Religion And Society

Question 1

Who was considered part of an ancient Greek Oikos?

Answer 1

Father, mother, sons, wives of the sons, unmarried daughters and slaves

Question 2

Who had religious authority in the household?

Answer 2

The father

Question 3

Who were the three main deities of the home?

Answer 3

Zeus ktesios, Zeus Herkios and Apollo Agyeios

Question 4

What was the role of Zeus Ktesios?

Answer 4

The protector of the property and wealth

Question 5

What was the role of Zeus Herkios?

Answer 5

Protecting the enclosure/property boundaries (Zeus of the fence)

Question 6

What was the role of Apollo Agyeion?

Answer 6

To protect the house from within

Question 7

What are Herms?

Answer 7

A rectangular pillar with the head of Hermes and a phallus on them, which were places as markers on the road

Question 8

Who is the hearth dedicated to?

Answer 8

Hestia

Question 9

What was the father’s role?

Answer 9

Daily acknowledgement of the household ditties, maintaining the household, tending to anxestors tombs through offerings and libations, the performance of funerals

Question 10

What was the main religious participation for women?

Answer 10

As priestesses for state or communal civic cults

Question 11

Women in Athens were considered full citizens, true or false?

Answer 11

False, they were not considered full citizens

Question 12

What was the Arrephoros?

Answer 12

A secret ritual performed in May, associated with the temple of Athena Polias

Question 13

What were the Arrephora?

Answer 13

Two maidens annually selected to carry a basket on their heads, without knowledge of what was inside. To the gardens in the sanctuary of Aphrodite/Four maidens who made the Peplos

Question 14

What was the Arkteia?

Answer 14

Annual festival to Artemis Braunonia and took place at the Braunonia sanctuary

Question 15

Who took part in the Arkteia?

Answer 15

Every Athenian girl had to take part and ‘play the bear’ before they could marry

Question 16

What events took place at the Arkteia?

Answer 16

Sacrifices, ‘play the bear’, dancing, and foot races

Question 17

Why was the Arkteia done?

Answer 17

To appease Artemis for the killing of a bear at the sanctuary that then brought famine to Greece

Question 18

What we’re the Kariephoros?

Answer 18

Basket carriers in the panatheniac procession

Question 19

What was a deme?

Answer 19

A village or district that was the smallest political constituency

Question 20

What was a polis?

Answer 20

The state/city

Question 21

What was the thesmophoria?

Answer 21

A women-only festival in honour of Demeter and Kore

Question 22

What was the religious role of the archon basileus?

Answer 22

The main religious officual of the Arhenian state, who held authority over the religious calender and judicial authority over religious matters

Question 23

What was the religious role of the eponymous archon?

Answer 23

They had authority over civic festivals e.g City dionysia in honour of Dionysus

Question 24

What was the religious role of the polemarch?

Answer 24

They were in charge of cults that were related to military affairs e.g artemis agrotera

Question 25

Who were the epimeletai?

Answer 25

Overseers, funded processions and handled financial jurisdiction for cults in Athens

Question 26

What did Zaidman say about religion and civic life?

Answer 26

‘Religion did more than just put a divine gloss on civic life. It impregnated each and every civic activity’

Question 27

What ways could an individual be considered polluted? [9]

Answer 27

After giving birth, still birth, loss of foetus or abortion
Physically dirty
Not honouring the gods in the right manner
Disrespecting ancestral laws of burial
Disrespecting someone’s right to asylum
Sexual intercourse
Attending a funeral
Murder
Entering home of a woman who just gave birth

Question 28

If an individual was considered polluted, what couldn’t they do?

Answer 28

Attend sacrifices, libations or contests in honour of the gods - they were excluded from civic worship