1.5 Festivals

Question 1

What was the main Greek festival for Athena in Athens?

Answer 1

Panathenaea

Question 2

How often was the Greater Panathenaea held?

Answer 2

Every four years

Question 3

What was the Lesser Panathenaea’s frequency?

Answer 3

Annually

Question 4

What key event ended the Greater Panathenaea?

Answer 4

Procession to the Parthenon

Question 5

What gift was presented to Athena during the Panathenaea?

Answer 5

Peplos (woven robe)

Question 6

Who could participate in the Panathenaea procession?

Answer 6

Citizens, women, metics (resident foreigners)

Question 7

What competitions were held during the Greater Panathenaea?

Answer 7

Athletic, musical, and poetic contests

Question 8

What prize was awarded to winners of Panathenaea contests?

Answer 8

Amphorae filled with olive oil

Question 9

On what date did the Panathenaea begin?

Answer 9

28th of Hekatombaion (July/August)

Question 10

Why was the Panathenaea important to Athenians?

Answer 10

Honored Athena, showed city unity and wealth

Question 11

What Roman festival honored the she-wolf and Rome’s founding?

Answer 11

Lupercalia

Question 12

On what date was the Lupercalia celebrated?

Answer 12

February 15th

Question 13

Who were the main participants in the Lupercalia?

Answer 13

Luperci (young male priests)

Question 14

What animal was sacrificed during the Lupercalia?

Answer 14

Goat (and sometimes a dog)

Question 15

What did the Luperci do with the sacrificial blood?

Answer 15

Smeared it on their foreheads

Question 16

What did the Luperci use to strike people during the Lupercalia?

Answer 16

Thongs (februa) made from goat skin

Question 17

Why did women seek to be struck by the Luperci’s thongs?

Answer 17

Believed it ensured fertility and easy childbirth

Question 18

Where did the Lupercalia rituals begin?

Answer 18

Lupercal cave (Palatine Hill)

Question 19

What god was associated with the Lupercalia?

Answer 19

Faunus (Roman Pan)

Question 20

Why was the Lupercalia significant to Romans?

Answer 20

Linked to Rome’s founding and purification

Question 21

What was a common purpose of Greek festivals?

Answer 21

Honor gods and ensure divine favor

Question 22

What was a common purpose of Roman festivals?

Answer 22

Purification and reinforcing state identity

Question 23

How did Greek festivals often involve the community?

Answer 23

Through processions and contests

Question 24

What role did sacrifice play in both Greek and Roman festivals?

Answer 24

Offered animals to gods for blessings

Question 25

What was a key difference between Panathenaea and Lupercalia?

Answer 25

Panathenaea: civic pride, Lupercalia: fertility focus

Question 26

How did the Panathenaea reflect Athenian democracy?

Answer 26

Included diverse groups in the procession

Question 27

Why was the Lupercalia tied to Rome’s foundation?

Answer 27

Honored the she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus

Question 28

What was the mood of the Panathenaea?

Answer 28

Joyful and celebratory

Question 29

What was the mood of the Lupercalia?

Answer 29

Wild and ritualistic

Question 30

How did Greek festivals like the Panathenaea use art?

Answer 30

Peplos and amphorae as offerings and prizes

Question 31

What practical benefit did Lupercalia offer Romans?

Answer 31

Purified the city for the new year

Question 32

How often were most Greek festivals held?

Answer 32

Annually, with some (like Greater Panathenaea) every four years

Question 33

What did the Panathenaea procession symbolize?

Answer 33

Unity and devotion to Athena

Question 34

Why did Romans maintain festivals like Lupercalia?

Answer 34

Preserved ancient traditions and divine protection

Question 35

How were festivals linked to the agricultural year?

Answer 35

Timed to seasons (e.g., Panathenaea in summer, Lupercalia in spring)