Levels: Polis Religious Participation

Question 1

What is a polis ?

Answer 1

A city state including demes within it
Athens is a polis with the attic demes surrounding it

Question 2

How was the polis funded and organised ?

Answer 2

Stage funds, organised by state officials and open to all citizens, silver miners, tributes and taxes

Question 3

What did the funds pay for ?

Answer 3

Temples, sacrifices, festivals and dedications

Question 4

What is the duel purpose of polis religion according to Mitropoulos ?

Answer 4

Since it’s open to all citizens and their families it’s duel purpose was to honour the gods and draw the community together with a sense of ‘patriotism and civic pride’
- unity ties together the human experience with the polis, M argues it’s the primary experience of the individual

Question 5

What are the links between polis worship and household worship ?

Answer 5

• worship of the same pantheon ( slight difference in epithets but this does not undermine the same fundamental worship)
• communal spirit: household initiation rituals, wealthier demesmen paying for sacrifice, festivals
• appointment of individuals to authority- same structure
• worship of artefact based worship

Question 6

What does mitropolous argue household religion was ?
What does Mikalson argue

Answer 6

A microcosm of polis religion

Mikalson: the state was ‘recognising nationally the importance of these family deities’
- the state emulates the household and by having this central aspect it brings together worship no matter the level

Question 7

What was the Athenian polis hearth ?

Answer 7

prytaneion ( prit en Ay on) in the Athenian Agora

Question 8

How was Polis religion linked to deme religion ?

Answer 8

• Eleusinian mysteries performed at Eleusis an Athenian deme and had a prominent sanctuary to Demeter and Persephone
• Athenians built a city Eleusinian to correspond to the sanctuary at Eleusis on the slope of the Acropolis