Lesson 2- Sacrifice

Question 1

What things could be sacrificed?

Answer 1

-vegetable products such as grains and flowers
-sacrificial Savoury cakes

Question 2

what was the most common form of sacrifice?

Answer 2

Blood sacrifice

Question 3

who could sacrifices be performed by?

Answer 3

sacrifice could be performed by anyone who had the means to do so, meaning even housewives and slaves could perform sacrifices.

Question 4

how could someone learn the process of sacrifice?

Answer 4

through imitation and involvement in rituals

Question 5

what skills were required for blood sacrifices?

Answer 5

skills in butchery had to be acquired

Question 6

what was the significance of ritual sacrifice?

Answer 6

Ritual slaughtering of an animal was central to the community and supplied meat

Question 7

What was a hecatomb?

Answer 7

It was the most famous of all blood sacrifices which included the slaughtering and consumption of originally one hundred oxen. It was a rare occasion in the ancient Greek city. Its scale diminished over time and the hecatomb could be held with a dozen oxen instead of one hundred.

Question 8

what kinds of animals could be slaughtered?

Answer 8

-sheep
-goats
-pigs
-cattle

Question 9

what did the choice of animal for a blood sacrifice depend on?

Answer 9

the type of festival, it’s scale and the budget available

Question 10

where would a sacrifice be conducted?

Answer 10

On an altar outside of the temple

Question 11

where does most knowledge about sacrifice come from?

Answer 11

Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey and the works of Euripides and Aristophanes

Question 12

In which aspect of religion would smaller and cheaper animals be used?

Answer 12

individual sacrifice and civic festivals

Question 13

what were the three steps of blood sacrifice?

Answer 13

1. preparation
2. The act of killing
   3.handling the meat

Question 14

what happened during preparation?

Answer 14

-The animal was led to the altar, usually during a procession e.g the panathenaic procession
- Each participant cleansed their hands and took a handful of barley grain from a basket
- The sacrificial victims head was sprinkled with water to force a nod of agreement from the animal
-A strand of the sacrificial victims hair was cut by the main sacrificer and placed on the altar
-The altar was set alight, and a prayer was said in which the desired outcome of the sacrifice was formulated
-The other participants threw their handfuls of barely forward

Question 15

what happened during the act of killing?

Answer 15

• The main sacrificer cut the animal’s throat with a knife, and larger victims were stunned by a blow with an axe beforehand
  -Whist the sacrificial victim was being killed, women chanted the ritual cry called the ‘Odolyge’
  -The altar was bloodied by either holding the animal directly over the altar or catching the animal’s blood in a bowl and then pouring it over the altar

Question 16

what was the name of the ritual cry?

Answer 16

The ‘Odolgye’

Question 17

what happened during the handling of the meat?

Answer 17

The Deity’s portions were taken away- typically the thigh bones and small portions of meat from all the limbs. The meat was burned on the altar whilst wine was poured over it.
-the entrails (organs) were taken out and roasted on spits over the fire and shared among the worshippers
-lastly, the remaining meat was cooked and distributed among the participants

Question 18

what portions did the deity usually get?

Answer 18

Typically the meat on the thigh bones and meat from all the limbs of the sacrificial victim

Question 19

where would the sacrificial meat be eaten by worshippers?

Answer 19

Occasionally, some portions were taken home but a communal meal on the spot was the norm, for which many sanctuaries offered dining rooms.

Question 20

what were the entrails (organs) usually used for?

Answer 20

The entrails could be used to read and understand omens- omens could be taken from the quality of the entrails which were read according to a manual.

Question 21

what could the entrails suggest?

Answer 21

The deity’s approval or disapproval to the sacrifice- the quality of the entrails suggested this

Question 22

what was the function/purpose of blood sacrifice?

Answer 22

-blood sacrifice served to unite a community, fed people,displayed strength and relationships between animals and the community
-the religious dimensions of the sacrifice were central to the ritual- the gods needed to be appeased/ idea of reciprocity
-sacrifice allowed the celebration of the gods but equally the achievements of mortals e.g celebrating a victory at the end of the olympic games which honoured zeus as well as the victors

Question 23

why was communal eating of the sacrificial meat so important?

Answer 23

meat was very expensive, and this was the only time that many Greeks would eat meat

Question 24

what date is the attica red figure stamnos dated from?

Answer 24

450-430 BC

Question 25

what is the significance of the attic red figure stamnos?

Answer 25

it is an important vase depicting a rare scene which was part of a blood sacrifice

Question 26

what does the prescence of the goddess Nike suggest?

Answer 26

The fact that goddess Nike, the goddess of victory, is present likely indicates that the sacrifice was held at the occasion of a victory, thanking the gods

Question 27

what is the likely explanation of the sacrifice on the attic red figure stamnos?

Answer 27

the sacrifice was most likely held at the occassion of victory or as a preparation for competitions,battle or war