lesson 7- the role of the nature of hero cult

Question 1

who did the Greeks worship in addition to the gods?

Answer 1

the demi gods- nymphs, heroes, fates and muses

Question 2

who gave Hercales and Achillies their heroic title?

Answer 2

Homer

Question 3

what is the difference between a god and a hero?

Answer 3

a hero is someone who has lived and died in a myth or real life, but a god cannot die as they are immortal.

Question 4

what can a hero also be?

Answer 4

a mythical person

Question 5

how was a hero different from an ordinary person?

Answer 5

the hero was worshipped in a way that went far beyond typical rituals surrounding burial for an ordinary person

Question 6

how could someone become a hero?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

who was the most popular hero?

Answer 7

Hercales

Question 8

how do we know Hercales was popular?

Answer 8

there are several temples where he shows up, whilst other heroes were only worshipped in one particular place. he was also honoured at olympia where his twelve labours were displayed on the metopes of the temple of zeus

Question 9

Give some examples of heroes worshipped in a specific location and the reason for their worship

Answer 9

A hero named theogenes was worshipped on the island of thasos, and he was worshipped as a god healer

Question 10

Why were Heracles and Asclepius a bit of an exception?

Answer 10

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.

Question 11

Although distinctions were drawn in literature between gods and heroes, how was their worship in the real world very similar?

Answer 11

they were worshipped very similarly, including animal sacrifice and eating sacrificial meat

Question 12

How did sacrifice to the gods and heroes differ and why?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Even though the heroes were “dead” how did the Greeks believe they could still affect them?

Answer 13

They believed that they are potent and still technically with us. They can still affect us for good and evil.

Question 14

How might a hero obtain god or demi-god status?

Answer 14

If their cult grows and becomes an interest to the whole city, then the hero can leave their tomb to become a ‘demigod’

Question 15

How was a mortal chosen to be the recipient of a hero cult?

Answer 15

A mortal was chosen if they were particularly admired by a community.

Question 16

Professor Richard Seaford hypotheses the various reasons why a Greek community may worship a negative hero. what are they?

Answer 16

-they may have done other good deeds such as if they are a king, warrior, and achievers of various kinds.

Question 17

What did the term “Pharmakos” (scapegoat) mean?

Answer 17

means the process of where a Greek human being often who was of very low status would be driven out the city and sometimes murdered and was hated by the community.

Question 18

Why might a community want to bury and worship a negative hero in their community?

Answer 18

The community as a result remained unanimous and without pollution.

Question 19

what is the definition of a hero?

Answer 19

A mortal who had lived and died, either in myth or real life. However, to become a hero they had to achieve something in their lives, whether that be good or bad

Question 20

what is an example of a mortal who had achieved something good to become a hero?

Answer 20

Heracles and his twelve labours that he had to perform following the murder of his wife and children after he was driven to madness by Hera.

Question 21

what is an example of a mortal that became a hero through bad deeds?

Answer 21

Clemoedes had killed his opponent during the Pankration competition at the olympic games. When he was disqualified, in a fit of anger, he tore down the roof of a school, leaving 60 children dead before he vanished from the earth. The pythia, the priestess of Apollo declared him a hero

Question 22

what evidence do we have of heroes being widely worshipped in Greece, almost to the same level as gods?

Answer 22

We have sacrifical calendars such as the sacrificial calendar from Attica which shows that from 170 sacrifices, 40% were to heroes

Question 23

How was Heracles worshipped on a personal level?

Answer 23

he was worshipped as a household god- his statue stood in homes to ward off evil

Question 24

How was heracles worshipped on a local level?

Answer 24

He was worshipped locally in the city state of Thebes where his main cult was located, also the place of his birth in mythology

Question 25

How was Heracles worshipped on a panhellenic level?

Answer 25

Heracles was worshipped at the sanctuary of Olympia by athletes competing due to his strength and endurance and also because he was considered to be one of the founders of the olympic games