lesson 1- individual experience and the divine Flashcards
What evidence do we have for gods being worshipped at a purely local level?
sacrificial calendars
How were gods and heroes worshipped on a very personal level?
Through mystery cults, healing cults or oracular consultation
What might attract a Greek to a mystery cult, hero cult or particular oracle that was different from public worship?
It was much more personal than a public worship, and you could pray for something much more specific towards you, guidance and communication.
What was the difference between public worship and the worship at cult shrines?
public worship meant worshipping a god in thanks for what they can done for their community, or praying/asking for something specific for a community, such as praying that a disease outbreak in the city would end, or more yield of crops in the city
What category of ritual does Mystery Cult fall into?
rights of passage
what modern examples of right of passage do we have?
weddings and funerals
What did you undergo as part of the Mystery Cult ritual and why?
You had to undergo death as a rehearsal for your real death in the future- it gives you knowledge of what happens when you go down in the underworld
What was the first part of the ritual?
You are subjected to experiences which are terrifying and you have no clue what might happen to you- feelings of fear, suffering
What did you then transition to/experience as you went through the ritual?
Ignorance and suffering to feelings of well being and community
What realisation did mystery cults give people in the ancient world?
death is not a bad thing, but a good thing
What two forms of Mystery Cult were there?
Eleusinian mysteries and dionysian mysteries
Where did the word ‘mystery’ likely come from?
Might be related to the Greek word for an initiate- Mystes
Where could Mysteries be held?
at a public festival in the city
Why did not everyone become a “Mystes’’ automatically?
They had to have undergone a ceremonial initiation into the cult
What did the initiates have to keep a secret?
what they experienced during the ceremony
