Religion And The City : Greek Sacrifice Flashcards
Why did the Greeks do sacrifices
To honour the Gods
What animal would be chosen
A domestic animal belonging to the person undertaking the sacrifice
When was the most expensive sacrifices take place
Festivals such as the Great Panathenaia and the Olympic Games in which 100 Oxen would be killed.
What would a household sacrifice
Chickens or pigs
What happened during the cleansing stage of the preparation
The participants would have to be clean so they would not pollute the sacrifice. They would wear their best clothes and garlands of leaves and twigs
What happened during the Procession part of the preparation
Any horns would be gilded
Led to the Altar followed by Maidens carrying baskets of grains and cakes hiding the knife
There would also be musicians who would calm the animal
There were also water bearers
What happened at the altar during the preparation
The participants would clean themselves before the Altar and then a fire was lit
How did the sacrificial animal nod 
Water was poured on the animals head causing it to nod. This showed the animal was agreeing to sacrifice
What happened after the nod
The chief sacrificer would utter a prayer and the participants would throw grain into the fire to confirm their participation
Just before the animal was killed what happened
A knife would remove some of the animals here which was thrown into the fire
How was an animal killed
By cutting the throat
What happened after the animal was killed
The blood was poured onto altar and the women would give a high-pitched scream which signified the passing from life to death
What part of the sacrifice was given to the gods
Thigh bones which were wrapped in fat
What happened to the entrails of the animal
Entrails were read for omens. They were then cooked for the participants
What was special about to meat of the sacrifice
Eating meat was a rare and emphasised the benefits of sacrifice and communal spirit.
