The Links Between Politics And Religion

Question 1

What did the Panathenaic festival celebrate ?

Answer 1

A festival in honour of Athens itself

Question 2

What are some examples of oracular consultation having influence of politics

Answer 2

• Herodotus reports the King of Lydia consulted oracle at Delphi as to whether to wage war agaisnt the Persians
• similarly when Athenians heard about Xeroxes invasion to Greece in 480 consulted Delphic oracle about what action to take
• Pythias advice to take refuge in wooden walls leading to Themistocles interpretation that their victory lay in their navy

Question 3

How central to military planning was religion ?

Answer 3

Very central with oracles often consulted to decide on what action to take

Question 4

How were military victories celebrated in religious contexts ?

Answer 4

• Athenians erected a Stoa at Delphi for the advice and dedicated the captured Persian triremes to the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Poseidon at Nemea and Isthmianin gratuities for his help with victory at sea
• Greek alliance which thought against the Persians dedicated a monument at Delphi thanking Apollo for advice

Question 5

What does Mitropoulos say what we would call religion ?

Answer 5

Political and military decisions and celebrations were a part of the religious sphere of influence

Question 6

How did Athenian assembly meeting open ?

Answer 6

Began with sacrifice of a piglet whose blood was spattered over the assembly members

Question 7

How seperation were circular and religious laws in Athens ?

Answer 7

• Athenian law courts situated opposite the Acropolis- were Alcibiades and Socrates were tried for impiety and the council heard cases concerning damage to the sacred olive trees of Athena (Lysias)
• The Oresteia Aeschylus presented the Areopagus having been founded by Athen a to help Athenians end revenge killings that plagued the house of Agamemnon ( religion and law strong connection)

Question 8

Give examples of religious trails from Athens ?

Answer 8

Alcibiades and Socrates enquiry

Question 9

How did Spartan temporal power reflect religious belief ?

Answer 9

Herodotus: Spartan kings considered to be godlike dual kingship derived from Zeus’ twin sons the Dioskouri. Believed to be descendants of Heracles so not only political leader but also joint commanders of Spartan army
- received honour, precedence and double portions at all public sacrifices and competitions
- king consult oracles whenever they wished thought also to be the first to receive divine messages from sacrifices
- political and military authority inextricably linked with their religious position

Question 10

What is the temenos?

Answer 10

• designated borders of sanctuaries where as other sacred places were open

Question 11

How did the civic planning of the Athenian agora reflect the role of religion ?

Answer 11

• political and economic centre also filled with religious sites
• P+E council house and the government seat
• religious: altar of the twelve gods, temples of Apollo Apreoos and the Hephaistion

Question 12

Did some areas of the agora share both political, economic and religious importance ?

Answer 12

Stoa of Seus Eleutherios clearly religious purpose
- thanked Zeus from the Persian invasion in 480BC and took form of a civic building
- location along west side of the agora which suggest it also served a civic purpose as it situated alongside administrative buildings