Religion and Society Flashcards
Greek word for household
oikos
Three main household gods
Zeus Ktesios: protector of property and wealth, the father would pray to him for health and good property.
Zeus Herkeios: Zeus of the fence protected the enclosure of the house.
Apollo Agyeios: protected the house from the outside
(father would make daily offerings)
Two other things that protected the household
the hearth (inside) and the herm (outside)
Example of a way the father looked after grave
offerings of garlands and libations of milk and honey offered once a year at the gravesite
Religious cults a young girl could be part of
Arrephoros, Grinder, festival of Artemis Brauronia & basket-bearer
Cults married women could take part in
Thesmophoria, Adonia (all women festivals) and the Eleusinian Mysteries
Example of religion in a specific deme
Erchia- 25 days of sacrifices per year. Worshipped heroes not upheld anywhere else, shows the regional variety of religion
Example of agricultural festival
the proerosia- ‘pre-ploughing’ festival to honour Demeter. Celebrated in Erchia, showed how rural demes would honour gods relevant to their livelihoods and that festivals served a practical purpose
Example of link between household and polis religion
polis hearth in the Prytaneion
Names of Panhellenic games
Pythian games, Olympian games, Nemean games, Isthmian games
Examples of religious authority given to civic officials and magistrates
the archon basileus, the eponymous archon & the polemarch (the ‘war archon’)
Word for overseers and what did they do?
epimeletai- individually appointed for particular festivals ie. Panathanaia. Would have originally paid for these but the expenses were moved to state responsibility
Example of king consulting oracle
Croesus, king of Lydia, went to Delphi to ask whether he should wage war against the Persians or not. Shows that consulting an oracle was not merely a formality but vital for making decisions
Example of religion in politics
Opening ceremony of the Athenian assembly meeting began with the sacrifice of a piglet
Example of building with religious and civic purpose
the prytaneion- where officials relating to the governing of the city met was also where the sacred hearth was
How often was the Panathenaia held?
Annually, the Great Panathenaia every 4 years
How do we know how popular the Panathenaia was?
procession grew so big that a special building, the Pompeion, was constructed
Where did the procession of the Panathenaia go?
Started at the Dipylon Gate, through the agora and up to the Acropolis- the road was called the Panathenaic way
What shows the importance of the Panathenaia?
it was the inspiration for the freize of the Parthenon- the first time a scene depicting a real-life event was depicted on a temple
What did the Panathenaia mark?
the birth of Athene
What was the focal part of the Panathenaia?
the presentation of a pelops that was woven by maidens from aristocratic families each year. Decorated with a scene showing Athene’s duel with the giant Encelados
Significance of how the sacrificial meat was distributed at the Panathenaia?
Meat shared to every citizen- paid for either directly by the city or by imposing liturgies on rich Athenians and foreign residents. Reflective of the democratic nature of Athens. Highly valued and prized considering meat was not a regular part of the Greek diet because it was expensive. Communal eating brought people together in shared enjoyment
Contests at the Panathenaia
Musical and rhapsodic, athletic contests, equestrian contests, tribal contests, torch race
Prizes for winning a contest at the Panathenaia
musical example- golden crown worth 1,000 drachmas.
athletic- Panathenaic Amphorae
