ROMAN Priests + sacrifices

Question 1

What is the sanctuary

Answer 1

The sanctuary was a holy area in a city or town that contained a temple and an altar to a god.

Question 2

How was the sanctuary separated from the city

Answer 2

The sanctuary was usually separated from the rest of the city by a wall.

Question 3

What is unique about sanctuaries?

Answer 3

a sanctuary could have temples and altars to many gods, it did not have to be specific to one god or goddess.

Question 4

What was often at the front of sanctuaries? Why?

Answer 4

The sanctuary often also had a fresh water source at its entrance for people to wash their hands and feet. This was because it was important to the Romans that that their holy sites were not polluted as this could anger the gods.

Question 5

What was the function of a Roman temple?

Answer 5

A temple is a building dedicated to a god and was used to house the cult statue of that god. It may be more easily understood as a house of the god, and it gave the god a residence on earth for when they left Olympus. Unlike the Greeks, Roman priests were not appointed to a specific temple.

Question 6

What is one striking difference between Roman and Greek priests? (Temples+worship)

Answer 6

Unlike the Greeks, Roman priests were not appointed to a specific temple
Unlike the Greeks, Roman priests were also not assigned a specific temple or god.

Question 7

What was the most popular place in the sanctuary for the populace?

Answer 7

The most important part of the sanctuary for the populace was the altar.

Question 8

What was special about the Altar?

Answer 8

The altar could exist in its own right without a temple. The altar was where sacrifices and offerings to the god took place. The sacrifice also was the most communal part of the gods’ worship and, dependent on the type of sacrifice, could involve the whole city.

Question 9

What was the Roman temple design based on?

Answer 9

Roman temple design was based on a mix of Etruscan and Greek styling. There were, however, anomalies that existed, most notable of these is the Pantheon in Rome

Question 10

Describe the layout of typical Roman temples

Answer 10

The temple was usually orientated on an east to west axis. This was to allow the sun to shine on the temple’s entrance in the morning. A Roman temple was placed on a podium (1), much like the Etruscan temples. This meant that you could only enter the temple from the front. The colonnade
(2) stood on the podium and ran around the temple. In the Roman temple the side and rear columns were semi-engaged. The main room in a temple was the cella (3). This would contain the cult statue of the god.

Question 11

What was the role of a priest?

Answer 11

The priest’s role was to uphold the state religion by maintenance of the pax deorum

Question 12

How was pax decorum maintained?

Answer 12

This was done by uttering the correct prayer, completing the appropriate sacrifice and fulfilling their priestly roles at festivals. Unlike today, priests did not preach a way of life or moral code, it did not matter if a Roman killed or behaved poorly, provided the pax deorum was maintained.
A good way of explaining the relationship between gods and men in the Roman world is shown in the Latin term do ut des, ‘I give so that you give’. If the Romans offered sacrifice and offerings, then the gods would grant favour to them.

Question 13

What differentiated Greek priests from Roman? (Clothing)

Answer 13

Additionally, Roman priests veiled their heads when engaging in their various religious duties

Question 14

What is the difference between present day priests and Roman priests?

Answer 14

Unlike priests today, a Roman priest worked part time. The rest of their time would have been spent engaging in business and politics.

Question 15

What are the pros of becoming a Roman priest?

Answer 15

Becoming a priest could greatly increase political power and could help to progress a Roman’s political career, thus many ambitious politicians would serve as priests at some point in their lives.

Question 16

What were the main colleges of priests?

Answer 16

• the pontifices
• the Augurs
• the Vestals.

Question 17

What did all of the colleges do even if they had various responsibilities?

Answer 17

Work to ensure pax decorum

Question 18

What were the pontifeces

Answer 18

a Roman priest in charge of protecting temples, regulating religious law and overseeing the rellgious calenadar

The pontifices were the most important college of priests in the Roman world.

Question 19

How many pontifeces were there?

Answer 19

Although numbers varied through time the most common number of them totalled fifteen.

Question 20

Who was the head of the pontifeces? What was special about it?

Answer 20

The college of pontifices was headed by the Pontifex Maximus, a post which was life long and so gave the holder great power over the college.
(the head of the pontiffs, greatest pontiff)

Question 21

How was the pontifex Maximus chosen?

Answer 21

From Rome’s founding, the Pontifex Maximus was always elected from the existing pontifices. However, from Augustus’ election in 13 BC, the post was always held by the emperor. The term pontifex means bridge builder and may allude to the priest’s role as mediator between man and god.

Question 22

What was the role of the pontifeces? Why was this important

Answer 22

The main roles of the pontifices were the protection of temples, regulation of burial and inheritance laws, and supervision of the religious calendar. Control of the calendar gave the priesthood immense power of when things could happen in Rome.

Question 23

What was the role of the augurs?

Answer 23

An augur’s main job was ‘taking the auspices’, which meant reading the flight of birds, the behaviour of animals or direction of thunder to work out the will of the gods.

Question 24

When were auspices done? (Usually)

Answer 24

The taking of auspices was commonplace in both state business and personal life. Most commonly they took place before a battle, marriage or business transaction. Writing in 20 BC, the Roman historian Livy recounted how Rome was founded. The story highlights the issues in reading such signs. Once grown, Romulus and Remus decided to found a city, but they argued as to where it should be built and so decided to take auspices to help them choose.

Question 25

How are auspices related to Romulus and Remus?

Answer 25

Livy recounted how Rome was founded. The story highlights the issues in reading such signs. Once grown, Romulus and Remus decided to found a city, but they argued as to where it should be built and so decided to take auspices to help them choose:
Since they were twins and could not be distinguished by age, it was decided that the who protected those places should send an augury which would decide the name of the new city, and, when it had been built, who would govern it. Romulus took the Palatine as his place for observing the augury, and Remus, the Aventine.

Remus was the first to receive the augury: six vultures. Just as that omen had been reported, twice the number appeared to Romulus, and each king was saluted by their own followers: the first group prioritised time as a mark of honour, and the second, the number of birds. They entered a verbal conflict, which then turned to an angry struggle leading to bloodshed. In the ensuing clash, Remus was cut down.

Question 26

What were Augurs accused of?

Answer 26

Like other priesthoods and magistracies in Rome the holders were accused of taking bribes or interpreting signs in favour of political allies for personal gain. While there is no proof of this, manipulation cannot be ruled out and, again, this explains why politics and religion in the Roman world were so closely tied.

Question 27

Vestal definition

Answer 27

female priests in charge of the cult of the goddess
Vesta

Question 28

What were the Vestal Virgins? Who were they priestess’ of?

Answer 28

The Vestal Virgins were a college of six priestesses who represented the only major female priesthood in Rome. As their name suggests they were priestesses of the goddess Vesta, the goddess of the hearth

Question 29

Where did the vestals live? What does this show?

Answer 29

The prestige of being a Vestal Virgin and the importance of their role was shown by their accommodation. The Vestals lived in the House of the Vestals, which was located in the Roman Forum, the hub of social and political activity in Rome

Question 30

How was a vestal selected?

Answer 30

Selection to the college of the Vestals was a prestigious honour. When a position became available, the Pontifex Maximus would select a new priestess from the eligible girls.

Question 31

How to be an eligible vestal?

Answer 31

be eligible the girl needed to be between the ages of six and ten. She also needed to be fit and healthy with two living parents.

Question 32

What did the vestal have to do to take on the role?

Answer 32

The role was a big commitment, as a Vestal had to remain in the post for at least thirty years and take a vow of chastity. This would mean that the role would take up most of the girl’s life.

Question 33

Where were eligible vestals taken from?

Answer 33

Vestals were taken from Rome’s most prestigious families and the elite would hope that their daughter would have the opportunity to be a Vestal in her lifetime.

Question 34

What was the vestal’s most important role? Why was it important? What was the history behind this? What would happen if this failed?

Answer 34

One of the Vestals most important roles was protecting the sacred flame for the safety of the state, which was housed in the Temple of Vesta. The flame was believed to have been brought from the ashes of Troy to Rome by the Roman hero Aeneas. It was believed that if the flame went out, Rome would fall.

Question 35

What other jobs did the Vestal’s have?

Answer 35

The temple of Vesta also held important state documents, such as treaties and the wills of leading Romans. They also made the mola salsa that was sprinkled on the heads of the sacrificial animals in state sacrifices.

Question 36

What were the privelages of the vestal virgins?

Answer 36

They loved in special accommodation, they were also allowed front row seats at certain games. The Vestals were also freed from their father’s authority, and able to make a will. These were all things that other women, Roman or otherwise, were not allowed to do.

Question 37

What are the potential punishments for the vestals?

Answer 37

If the flame of Vesta went out the Vestals were whipped. Additionally, if they broke their vow of chastity, they were buried alive while the male responsible was whipped to death.

Question 38

What is Mola salsa?

Answer 38

mola salsa a mix of salt and flour made by the Vestal Virgins in Rome and sprinkled on the heads of sacrificial victims

Question 39

Origin of Haruspex?

Answer 39

While augurs had their origins in Greece, the haruspex was of Etruscan origin.

Question 40

What are haruspex

Answer 40

(A Roman priest who read
omens Trom entrails )
A haruspex specialised in reading the entrails of sacrificial animals and was consulted at important sacrifices such as festivals and battles.

Question 41

What would a haruspex do?

Answer 41

To begin, the haruspex would watch how the animal fell to the ground once it was killed, he would then examine the smoke and flames when the sacrificial animal was burned on the altar. Finally, he would read the entrails of the animal. The most important of these was the liver, and the haruspex would use tools such as a model liver as a guide to reading it. The different parts of the liver meant different things, and the haruspex would check its consistency to see if it had any abnormalities, such as blood spots on its surface.

Question 42

What are the 3 parts of Roman sacrifice?

Answer 42

the preparation
• the kill
• the sharing of the sacrifice.

Question 43

What are the 3 parts of Roman sacrifice?

Answer 43

the preparation
• the kill
• the sharing of the sacrifice.

Question 44

What’s the prep for a Roman sacrifice?

Answer 44

In state sacrifices a pontifex would lead the ceremony, but in a smaller sacrifice it would be a private citizen. Once chosen, all the participants would ensure they were clean and well in order not to pollute the sacrifice. Additionally, they would dress in their best clothes. Next, the animal was prepared by gilding the horns if it had any or tying ribbons to its tail or horns. Attendants would then lead the animals to the altar (and it was a good omen if it went willingly). The presiding priest would veil his head with his toga. In order to obscure any noises that may scare the animal, flute players would join the procession.

Question 45

Waht so the kill of a Roman sacrifice?

Answer 45

Once at the altar the priest would sprinkle mola salsa on the animal’s head, followed by wine, causing it to nod. Like the Greek sacrifice, it was important that the animal be seen to agree to the ritual. The priest would utter a prayer to the god, offering the animal into their care. At this point, a popa struck the animal on the head to stun it, and the cultrarius would slit the throat. It was important that the animal die with a single blow.

Question 46

What involves the sharing of the sacrifice?

Answer 46

Once the animal was killed the feast began and the Romans ensured that none of the animal went to waste. The god received their share first as they were the most important. The priest would utter a prayer stating the god’s name and the reason for the sacrifice. The entrails of the animal were read for omens by the haruspex and then cooked and offered to the gods.
The remaining meat was then cut up, cooked and shared with the wider community. The communal aspect in Rome still had a hierarchy that was to be adhered to. In a state sacrifice the first to eat the sacrificial meat were the priests, followed by the senate, other elite citizens and so on. In a private sacrifice, only the participants of the sacrifice would share the meat.
Despite the hierarchy, the sharing of the meat stressed the communal spirit and benefits of a sacrifice to those who participated. Meat was not a common part of the Roman diet and so was a further benefit to sacrifice for the participants.

Question 47

What is a Popa?

Answer 47

an official at a
Roman sacrifice who struck the sacrificial animal with a wooden rod
l

Question 48

What is a Cultarius

Answer 48

cultrarius an official at a sacrifice who slit the throat of the sacrificial anima