Women And Religion Flashcards
1
Q
What was the name of a priestess?
A
hiereia
2
Q
Role of the priestess
A
- looking after the sanctuary
- supervising the work of temple attendants as they washed and clothed the statue of the god
- presiding at sacrifices and certain public festivals
3
Q
benefits of being a priestess
A
- payed well
- they had influence + highly respected in Greek society
- the priestess of Athena Nike was paid fifty drachmas a year + kept the skin and bone of all sacrificed animals (which could be sold for profit)
4
Q
What was the thesmophoria?
A
- festival for married women only
- it was held in autumn + honoured Demeter (goddess of harvest + fertility)
- the function of the festival was to ensure the success of next years harvest
- Demeter represented motherhood due to the abduction of her daughter Persephone which lead to the creation of seasons
- lasted 3 days + mirrored Persephones abduction
5
Q
Day 1 of thesmophoria
A
- worshippers set up shelters near the pynx
6
Q
Days 2 of thesmophoria
A
- worshippers would fast + sit on the floor cover in ashes
- this ritual re-enacted Demeter’s grief for the loss of her daughter
7
Q
Day 3 of thesmophoria
A
- pray for blessings related to fertility, children, family and crops
- offering of a pig thrown in a chasm to represent Persepolis journey to the underworld
- composed remains of pig mixed with corn seeds was put on alter and later scattered on crops for good harvest
8
Q
Why could sources for the thesmophoria not be accurate?
A
- it was a mystery cult and considering men wrote most sources they wouldn’t have had first hand experience of the festival, therefore making them inaccurate
9
Q
What were Dionysus worshipers called?
A
Maenads
10
Q
What did Dionysus cults do?
A
- his main religious cults were women going out into the countryside, becoming intoxicated
- there was also singing + dancing
- it is believed the music, dancing, wine/drugs helped shake off the daily constrains of life + allowed the person to be someone else
