Greek sacrifice

Question 1

what was the sanctuary?

Answer 1

an area of holy land, dedicated to a god or gods that contained the temple and altar

Question 2

what is pollution

Answer 2

when a person has done something to make them impure in the eyes of the gods

Question 3

how was the sanctuary separated from the rest of the city?

Answer 3

by a wall

Question 4

what is special about a sanctuary?

Answer 4

it could have temples and altars to many goods and it didn’t have to be specific to one goddess or god

Question 5

what did the sanctuary often have at its entrance? why?

Answer 5

a source of fresh water for people to wash their hands and feet. this was important so that their holy sites were not polluted as this could discourage the favour of the gods.

Question 6

how did a person become polluted? how long did it last?

Answer 6

anyone who had come into contact with a dead person or newborn was polluted. if you had committed homicide you were polluted. pollution could last a number of days or be immediately removed with a wash

Question 7

who was allowed into the temple?

Answer 7

only priests

Question 8

why was the altar important?

Answer 8

this was where sacrifices and offerings to the gods took place

Question 9

why was sacrifice important to most Greeks?

Answer 9

it was the most communal part of a God’s worship

Question 10

what was the colonnade?

Answer 10

an open-air covered walkway supported by columns

Question 11

what is a cella? what is the greek name for it?

Answer 11

a (small) room of the temple containing the cult statue. greek name - naos

Question 12

what is an opisthodomos?

Answer 12

the rear room in a temple that contained the city or town treasures

Question 13

how was the temple usually orientated? what shape?

Answer 13

rectangular and east to west

Question 14

name the main things that would be present in a temple

Answer 14

colonnade, cella, opisthodomos, foundation steps (which provided steps up to the temple and raised it above the ground to increase the sense of grandeur)

Question 15

which 2 areas of a greek temple were decorated? how?

Answer 15

prediments and friezes. with sculptures/ionic/doric freize

Question 16

what is a doric frieze?

Answer 16

a continuous strip of stone or marble divided into square spaces called metopes

Question 17

what is an ionic frieze?

Answer 17

an unbroken strip of marble that goes all the way around a temple

Question 18

what is the greek name for priests and priestess’

Answer 18

hierus and hiereia

Question 19

what does hiereus literally mean?

Answer 19

one who sacrifices to a god

Question 20

give an example of an ionic frieze

Answer 20

parthenon

Question 21

give an example of a doric frieze

Answer 21

parthenon, temple of zeus at Olympia

Question 22

what is special about hiereus and hiereia

Answer 22

hiereia worshipped godesses and hiereus worhipped and attended the gods however exeptions include the temple of Apollo at Delphi

Question 23

How did greek priests differ to modern priests?

Answer 23

their position was not full time. A priesthood was a temporary role that required no special training. some would last for a single festival, some for a year.
They would not be expected to hold regular services, spread the message of their god or oversee the pastoral car of the community

Question 24

how would a greek citizen show their commitment to their city?

Answer 24

they would hope to become a priest of their local god at last once in their lifetime

Question 25

what did Greek priests actually have to do?

Answer 25

• undertake and oversee the correct ritual at the correct time and assist the upkeep of their temple

Question 26

what meant that the importance of a specific priest was varied?

Answer 26

who the god was and where their temple was e.g., a priest of Dionysus in Athens sat on a throne at the front row of the city Dionysia whereas in Olympia, the priestess of Demeter was the only female allowed to watch the Olympic games, all other women were banned

Question 27

what is a mantis?

Answer 27

a soothsayer who read entrails of animals or bird signs to predict the outcome of future events

Question 28

what is an augur?

Answer 28

a person who reads the flight of birds to predicts the outcome of future events

Question 29

how do we know that the mantis was so important?

Answer 29

one would accompany the army to make a reading before the battle

Question 30

what offerings were given to the Gods?

Answer 30

These could include gifts of money, dedications of songs and war booty. The gift of food was a popular offering to the gods and the main way this was done was through the killing of an animal as a
blood sacrifice

Question 31

how can the sacrifice of an animal be separated in to 3 different sections?

Answer 31

• the preparation
• the kill
• the sharing of the sacrifice.

Question 32

how would they choose their (sacrificial) animal?

Answer 32

Usually the animal chosen would be a domestic animal belonging to the person undertaking the sacrifice. Different gods required different sacrifices and some animals were cheaper than others. A household may restrict their sacrifice to animals such as chickens and piglet

Question 33

what was part of the preparation of the sacrifice?

Answer 33

• participants had to ensure they were clean and well in order not to pollute the sacrifice
• Participants would wear their best clothes and garlands of leaves or twigs, dependent on the type of sacrifice.
• Next the animal was prepared by gilding the horns if it had any.
• Attendants would then lead the animals to the altar. These attendants included a maiden, who would carry a basket full of barley grains or cakes. This basket also hid the sacrificial knife that would be used for the kill.
• The musicians were important as their playing would reduce the chance of the animal taking fright at the noise of the crowd. If the animal did become scared, the whole sacrifice would have to be started again as a frightened animal symbolised a negative sign from the gods.
• Once the procession arrived at the sanctuary the participants would cleanse themselves with water again and gather around the altar. At this point the fire was lit.
• The participants would take a handful of grain and the sacrificer would pour water on the head of the animal, causing it to nod.
• The chief sacrificer would utter a prayer to the god and the other participants would then throw their grain into the fire to confirm their participation.

Question 34

why did they pour water on the animal’s head?

Answer 34

the animal had to be seen to agree to the sacrifice.

Question 35

what does the preparation for a sacrifice say about the altar?

Answer 35

the importance of the altar in the worship of the god rather than the temple building itself should be noticed

Question 36

how many attendants were present in a sacrifice?

Answer 36

The number of attendants that joined the procession could vary. As can be seen from the Panathenaic procession, the whole city could take part. However, if it was a smaller sacrifice it would, at a minimum, include musicians and water bearers.

Question 37

what did they do to the horns of an animal in the prep?

Answer 37

gilded them

Question 38

what was in the basket? who was the basket carried by?

Answer 38

the basket was full of barley grains or cakes. it also hid the sacrificial knife that would be used for the kill. the maiden would carry the basket

Question 39

why were musicians important in the prep?

Answer 39

The musicians were important as their playing would reduce the chance of the animal taking fright at the noise of the crowd. If the animal did become scared, the whole sacrifice would have to be started again as a frightened animal symbolised a negative sign from the gods.

Question 40

what happened in the kill part of the sacrifice?

Answer 40

• Once the preparations were complete, the chief sacrificer would take the knife from the basket and remove some of the animal’s hairs, throwing them into the fire.
• When this was done the animal’s throat was cut. If the sacrificial animal was large, a bowl would be used to collect the blood; if it was a smaller animal it would be held above the altar.
• It was key that the animal’s blood be poured over the altar
• As at funerals, women would then let out a high-pitched scream to mark the animal’s passage from life to death.

Question 41

what happened in the sharing of the sacrifice part of the sacrifice?

Answer 41

• After the animal was killed the feast began and the Greeks ensured that none of the animal went to waste.
• The most important recipient of the sacrificial meat was the god for whom the sacrifice was intended, so they received their portion first. The god’s portion was prepared by removing the animals thigh bones and wrapping them in fat. This was then burned on the altar while wine was poured on the fire. The reason the gods received the bones and fat, and not the meat was explained by the myth of Prometheus.
• Once the god had been satisfied, the entrails of the animal were read for omens.
• When this was completed they were cooked and shared amongst the immediate participants.
• The remaining meat was then cut up, cooked and shared with the wider community.
• Once the feasting had finished, the animal skin was given to the sanctuary.

Question 42

why were sacrifices a special opportunity for the greeks?

Answer 42

Meat was not a normal part of the Greek diet, so sacrifices offered a rare opportunity for it to be eaten.

Question 43

what does the sharing of the sacrifice stress?

Answer 43

This element of the sacrifice stresses the communal spirit and benefits of sacrifice to those who participated.

Question 44

what did the women do when the animal died?

Answer 44

let out a high pitched scream to signify the animal’s passage from life to death

Question 45

how was the animal killed

Answer 45

throat was cut

Question 46

Who received the first portion of the sacrifice? how?

Answer 46

the Gods. it was prepared by removing the animals thigh bones and wrapping them in fat

Question 47

what is a blood sacrifice?

Answer 47

a blood sacrifice is the killing of an animal as offering to a god

Question 48

what is a hetacomb?

Answer 48

hecatomb is the sacrifice in honour of a god of at least 100 oxen during large festivals

Question 50

give an example of when a hetacomb was performed. (bonus question- how much did it cost)

Answer 50

The most expensive of sacrifices would be the hecatomb, that took place in festivals such as the Great Panathenaia and Olympic Games, in which one hundred oxen would be killed.
an approximate cost was 8,000 drachmae (34 kilograms of silver)

Question 51

what is gilding?

Answer 51

gilding the covering of a surface in a thin layer of gold