lesson 7- the role of the nature of hero cult Flashcards
who did the Greeks worship in addition to the gods?
the demi gods- nymphs, heroes, fates and muses
who gave Hercales and Achillies their heroic title?
Homer
what is the difference between a god and a hero?
a hero is someone who has lived and died in a myth or real life, but a god cannot die as they are immortal.
what can a hero also be?
a mythical person
how was a hero different from an ordinary person?
the hero was worshipped in a way that went far beyond typical rituals surrounding burial for an ordinary person
how could someone become a hero?
they could do something positive or negative or achieve something unusual in their lifetime. e.g saving someone, killing a mythical creature, doing something negative like killing an opponent in the olympic games
who was the most popular hero?
Hercales
how do we know Hercales was popular?
there are several temples where he shows up, whilst other heroes were only worshipped in one particular place. he was also honoured at olympia
Give some examples of heroes worshipped in a specific location and the reason for their worship
A hero named theogenes was worshipped on the island of thasos, and he was worshipped as a god healer
Why were Heracles and Asclepius a bit of an exception?
hercales was a mortal and died, but became a god after he died and was worshipped as a hero and god.
Aeslepius was perceived as a god of mortal descent.
Although distinctions were drawn in literature between gods and heroes, how was their worship in the real world very similar?
they were worshipped very similarly, including animal sacrifice and eating sacrificial meat
How did sacrifice to the gods and heroes differ and why?
Sacrifice to the olympians included burning flesh and incense which floats up to the sky to make contact with the gods, whilst sacrifice to the heroes involved making contact with a hero who is buried in the ground. This involved pouring liquids, especially blood. Gods and heroes are different as gods are immortal and heroes are not
Even though the heroes were “dead” how did the Greeks believe they could still affect them?
They believed that they are potent and still technically with us. They can still affect us for good and evil.
How might a hero obtain god or demi-god status?
If their cult grows and becomes an interest to the whole city, then the hero can leave their tomb to become a ‘demigod’
How was a mortal chosen to be the recipient of a hero cult?
A mortal was chosen if they were particularly admired by a community.
