Sacrifice in Ancient Greece Edited

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Sacrifice in ancient Greece A discussion of religious practices in ancient Greece is necessary to distinguish the aspects of religion separate from the telling or understanding of myths. Many rituals and practices come from myths, and they are generally performed as a way to communicate with the gods: to ask them for something, thank them for the occurrence of an event, gain their general good will, or attempt to read messages or warnings that the gods have sent. A large part of ancient Greek religion is sacrifice and persuasion. The ancient Greek people believed that they had to sacrifice to the gods to convince them to help them with something. They would often sacrifice again once the gods met their request to thank the god and be sure that they would listen again the next time they were asked for assistance. Each of the gods are related to their own sphere of influence and power, so the Greeks would pray to the god of whatever they wanted effected; e.g., you might pray and sacrifice to Venus if you wanted help in love, or to Mars if you needed victory in warfare. Animals were the usual sacrificial victims. Cattle were a common sacrifice, but also an expensive one. The animals were brought to an altar and the officiating priests would wash their hands to purify themselves and sprinkle grain seeds on the animal to purify them. The animals’ heads were lifted to the sky, and a hidden sacrificial knife was used by the priests to kill the animal. The fat of the animal was wrapped around the bones and burned. It was believed that the smoke would float up to the gods, and they would enjoy the sacrifice in this way. A myth about a titan named Prometheus—an immortal, god-like being—explains how he tricked the gods into choosing this part of the animal for their own. The meat was then roasted and eaten by the attendees. Meat was very expensive, and this was the only time that many Greeks would eat meat. This was a rather common occurrence, however, for there were many festivals in Greek religion where public sacrifices would take place to thank or pray for the gods` protection, a good harvest, victory in war and other public concerns of the community. .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Collins Magic in the Ancient Greek World.Pdf
9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page i Magic in the Ancient Greek World 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page ii Blackwell Ancient Religions Ancient religious practice and belief are at once fascinating and alien for twenty-first-century readers. There was no Bible, no creed, no fixed set of beliefs. Rather, ancient religion was characterized by extraordinary diversity in belief and ritual. This distance means that modern readers need a guide to ancient religious experience. Written by experts, the books in this series provide accessible introductions to this central aspect of the ancient world. Published Magic in the Ancient Greek World Derek Collins Religion in the Roman Empire James B. Rives Ancient Greek Religion Jon D. Mikalson Forthcoming Religion of the Roman Republic Christopher McDonough and Lora Holland Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt Steven Snape Ancient Greek Divination Sarah Iles Johnston 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page iii Magic in the Ancient Greek World Derek Collins 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page iv © 2008 by Derek Collins blackwell publishing 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Derek Collins to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.
[Show full text]
One God Three Greek Experiments in Oneness* 1
CHAPTER THREE ONE GOD THREE GREEK EXPERIMENTS IN ONENESS* Ik hou niet van ‘één.’ ‘Eén’ is zo’n eenzaam woord (I do not like ‘one’. ‘One’ is such a lonesome word). Liselot (5 year) ὅθεν καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον οἱ μὲν ἕνα φασὶν εἶναι θεόν, οἱ δὲ πολλοὺς καὶ διαφόρους ταῖς μορφαῖς (Hence ordinary people differ also, some saying that there is one god, others that there are many gods and of various shapes). Sext. Emp. Pyr. 3.219 1. Introduction Ancient Greek religion was, as we have seen in our first chapter, unashamedly polytheistic. Hence the subject of the present chapter, that of ‘oneness’ in Greek religion Archaic, Classical and Hellenis- tic, may come as a surprise. I will discuss three Greek modes of by- passing, negotiating, reconciling, in short of coping with the alarming complexity of divine manifestations. The three relevant sections are entitled: “One and many,” “Many is one,” and “One is the god.” The first concerns the Archaic, the last the Hellenistic period, the second discusses a phenomenon that can be found throughout Greek history. All three are ‘experiments in oneness’, which, on the face of it, attempt to redefine a diversity of phenomena as being basically a unity. I hope to show, however, that none of these theologies aims at fusing the poly- theistic plurality itself into one unifying system or structure. Rather, in each of them, though in singularly different ways, the plurality and * This title is both an indication of what this chapter is about and an allusion to my book TER UNUS (1990), on which the third section of the present chapter leans heavily and to which in this chapter I shall refer by its title in order to avoid an irritat- ing repetition of ‘Versnel 1990’.
[Show full text]
History of the Eleusinian Mysteries
Gregory Dickerson - April 17th, 1993 History of the Eleusinian Mysteries We often think of the imposing grandeur of the Parthenon on the Acropolis as embodying the highest sublimity of ancient Greek religion, but the unimposing, flat expanse of foundations now visible at Eleusis is the real holiest of holies in Ancient Greece. Most of the evidence for the initiation ceremonies there in honor of Demeter, the goddess of grain, is inferential, since no ancient writer revealed the secret. But the “Homeric” Hymn to Demeter, which tells the story of Hades carrying off Persephone to be his queen in the world of the dead and the wanderings of Demeter as she sought her lost daughter until she was finally restored (for part of the year) to the upper world, is taken as the Eleusinian foundation myth, upon which the ceremonies were modeled, especially details consequent upon Demeter’s coming to the palace at Eleusis, where she served as nursemaid for a time to the infant son, Demophoon, whom she was making immortal by putting him each night into the fire until interrupted by his frightened mother. “Happy is that one of mortal men who has seen these things…” Indeed, happiness in this life and in the next was the promise of the mysteries (secret initiation ceremonies). The prerequisites were simple enough: you had to have clean hands (no blood pollution), a pure heart and speak Greek. You could be male or female, native or foreigner, free or slave. The preliminaries included a purification in the Lesser Mysteries in Athens on the 20th of Anthesterion (about March 1st), which you could attend under the terms of a 55-day travel truce.
[Show full text]
Defining Orphism: the Beliefs, the Teletae and the Writings
Defining Orphism: the Beliefs, the teletae and the Writings Anthi Chrysanthou Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Languages, Cultures and Societies Department of Classics May 2017 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his/her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. I This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2017 The University of Leeds and Anthi Chrysanthou. The right of Anthi Chrysanthou to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. II Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the help and support of my supervisors, family and friends. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Prof. Malcolm Heath and Dr. Emma Stafford for their constant support during my research, for motivating me and for their patience in reading my drafts numerous times. It is due to their insightful comments and constructive feedback that I have managed to evolve as a researcher and a person. Our meetings were always delightful and thought provoking. I could not have imagined having better mentors for my Ph.D studies. Special thanks goes to Prof. Malcolm Heath for his help and advice on the reconstruction of the Orphic Rhapsodies. I would also like to thank the University of Leeds for giving me the opportunity to undertake this research and all the departmental and library staff for their support and guidance.
[Show full text]
Demeter Malophoros and Zeus Meilichios in Selinus
Journal of Ancient History 2019; 7(1): 62–110 Allaire B. Stallsmith* A Divine Couple: Demeter Malophoros and Zeus Meilichios in Selinus https://doi.org/10.1515/jah-2018-0019 Abstract: This paper concerns a collection of rough-hewn flat stelae excavated from the precinct of Zeus Meilichios in Selinus, Sicily between 1915 and 1926, a majority with two heads or busts, one male and one female, carved at their tops. These crudely fashioned idols are unique in their iconography. They combine the flat inscribed Punic stela with the Greek figural tradition, with some indigenous features. Their meaning is totally obscure – especially since they lack any literary reference. No comparable monuments have been found in ancient Mediterranean cult. The twin stelae were often set up above a collection of burnt rodent and bird bones, ashes, lamps, broken and burnt pottery and terracotta figurines, as a mem- orial of a sacrifice. The stelae were the objects of a gentilicial cult, similar to that posited for the inscribed “Meilichios stones” with which they shared the Field of Stelae of Zeus Meilichios. The theory advanced here interprets these diminutive stelae (average height 30 cm) as the objects of domestic cult. It was customary in many parts of the ancient Mediterranean, from the Bronze Age down to the Ro- man period, to venerate household or family gods who protected the health and the wealth of the family. They were thought to embody the spirits of the ancestors and could at times be identified with the gods of the state religion. This divine couple whose effigies were dedicated in the Field of Stelae over a period of four centuries, into the third century, cannot be claimed as Greek or Punic deities.
[Show full text]
COPYRIGHTED Materialacts of Worship the Priesthoods
LIVING WITH THE DIVINE I The Modern Study of Religion Culture and Race Cults Too Many Gods? Polytheism and Monotheism Toleration and Religious Pluralism Paganism Basic Features of Greco‐ Roman Religions Myths and Sacred Stories COPYRIGHTED MATERIALActs of Worship The Priesthoods Purification Rituals Communicating with the Divine Games The Afterlife and Funeral Rites Greek and Roman Religions, First Edition. Rebecca I. Denova. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 0004123893.INDD 1 8/13/2018 10:04:33 PM 2 Living with the Divine Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you will be able to: • Appreciate the differences between the modern field of Religious Studies and traditional methods of studying religion. • Recognize the central role of the divine in all aspects of life in the ancient world. • Distinguish the basic elements of religious practice shared by ancient Greece and Rome. (Terms in bold type are also described in the Glossary.) The ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome have had a lasting influence on Western culture. Artists and dramatists celebrated their stories in their triumphs and tragedies and architects still imitate their building designs. Greek and Roman literature (both mythology and philosophy) provided models for understanding human nature, the human psyche, and reflections on our existence. From these two cultures we inherited our alphabet, democracy, juries, tragedy, comedy, the Olympic Games, epic poetry, law codes, philosophy, the gymnasium, the republican form of government, the veto, our modern calendar, the names of our planets, a welfare system, funeral rites, the keystone arch, aqueducts, amphitheaters, sta- diums, road construction, cement, apartment buildings, and last but not least, take‐out fast‐food.
[Show full text]
Conflict of Ancient Greek and Christian Architecture During the First Millennium
Transactions on the Built Environment vol 66, © 2003 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509 Conflict of Ancient Greek and Christian architecture during the first millennium B. P. Leftheris Association of Kytherian University Professors, Athens, Greece Abstract At first sight it looks like the division of architectural perception between the ancient Greek temples and the Christian churches was distinct, without cultural overlapping. A closer look, however, shows that there was serious conflict in the Byzantine Empire during the first millenium of Christianity. Examples of these effects can be seen today in Egypt and Greece where the monotheistic religion of Chistianity, before its glorious achievements, attempted to destroy ancient Greek temples that were the heritage of beliefs in many Gods. However, the basic rules of applied structural mechanics, were carried on into the Christian era The historical background of ths conflict along with discussion of the archaeological site of Kyfhera that changed from Greek temples to Christian churches will be given in this paper. 1 Introduction The development of the human mind in philosophy, geometry, theater (ancient Greek tragedies) and most of all architecture around the world today know of the contribution of the ancient Greek civilization. Two of the most representative structures of architectural achievement were inspired and built by Greeks of two distinctly different religions: the Parthenon in ancient Athens and Hagia Sophia in Constantinoupolis. The main structure of both survived for us to see today. What is significant however, is that although the cultural periods they represented are a thousand years apart, there was a period of about two hundred years that ancient Greek religion and architecture actively CO-existedwith the beginnings of Christian religion and architecture.
[Show full text]
Theriomorphic Forms: Analyzing Terrestrial Animal- Human Hybrids in Ancient Greek Culture and Religion
Theriomorphic Forms: Analyzing Terrestrial Animal- Human Hybrids in Ancient Greek Culture and Religion Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Carter, Caroline LynnLee Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 23/09/2021 21:29:46 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/633185 THERIOMORPHIC FORMS: ANALYZING TERRESTRIAL ANIMAL-HUMAN HYBRIDS IN ANCIENT GREEK CULTURE AND RELIGION by Caroline Carter ____________________________ Copyright © Caroline Carter 2019 A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES AND CLASSICS In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2019 THE UNIYERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Master's Committee, we certi$ that we have read the thesis prepared by Caroline Carter titled Theriomorphic Forms: Analyzing Terrestrial Animal-Humøn Hybrids in Ancíent Greek Culture and Religion and reç¡¡ü¡sr6 that it be accepted as firlfilling the disse¡tation requirement for the Master's Degree. G Date: + 26 Z¿f T MaryV o 1.011 ,AtÌ.r.ln Date: \l 41 , Dr. David Gilman Romano - 4*--l -r Date; { zé l2 Dr. David Soren r) øate:4'2 6 - l\ Dr. Kyle Mahoney Final approval and acceptance of this thesis is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the thesis to the Graduate College.
[Show full text]
Thronosis in Ritual, Myth, and Iconography Radcliffe .G Edmonds III Bryn Mawr College, [email protected]
Bryn Mawr College Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies Faculty Research Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies and Scholarship 2006 To Sit in Solemn Silence? Thronosis in Ritual, Myth, and Iconography Radcliffe .G Edmonds III Bryn Mawr College, [email protected] Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.brynmawr.edu/classics_pubs Part of the Classics Commons Custom Citation Edmonds, Radcliffe .,G III. "To Sit in Solemn Silence? Thronosis in Ritual, Myth, and Iconography." American Journal of Philology 127, no. 3 (2006): 347-366. This paper is posted at Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College. http://repository.brynmawr.edu/classics_pubs/80 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Radcliffe G. Edmonds III To Sit in Solemn Silence? Thronosis in Ritual, Myth, and Iconography American Journal of Philology 127.3 (forthcoming September 2006) To Sit in Solemn Silence? Thronosis in Ritual, Myth, and Iconography* In Aristophanes' Clouds, the old man Strepsiades, who wishes to learn from Socrates how to cheat his creditors, is made to put on a wreath and to sit on a bed, while Socrates anoints him in preparation for the epiphany of the Cloud goddesses. The initiation of Strepsiades into the Phrontisterion of Socrates clearly draws upon mystery rituals familiar to Aristophanes' audience, but the debate over the exact rites parodied goes back to the scholia. Among modern scholars,
[Show full text]
Gods, Heroes, Magic, and Mysteries: Religion in Ancient Greece
Anthropology/Religion 225 Gods, Heroes, Magic, and Mysteries: Religion in Ancient Greece Bates College -- Winter, 1996 Robert W. Allison and Loring M. Danforth Infrastructure How This Electronic Syllabus Works This syllabus is enriched with links to the Perseus Project's World Wide Web site. Look up the Perseus editions of the required readings. The Perseus versions are equipped with helps linked to highlighted key words in the readings. Some of these highlighted terms connect you instantly to on-line encyclopedia entries, while others lead you to what other ancient authors have said about the same subject. You can follow these leads where ever your own personal curiosity might lead you, and to ﬁnd information on any subject which you might like to pursue as a research paper topic. Electronic resources also allow you to cut and paste quotations and illustrations from the text directly into your research papers as you draft them on your word processor. (Don't forget your responsibilities for citing sources and giving credit when you do this!) For an introduction to Perseus and for on line help using it, take a look at Perseus at Bates. Course Objectives The present course is a study of ancient Greek religion from both a historical and an anthropological perspective. It follows a broadly historical outline and covers these important topics and periods: Religion in Minoan and Mycenaean Culture (the bronze age on Crete and in the Aegean basin: ca. 2700-1100 B.C.E.) Religion in the "Heroic Age" as reﬂected in Homer and Hesiod (the bronze age on the mainland of Greece: ca.
[Show full text]
Orientations of Thirteen Apollo´S Temples: a Gnomonic Perspective
Annals of Archaeology Volume 1, Issue 1, PP 1-12 Orientations of Thirteen Apollo´s Temples: A Gnomonic Perspective Raul Perez-Enriquez1, Papaspirou Panagiotis2, Xenophon Moussas3 1Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico 2Department of Astrophysics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece 3Department of Astrophysics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece *Corresponding Author: Raul Perez-Enriquez, Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico, [email protected] ABSTRACT Apollo, the Sun God, is one of the most prominent deities in the Ancient Greek religion. The temples and the oracles dedicated to the cult of Apollo correlate the selection of their geographical site with their special orientation, as based on ancient astronomical practices of symbolic and ritual importance. By studying the Ancient Greek temples, as for example the temples of Apollo, various researchers in the field of Archaeoastronomy, as for example, Ranieri discovered their special, non-random orientation. In this paper the special orientations of thirteen temples of Apollo are studied by the application of a novel criterion, the criterion of the platonic gnomonic factor (fgp). The majority of the temples have special arithmetic values of their corresponding fgp, and this result leads us to suggest a hypothetical application of a methodology, relating to the value of the gnomonic factor and the orientation of the temple; implemented at the time of the definition of its construction. We find that for six out of thirteen temples of Apollo, a correlation between the gnomonic factors implied by the site selected for them, their specific orientation as well as the size of their basement, exists.
[Show full text]
History Ancient Greece
History Ancient Greece History | UKS2 | AncientYear Greece | GodsOne and Goddesses | Lesson 5 Aim • I can find out about Ancient Greek gods and goddesses and am able to use this knowledge to plan my own Greek myth Success Criteria • I can research different Greek gods and say key facts about them • I can plan my own Greek myth, using gods, goddesses, monsters and heroes Ancient Greek Religion The Ancient Greeks were a religious lot. They believed that their gods and goddesses controlled everything in the world and that they must be revered and appeased. The Ancient Greek people built huge, beautiful temples and shrines where they could go to worship the gods. They also held festivals in honour of the gods and people would pray and make offerings to them in hope of being granted good fortune in return. Mount Olympus The Ancient Greeks believed that the twelve most powerful gods lived at the top of a huge mountain called Mount Olympus. However, some very important gods such as Hades; God of the Underworld, did not live there. Mount Olympus was where the gods held meetings and disputes were settled. Greek Gods and Goddesses We are going to learn some key facts about some of the main Ancient Greek gods and goddesses. Try to remember what each god represents to the people and what their special weapons or objects are. Zeus • Zeus was the most powerful of all the gods. He was the God of the Sky and the King of Mount Olympus. • He was married to the Queen of the Gods, Hera, but he had many other lovers.
[Show full text]