

With regard to religion, what was the role of the head of the house?

priest and overseer of household rituals

Who were the three main household gods to whom the head of the house would make offerings to everyday?

Zeus Ktesios, Zeus Herkeios, Apollo Agyeios

Who was Zeus Ktesios?

protector of property and wealth

Where would've a depiction of Zeus Ktesios been kept?

in the storeroom

Who was Zeus Herkeois?

Zeus of the fence

What did Zeus Herkeois protect?

the enclosure of the house

Where would've a depiction of Zeus Herkeois been kept?

the courtyard

What did Apollo Agyeios protect?

the house from outside the main door

Where would've a depiction of Apollo Agyeois been kept?

outside the main door

Who was the house's central hearth dedicated to?

Hestia

Who did Hestia protect?

the family

How were new members of the family welcomed into the home?

with a small ceremony of walking around the fire whilst being showered by dried fruit and nuts

What were herms?

rectangular statues with the bearded head of Hermes and an erect phallus

What did herms represent?

halfway markers on roads and protective symbols outside houses

Who had the most religious duties within the household?

the father

Who was responsible for tending to the family tombs?

the father

How many times a year were libations of milk and honey offered at the gravesite in the name of the deceased?

once

What was the name of the three-day festival during which the son would be welcomed into his father's phratry?

Apatouris

Which god was the Apatouris in honour of?

Zeus Phratrios

Who was excluded from household cults?

women

What were the main roles of religious participation for women?

as priestesses for state cults or in communal civic cults

What was the Arrephoros?

a secret ritual associated with the temple of Athena Polias

When was the Arrephoros held?

May

How many arrephoroi were chosen each year to participate in the Arrephoros?

2

What was the role of the arrephoroi?

to carry a basket on their heads from the temple of Athena on the Acropolis to the sanctuary of Aphrodite in the Gardens

What would happen when the arrephoroi arrived at the sanctuary of Aphrodite in the Gardens?

they left the basket there and took something else back

What was special about the baskets carried by the arrephoroi?

they were given to them by Athena and they did not know what they contained

What was the role of a grinder?

to ground the meal for the cakes that would be offered to Athena on her altar at various occasions

Who was the sanctuary at Brauron dedicated to?

Artemis

What would girls dress up like during the festival of Artemis Brauronia?

bears

The ritual participation of the festival of Artemis Brauronia was required of girls before they could do what?

marry

In Aristophanes' Lysistrata, a girl mentions that she was once a basket-bearer. What does this likely refer to?

the baskets carrying sacrificial implements at occasions such as the Panathenaic Procession

What was the population of Erchia, Athens?

2,000-3,000

When does the sacred calendar of Erchia date back to?

the 4th century BC

How many days of sacrifice did Erchia have each year?

25

How many animals did Erchia sacrifice each year?

59

Who paid for sacrificial animals?

wealthy demesmen

How many 'versions' of Apollo were worshipped at Erchia?

6

Name two 'versions' of Apollo worshipped at Erchia.

Apollo Paion and Apollo Pythios

How many local heroes are mentioned in the sacred calendar of Erchia?

3

How did the locally-specific gods/heroes change according to each deme?

they would reflect the lifestyle of the people living in that deme

Why might Erchia have celebrated festivals in honour of Demeter?

they were a rural deme

How were polis festivals paid for?

using state funds

Who organised polis festivals?

state officials

What was the civic purpose of polis festivals?

to draw the community together and create a sense of patriotism and civic pride

Give an instance where polis and household religion overlap.

the worship of Hestia and the hearth

Where was a polis hearth set up in Athens?

the Prytaneion, a state dining room in the agora

What does the overlap of worship of Hestia in polis and household religion suggest?

household religion is a microcosm of polis religion

Give an instance where local religious cults overlapped with polis religion.

the Eleusinian Mysteries

Name the four most important Panhellenic sanctuaries in Greece.

Delphi, Olympia, Nemea and Isthmus

Who was worshipped at Delphi?

Pythian Apollo

Who is Pythian Apollo?

Apollo who slew Python

What were the name of the games held at Delphi?

Pythian Games

Who was worshipped at Olympia?

Olympian Zeus

Who is Olympian Zeus?

Zeus of Olympus

What games were held at Olympia?

Olympian Games

What god was worshipped at Nemea?

Nemean Zeus

Who is Nemean Zeus?

Zeus of Nemea

What games were held at Nemea?

Nemean Games

Who was worshipped at Isthmus?

Isthmian Poseidon

Who was Isthmian Poseidon?

Poseidon of Isthmus

What games were held at Isthmus?

Isthmian Games

Where did religious authority lie in Athens?

the people, the demos

What were civic magistrates responsible for?

religious festivals

Who supervised the performance of rites?

a number of officials

What were the roles of priests and priestesses?

overseeing rituals, taking care of the sanctuary, finances of the sanctuary and the safety of worshippers

Who decided how much money priests were given?

the state

Who was the archon basileus?

the main religious official

What was the role of the archon basileus?

responsibility over the religious calendar, judicial authority over religious matters and responsibility for ancestral cult sacrifices

Name one ancestral cult the archon basileus had authority over.

the Eleusinian Mysteries

What did the role of the archon basileus in the city parallel with?

the role of the father in the home

Who was the year named after?

the eponymous archon

Who had authority over the civic festivals?

the eponymous archon

What was the polemarch in charge of?

cults that were related to military affairs

What events was the polemarch in charge of?

the public funeral in honour of the war dead and a festival commemorating defeat of the Persians at Marathon in 490

Who were the epimeletai?

the overseers

How were the epimeletai appointed?

individually to festivals

What did festivals often celebrate alongside the gods?

the polis

What jurisdiction did the epimeletai for Athena Parthenos have?

financial

If an individual was physically dirty (linked to miasma) how would they purify themselves?

washing their hands in a basin outside the sanctuary

If an individual had been in the presence of a woman giving birth, what could they not do for a number of days?

enter a sanctuary

If an individual had committed murder, what could they not do?

attend sacrifices, libations or contests in honour of the gods, nor enter sanctuaries

Whose responsibility was it to ensure that sanctuaries were not polluted and that miasma didn't spread?

the polis

How were most political decisions made?

with religious consultations

How were peace treaties sworn?

by oaths to the gods

How was the Sacred Truce guaranteed?

by the protection of Zeus

What was the Sacred Truce?

a truce between all Greek poleis to ensure an end to any conflict for the duration of the Olympic games

Why was stoa at Delphi erected by the Athenians?

in thanks for the Pythia's advice regarding Xerxe's invasion of Greece in 480

What religious event did the opening ceremony of the Athenian assembly involve?

the sacrifice of a piglet

Where were the Athenian law courts, the Aeropagus, situated?

across from the Acropolis

Where were civic funds housed?

in treasuries and sacred buildings

Why were the leaders of Sparta considered to be godlike?

they were believed by descendants of Heracles and the Dioskouri, Zeus' twin sons

What political buildings could you find in the Athenian agora?

the council-house and the prytaneion

What was the prytaneoin?

the governmental seat

What religious buildings could you find in the Athenian agora?

the altar of the twelve gods and the Hephaistion

Where did the Panathenaic Procession gather?

by the Dipylon Gate on the outskirts of the city