Greek festivals Flashcards

1
Q

What is a festival

A

A day or period of celebration, typically for religious reasons

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2
Q

Name two Greek festivals

A

Great Panathenia and City Dionysia

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3
Q

Who was the great panathenia dedicated to

A

Athena, patron goddess of Athens

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4
Q

Which mythical hero was said to have held the first panathenia festival

A

Theseus

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5
Q

What did the panathenia celebrate

A

Athenas birthday

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6
Q

How long were the panathenia and great panathenia

A

Panathenia lasted 5 days, great panathenia lasted 8 days

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7
Q

When the the panathenia and great panathenia held

A

Panathenia held every year, great panathenia held every 4 years

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8
Q

When did the great panathenia start

A

566BC

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9
Q

Who took part in the panathenia festivals

A

Only the Athenian people

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10
Q

List the 8 events that took place in the great panathenia

A

-Rhapsodic and musical contests
-The stadion
-Wresting
-Boxing
-Pankration
-Pentathlon
-Equestrian events
-Tribal contests

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11
Q

What were rhapsodic music contests like

A

-Verses recited from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
-Four main competitions which the aulos(oboe) and the Kithara(harp) would accompany

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12
Q

What was the sporting events like

A

-3 out of 8 days in great panathenia
-Women could not compete
-Winners received a varied amount of Panatheniac amphorae, filled with olive oil
-Only Athenians could compete

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13
Q

What was the Stadion like

A

-Running event in which competitors would run the length of the stadium

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14
Q

What was Wrestling like

A

-Theseus introduced wrestling as a sporting contest after defeating King Cercyon of Eleusis
-Competitors attempted to get opponent onto their back
-Competitors covered themselves in oil

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15
Q

What was Boxing like

A

-Competitors would not wear any protective head gear
-Athletes wrapped leather strips around knuckles
-Objective was to knock down opponent

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16
Q

What was Pankration like

A

-Translates to ‘all strength’
-Mixture of boxing and wrestling
-No eye gouging or biting

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17
Q

What was the Pentathlon like

A

-Discus, javelin, long jump, stadion and wrestling

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18
Q

What was the equestrian events like

A

-Fourth day, four horse chariot race
-Mounted javelin contests
-Apobates took place on seventh day
-Prizes went to owner of horse, not the rider

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19
Q

What was the Apobates

A

Fully armoured charioteers dismounting their chariots while racing, running alongside them then mounting them again

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20
Q

What were tribal contests like

A

-Open to Athenians, who competed their 10 tribes
-First event was strength trails
-Second was the boat race, took place in port time of Piraeus
-Third was a war dance competition accompanied by aulous

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21
Q

What was the procession like in the great panathenia

A

-Evening before procession an all night celebration took place on the Acropolis
-Torch race from Diplion gate to the Acropolis
-Winners torch for sacrificial offering

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22
Q

What would be given to the statue of Athena

A

Peplos, a purple robe

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23
Q

Where would the sacrifice in the Panathenia take place

A

At the Altar to Athena Polias in the Parthenon

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24
Q

What is the Peplos and describe it

A

-Purple robe with yellow blue and purple flowers
-Peplos displayed Athena’s victories
-Peplos delivered on a ship
-Saffron thread

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25
How is the great panathenia exciting
-Sporting and tribal competitions -Cheer for your tribe, sense of belonging -Listen to exciting myths as rhapsodies
26
How does the great panathenia honour the gods
-Procession around giving Peplos, showing gratitude to Athena -Torch race, winner lights sacrificial flame -Amphorae with Athena on it
27
What were opportunities to participate in the great panathenia like
-Only Athenians, showing patriotism -Tribal contests -Range of sports+ different types of events -Women could not compete in sporting events
28
How does the great panathenia celebrate the city
-Holiday time, break from work -Community spirit -Bring people together
29
Which day was when Athenians presented Athena with her gift
Sixth day
30
What scenes were on a Peplos
Battle between gods of Olympus and the giants
31
What was included in the Panatheniac sacrifice
100 oxen and other animals offered to Athena (hecatomb)
32
Who was the city dionysia dedicated to, and what is he dedicated to?
Dionysus, god of theatre, revelry and wine
33
When was the city dionysia founded
Sixth century BC
34
What did the Athenians do to the statue of dionysus at first
They originally rejected it
34
Where was the statue of dionysus from
Eleutherae
35
What made the Athenians decide to take the statue in
A plague took place and they believed it was from Dionysus because they didn't take the statue in
36
When did the city dionysia take place
March, springtime festival
37
How long was the city dionysia
5 days long
38
Where does the parade in the city dioynsia start and end
Gate of Athens to the sanctuary of Dionysus
39
Where was the sanctuary of Dionysus
South side of Acropolis
40
What was important about the place of the altar of Dionysus
It was in the centre of an open space which showed it was the central part of the festival
41
What is a pompe
Grand procession
42
When did the pompe take place
Morning of first day
43
What was the pompe like
-Resembled a carnival -People would carry traditional sacrificial objects : Such as animals, fruits, model phalluses
44
Why would people carry model phalluses in the pompe
Honour of Dionysus who was god of fertility and recreation
45
When was the libation sacrifice in the city dionysia, and who did it?
Second day, generals of Athens poured libations for Olympic gods
46
How much did the theatrical contest cost
Costed 2 obols, days wage for unskilled worker. Only wealthy in society could attend theatre
47
What was set up so poor people could attend the theatrical contests
A theoric fund was set up for the poor
48
How long could a single play last
10 mins
49
What were the two types of plays
Comedy and tragedy
50
What was comedy plays like in the city dionysia
-Themes were war, politics and social life -Characters had reversed roles
51
Example of comic playwright
Aristophanes, 11 plays
52
What were tragic plays like
-Inspired by well-known mythic and historical events of the past -Focused on human suffering and sought to ask questions about human nature
53
Structure of tragic plays
Performed in trilogies + 1 satyr play
54
What were satyr plays like
-Comic respite after tragic plays -Theme was mythological and did not relate to the tragedies
55
How was the plays judged
-Each judge wrote the plays in order of preference and placed it in a urn -The eponymous archon drew fire of the ten lists
56
What was the prize for winning the play award
A garland of ivy
57
What was the Eponymous archon's role in the city dionysia
-Organiser of event -Elected every year -Selected 3 tragic and 5 comic playwrights -Chose choregos
58
How many plays did tragic and comic playwrights make
-Tragic playwrights made 3 plays+1 satyr -Comic playwrights made 1 play each
59
Who was the choregos
-Payed for the city dionysia and festival, financial sponsor
60
What type of actors were selected for the plays
Professionals, Amateurs and Dithyramb
61
Who were the dithyramb
-100 members from each tribe took part(1000 people) -Choral done to Dionysus(included everyone in society) -Women were not allowed to act
62
What would they do the night before the city dionysia
-Torchlight procession -Carry wooden horse into city that was given from Eleutherae