Religious festivals Flashcards
Festivals sources
Thucydides 2.38
- Festivals for their own pleasure ‘when our work is over, we…enjoy all kings of recreation…various kinds of contests and sacrifices regularly’
Old Oligarch 3.1
Not much is done as ‘have to celebrate more festivals than any other Greek city’, during festivals state business is suspended
2.9
‘city frequently makes many sacrifices publicly’, common people ‘enjoy the feasts and obtain a share in the sacrifices’
Frequency and involvement of peopl
120 per year (but meant similar working times to modern times (250 days a year)
All in honour of gods
Some were exclusive to women or members of a cult
Panathenaia
- Festival to celebrate Athena’s (Polias) birthday
- 28th Hecatombaion (July/aug)
- 1 day long
- Most important festival
- Procession
- Sacrifice 100 animals (is huge )
- Knitting her a robe (peplos) - purpose of the festival
3km route
Great Panathenaia
- Later, starting 466bc - every 4y
- Elaborate festival
- 8 days long including competitions
- Athletic
- Choral
- Poetic
- Naval
- Tribal
- So community, relaxing, religious, social and political - show of power and strength
Great Panathenaia competitions
Musical comp
Rhapsodes: reciting Iliad or Odyssey (prize of 1000 drachmas for winner (3 years of skilled pay))
Sports events
- Similar to Olympics
- Limited to men, boys and young men
- open to outsiders
- prizes of 40-50l jars of oil (140 jars)
Tribal contests
Few records, athenian
Affiliation of tribes being important
Euandria - cross between beauty pageant and strenght contest
Boat race and torch race
Pannychis
Honouring athena, singing hymns with women dancing
Peplos
Robe presented to Athena
Representing her vicotry over the Giants
Represented first weaving of a woollen garment
Procession
Went past acropolis
Presented gifts and 100 sacrifices of animals (no matter the economic situation (e.e 410bc)
Class emphasised with clothing
Organised by deme
