Priests and Sacrifice

Question 1

What is a blood sacrifice?

Answer 1

The killing of an animal as an offering to the Gods.

Question 2

What is a hecatomb?

Answer 2

The sacrifice of at least 100 bulls during a large festival.

Question 3

What is gilding?

Answer 3

The covering of a surface with a thin layer of gold.

Question 4

Why did the ancient world do sacrifices?

Answer 4

To honour the Gods so they could receive luck or help, and because they liked sacrifice. To bring them something they didn’t have.

Question 5

What did the Greeks offer in a sacrifice?

Answer 5

They would give them parts of the animal that the humans didn’t like, such as – bones, fat and giblets. They also gave terracotta figurines of body parts to show them what they wanted cured.

Question 6

Name 3 things that would happen before the animal was killed and after it was led to the altar in a Greek sacrifice.

Answer 6

• The musicians would play music to calm the animal
• The participants would cleanse themselves again
• The sacrificer would pour water on it’s head making it nod
• The chief sacrificer would utter a prayer to a God
• The participants would throw their grain into the fire
• And finally, some of the animals hair would have been chopped off and thrown into the fire

Question 7

What would happen after the animal was killed in a Greek Sacrifice?

Answer 7

• They prepared the meat for the Gods by getting the thigh bones and wrapping them in fat; then put them into the fire with wine
• The entrails would have then been read by the Mantis
• The meat would have then been consumed by the people and the skin have been sent to the sanctuary

Question 8

What is a Greek Hiereus?

Answer 8

A male greek priest usually attended to male gods

Question 9

What is a Greek Hiereia?

Answer 9

A female greek priest usually attended to female goddesses

Question 10

What is a Greek mantis?

Answer 10

A soothsayer

Question 11

What was the role of a greek priest?

Answer 11

To upkeep the temples and attend sacrifices rituals and festivals

Question 12

What was the role of a mantis?

Answer 12

To read the entrails of animals and comment on the future. They would also go on battles to read the flights of birds.

Question 13

What does pax deorum mean?

Answer 13

Peace of the Gods - uttering the correct prayers and completing the correct sacrifice.

Question 14

What is a Pontifex Maximus?

Answer 14

The chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome.

Question 15

What was the role of a Pontifex Maximus?

Answer 15

Gave a lot of power that was selected by a vote led by a pontifex. They led the pontifexes to protect the temples and oversee the
religious kingdoms.

Question 16

What is an Augur?

Answer 16

A type of Roman priest.

Question 17

What was the role of and Augur?

Answer 17

They took the auspices which read the flight paths of animals which
usually took place before Battle.

Question 18

Who were the Vestal Virgins?

Answer 18

They were a collage of six priestesses of the goddess Vesta.

Question 19

What was the role of the Vestal Virgins?

Answer 19

They guarded the temple of Vesta and made sure the flame of Vesta didn’t go out.

Question 20

What was a Haruspex?

Answer 20

A Roman priest that read the entrails of animals.

Question 21

What was a Haruspexes role?

Answer 21

They read the entrails of animals and they were consulted at festivals and battles.

Question 22

Name 3 different actions Romans did compared to the Greeks in a sacrifice.

Answer 22

• They tied a ribbon to the animals horns or tail
• The priest would veil his head with his toga to obscure any noise that might frighten
• The priest sprinkles mola salsa on the animals head with wine making it nod
• A popa would strike the animal on the head to stun it
• The animals entrails would have been read by the Haruspex