Sacrifice Flashcards
Why did the Greeks sacrifice?
Usually to fulfill their request. e.g. Sailors to Poseidon for a good travel at sea or give them luck or good things
How would they pray
They would stand upright, looking up with their hands facing to the sky or an image of the certain god/goddess, with their palms facing upwards
Who made the offerings?
An individual, a group or a city
Why did they give offerings?
to express how grateful and thankful to the goddesses/gods
Where did the gods/goddesses live?
Mount Olympus
What did the gods/goddesses eat
Ambrosia and drank nectar
Where might Greeks see pictures of the gods?
Drinking vessels, coins, wall paintings and oil lamps
Temples
temples and places where the gods were worshipped, the most famous one is called Acropolis (Highest point
), and it’s located above the city of Athens
When preforming a sacrifice, what did you have to wear?
Wear clean/ new clothes or your best clothes
What animals would be used for sacrifice?
most important: Bull
medium sacrifice: goats pigs sheep
everyday sacrifice: chickens, fish or any bird.
What did they do to the animals before the sacrifice?
Once the animal was chosen, they were decorated to make then look as nice as possible for the god or goddess. They may tie ribbons or flowers or paint their horns gold. Water was also used to purify the animal
Before the sacrifice
They would form a procession to the altar where the sacrifice will be preformed. One person from the procession would burn incense to make the air smell nice. Music would be played. They would leave a circle of Barley which surrounds the people who are involved in the sacrifice, so that the god/goddess won’t bless the wrong people
Consent for the animal
they will “ask” the animal for consent by pouring water on the animal’s head. If it shakes their head, that means they are willing. If not, they will find another animal.
prayers before the sacrifice
The priest would say the prayers and would include the name of the god, goddess for where the sacrifice was for, refer to what the sacrificers had done for the god in the past and the prayer would finish by what the sacrificers wanted
Scarification process
barley would be thrown at the altar, hairs would be cut from the animals head and burned in the fire. They would then slit the animal’s throat. After it was killed, they would roast it. The priest and politicians would eat the roasted innards and the thigh part will be given to the gods. The rest would be shared amongst the people
