rituals and priests

Question 1

role of priests

Answer 1

• They invoked the goodwill of the gods on behalf of the entire community.
• Priests practiced in rituals and followed a very precise procedure – any changes/mistakes could provoke the anger of the gods.
• butchers, dream interpreters, accountants

Question 2

responsibilities of priests x6

Answer 2

• Practice rituals and sacrifices on behalf of the community to invoke the good will of the gods. (Mediator between human and divine)
• Prepare sacrificial animals. Sometimes butcher them.
• Read the entrails of animals to predict the future.
• Physical care of the sanctuary – its buildings, votive gifts and finances (accountancy!)
• Lending money to the state/individuals
• prophesise through dreams etc

Question 3

benefits for priests

Answer 3

• sometimes paid (but little)
• increase public image adn prestige
• front row seats at the theatre of dionysus
• best of sacrificial meat

Question 4

hereditary priesthoods

Answer 4

• lifelong whereas others were annual
• 2 families provided priests for the eleusinian mysteries

Question 5

how were priests appointed

Answer 5

by lot
by vote
by payment
hereditary

Question 6

archon basileus x5

Answer 6

• ‘king ruler’ - main religious official in Athenian state
• Responsibility over religious calendar
• Judicial authority in religious matters e.g. impiety trials
• Responsible for all sacrifices that involved ancestral cults e.g. Eleusinian Mysteries
• Oversaw rituals at public hearth in the agora and in domestic contexts e.g. ritual of banishing evil from the community

Question 7

eponymous archon

Answer 7

• he has a year named after him
• had authority over civic festivals

Question 8

polemarch x3

Answer 8

• war archon
• in charge of cults related to military affairs eg sacrifices to Artemis Agrotera on the battlefield
• oversaw the festival commemorating Athenian victory in battle of marathon

Question 9

Epimeletai

Answer 9

• “overseers”
• individually appointed for particular festivals eg Panathenaia
• the epimeletai for Athena Pathenos however mostly had financial jurisdiction

Question 10

isocrates on the office of a priest

Answer 10

people believe that the office of priest is one which any man can fill, whereas it is the most important human activity and requires the greatest wisdom

Question 11

women in religious festivals

Answer 11

women only festivals eg Thesmophoria in honour of Demeter and Kore, for married women

Question 12

most important female priesthood

Answer 12

Athena Polias (athena of the city) - hereditary
important as shown by ionic frieze of the parthenon where the archon basileus hands the peplos to athena polias.

Question 13

evidence for females involved in religious rituals

Answer 13

Aristophanes’ Lysistata

Question 14

aristophanes’ lysistata - female rituals - arrephoros x4

Answer 14

• A secret ritual associated with the temple of Athena Polias. The arrephoroi (2 maidens chosen each year) carried a basket on their heads, given to them by Athena.
• They took it from nearby the temple of Athena on the Acropolis through an underground passage to the sanctuary of Aphrodite in the Gardens.
• They left the basket there.
• any age of girl, in lysistrata the girl was an arrephoras when she was 7

Question 15

aristophanes’ lysistata - female rituals - grinder

Answer 15

*girls ground the meal for the cakes which would be offered to athena on her altar at occasions such as the panathenaic festival

Question 16

aristophanes’ lysistata - female rituals - brauronia

Answer 16

*there was a sanctuary of artemis at Brauron.
*girls would dress up like bears at the festival of Artemis Brauronia
*required for all athenian girls before they could marry

Question 17

aristophanes’ lysistata - female rituals - basket bearer

Answer 17

• refers to the baskets carrying sacrificial implements at occasions such as the panathenaic procession

Question 18

play source talking about womens only festival

Answer 18

Aristophanes’ Thesmophoriazusae

describes men infiltrating womens only thesmophoria

Question 19

what are the three parts of a sacrifice

Answer 19

1. the preparation
2. the kill
3. the sharing of the sacrifice

Question 20

the preparation steps x3

Answer 20

1. all participants would be clean and wear their best clothes
2. animal which was the best looking in the herd had its horns gilded and was covered in ribbons
3. attendants led the animals to the altar. accompanied by a priest; water-carrier; flute-player; a man carrying incense and a maiden, who would carry a basket full of barley grains or cakes.

Question 21

who would be at the altar during a sacrifice

Answer 21

1. a priest
2. water-carrier
3. flute-player
4. a man carrying incense
5. a maiden, who would carry a basket full of barley grains or cakes.
6. water poured onto the head of the animal = causing it to nod (animal had to consent)
7. participants would throw a handful of grain into the fire and a prayer would be said

Question 22

why were musicians at the altar

Answer 22

it calmed the animal down.
a scared animal would be a bad omen from the gods so the whole sacrifice would have to be started again

Question 23

the kill steps x4

Answer 23

1. the chief sacrificer would take the knife from the basket and remove some of the animal’s hair, throw into the fire
2. the animals throat was cut. a bowl used to collect blood
3. blood over the altar
4. women would let out a scream, lamenting the animal’s death

Question 24

sharing of the sacrifice steps

Answer 24

1. the god recieved his meat first (removed the thigh bones and wrapped them in fat). burned on the altar whilst wine was poured on the fire
2. the entrails of the animal were read for omens by the priest
3. meat cooked, shared with community = stresses the communal spirit
4. the animal skin was given to the sanctuary

Question 25

why was sharing meat at sacrifices so good

Answer 25

meat was expensive and it was a rare part of the greek diet. so it was lit to eat it

Question 26

why do they give thigh bones wrapped in fat to gods? origins

Answer 26

the myth of prometheus

Question 27

sources for sacrifice

Answer 27

- red figure amphora - stamnos pot

Question 28

what does stamnos pot show x5

Answer 28

- sacrifice to nike - cooked the meat - men - gods were involved - musicians

Question 29

red figure amphora shows.. x3

Answer 29

- 2 women preparing bulls for a sacrifice - libation about to be poured on back - shows preparation, ribbons and guilded horns

Question 30

when was red figure amphora

Answer 30

450 BC

Question 31

When was stamnos pot

Answer 31

250-430BC

Question 32

when was panathenaic amphora

Answer 32

333-332 BC

Question 33

date of ninnion tablet

Answer 33

400-300 BC