Topic 5: Religion

Question 1

Olymic and Chthonic gods

Answer 1

• 12 main Olympic gods who lived on mount Olympus. Chthonic gods wee gods of the underworld and wherent worshipped so much as avoided. (Isocrates)
• Athenians followed many gods, which is called polytheism.
• Greek gods were anthropomorphic, meaning they took on the characters and appearances of humans.
• They coud either be benign, so kind and sympathetic is nature, or malign, so vicious and destructive.
• Sactuaries ae an area of land set aside as sacred to a god or godess and would consist of a temple, an outdoor alter and a space for sacrifices.
• Temples acted as a home for the gods that also showed the wealth of a city. The central room called a noas was visited infrequently and housed the statue of a god.
• Each temple had its own preist or preistess who presided over the sacrifices and maintained the temple.
• During a scarifice it was important to find an animal with no blemishes and it was seen as a good omen if the animal willingly came to the alter. It was important to bloody the alter and the entrails were read for omens beore being shared. The thoghbones werwe wrapped in fat and burned as an offering.

Question 2

Challenges to traditional religion

Answer 2

• The first sophist to arrive in Athens was Anaxagoras who was a fiend of Pericles.
• In PERICLES, PLUTARCH tells us that he was a controvertial figure as he challenged eligious and fundemental beliefs, the main two being that the sun was not a god but a redhot stone, and that the creation of the world came from an intelligent mind known as nous.
• In PLATO’S APOLOGY Socartes is shown to believe the same thing.
• Socrates was put on trial in 399 for challenging tradtional beliefs about the gods and science, which he defended by aying that he was tasked by the gods to follow a prophecy from Delphi.
• In PLUTARCH PERICLES, we know that Diopeithes introduced a decree that prosecuted anyone who didnt believe in the gods.
• Alciboiades also got exiled for defacing Demeter statues.
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Question 3

Religion and comedy

Answer 3

• Human arrogance and vengeful gods wre the main topics of Hipplytus.
• Gods wereent meant to interfere with othe gods stuff cos they had a right to protect theirr honour, which is why artemis doesnt rlly hrlp Hippolytus.
• It shows a complex picture of Athenian religion and reinforces traditional ideas about being respectrul and humble towards the gods.
• In clouds socrates implies zeus doesnt exist because wind and rasin come frrom nature, but it was meant to be a way to satirise this new way of thiking.
• It suggests that this type of thinking was new and unheard of.
• but it also shows it was quite easy to contradict religious beleifs as theyoften dont logically make sense.

Question 4

Religious festivals

Answer 4

• The old oligarch said that every poor person wasnt able to sacrifice and feast, so they made it public so they could obtain share in sacrifices - a more civilised bread and circuses.
• This woukd mean business wouldnt be able to go on as usual, incluing law courts which the oligarch critiseies.
• But hes anti-democratic so nwould disapporove of these festivals that stopped ppl working.
• THUCYDIDES IN FUNEAL ORATION confirmes that they didnt have weekend so festivals wee thas their time to relax.
• They designed the whole year arounf festivals and the lunar calenderr.
• They did more festivals than anyone else so law courts wouldnt get through evrything in a year.

Question 5

Thde Panathenaia festival

Answer 5

• July-August, to ceoebate the birth of Athena.
• It included a proccession along the panathenaic way, which cut across the heart of athens.
• It lasted for several days and the centre point was was up to the erechtheion, whee a peplos was was laid over the statue of Athena Polias, which was carried by 4 girls.
• There were musical contests like playing the lyre and singing.
• The winner would be given a crown with alot of money , or a golden crown.
• and also rhapsodic contests, so like poetry contests, to recite such as the odyssey.
• The musical contests came from when pericles passed a decree to establish a musical competition after building the odeon of pericles.
• Also sporting contests likew boxignand wetsling, in which they got an olive oil jar, known as an amphorae ful of olive oil, which they would sell.
• Tribal contests too, like a torch race and boat race and dancing, which reinforces their tribal identity and unity.

Question 6

Thesmaphoria festival

Answer 6

• took placxe in autumn and was exclusivly for women.
• firtility festival for demeter and persephone/
• only married women could partake
• camped out on the pnyx hill for 3 days and 2 nights
• They woulkd have sacrifices and would place them on the alter of demeter.
• day 2 they fasted and sat on the ground, as if in mourning for perswphone.
• Day 3 they celebated the gift of children and prayed for god crops.
• Shows festivals were moe importan that laws of expectation in athenian culture.
• purpose to enjoy themselves, even women