Religion and
worship
in Athens
Revision notes
GCSE
Classics
Worship
Temple : home of the gods
beautiful buildings
spent more money on temples
than on their own homes
No worship happened in temple
Huge cult statues (1 per temple) in the Noas
e.g. Athene made of gold and ivory
12 meters tall
Worship
Alter: Outside the Temple
Practical purposes
Soil soaked up the animal blood
(think of 100 oxen being killed in 1 day!)
Still inside sanctuary walls:
Sacred ground
Animals sacrificed (not humans!)
Worship
Sacrifice #1
Sacrifice dedicated to the god/goddess
Food
Thanks for the benefits already received
Or in the future
A present for the gods
Cakes and
fruit
Drink
Milk and wine
Items
Cow pig goat sheep
Soldiers’ shield:
success in battle
Animals sacrifices
Everyone ate the meat in a great feasts
The process of animal sacrifice
1.
2.
The animal was brought at market
Animal is prepared for sacrifice: ribbons were put on the head and horns painted with
gold
3. The animal is led to the sanctuary – a good omen if it goes willingly
4. All participants wash themselves and put on garlands
5. A maiden carried a basket full of barley grain (a knife was hidden underneath)
6. A flute player played throughout the ceremony
7. The priest pours water on the animals head so it nods in agreement
8. The priest them says a pray and approaches the animal with the knife
9. Another attendant stuns the animal by hitting it on the head with a club
10. The priest cuts the animals throat
11. The blood is collected in a bowl and then poured on top and the sides of the alter
12. The meat is then cut up and treated three ways:
1. the thigh bone is wrapped in fat and burnt on the alter (a gift to the gods)
2. the guts are inspected for omens (battles to be won)
3. the rest is boiled and shared as part of a great feast
Athens
and the
Panathenaia
Look at the images: What happened at
the Panathenaia?
The Panathenaia
• The Panthenaia was the celebration of Athene’s birthday
• It took place at the end of July each year
• The celebration began at dawn at the Dipylan Gate and
processed to the Acropolis
• Along the route 100 sacrificial animals (usually oxen) where
driven along the procession route [hecatomb]
• Greeks from all levels of society participated in the
procession (women and slaves included)
• A peplos was offered to Athene (both big + small olive
wood statue) as a present
• It was gold and purple with scenes of the victories the
Olympic gods had over the Giants (order over chaos)
• After the animals were sacrificed at the alter the meat was
cooked and a large feast took place
The Great Panathenaia
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This happened every four years
It was an eight day celebration in honour of Athene
Several competitions took place to mark this occasion
Sports: included boxing, penthalon, wrestling, horse events
and stadion (200 meter sprint)
All Greeks could participate in these
Tribal competitions: only open to members of the 10 tribes
of Athens: boat race in Athens harbour + Torch race from
Dipylon Gate to the acropolis (gave the festival a local
feel!)
Music: men competed to play the lyre and Aulos best
Prizes included money or a gold crown
Rhapsodes (Men to recite epic poetry) competed to retell
the Iliad and odyssey
The order of procession
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
4 little girls carrying peplos
Priestesses of Athena + women carrying gifts
Sacrificial animals
Metics wearing purple robes and carrying offerings of cakes
A colossal peplos
Old men carrying olive branches (olive wood link)
4 horse chariots with fully armed men
Craftswomen (who made the peplos)
Infantry + cavlary
Victors in the games
Ordinary people arranged by deme
Why was the Panathenaia important?
Feasting and distribution of
sacrificial meat
Celebration of founder of
the city
Communal worship
Gives a sense of unity for
the city
All levels of society allowed
to celebrate
Why was the Panathenaia important?
Sense of patriotic pride
Impressive to watch
- Leisure and relaxation-
Competitions
Chance to win glory (and
progress position in society)
Chance to win money
Why was the Panathenaia important?
Politics
To impress non-Athenians
power
Wealth
Importance of religion
Show of democratic system
Athens
and the
City Dionysia
What was it?
• Second most important festival
• Held in March
• Dionysus = god of drama
A grand Drama Festival
Play wrights wrote scripts
specifically
Plays were judged
Preparation
 The city’s magistrates,
archon, selected play
wrights
 3 to write tragedies
 1 to write a satyr-play (a
light hearted parody of a
tragedy)
 3 to write comedies
 The play wrights had to hire
the cast and practice for
over 6 months
 A chorego, a wealthy
citizen, would sponsor
the play
 Paid for costumes,
special effects and
props
 This would win the
chorego popularity and
respect in society
The festival
• Begins with a torch light procession
• A wooden statue of Dionysos is led into the city and into the
cities theatre
• Military cadets accompany the statue
• Day 1: another grand procession: animals taken to the temple
of Dionysos and sacrificed (poorest in city given meat!),
• Day 2: a magnificent opening ceremony in the theatre. Money
paid in tax by Athens allies is displayed + orphaned boys
(whose fathers died fighting for the city) are paraded in.
Individual citizens are awarded prizes for good deeds.
• Day 2- 4: plays are performed.
1) Tragedies and satyr-play in the morning
2) after lunch a comedy is put on
• Day 5: Judging the plays
Judging
Judges taken from
audience
Complicated but
democratic!
Everyone
welcome to
watch plays
Locals sat in 10
tribes sections
Each tribe puts
names in a urn
before festival
One name from each
urn is chosen
There are 10 judges
Tablets put in an urn
Archon drew 5 of the
10 tablets. Play
wrights with most
votes WINS
Day 5: list plays in
order [separate
tablets for comedy
and tragedy]
Why was the City Dionysia important?
1. Worship of Dionysos to ensure continuing favour of god for fertility
2. Parade of tribute is symbolic of the city’s continuing success
3. Competition between demes important because demes were central
to citizenship, promotion of pride in demes also promoted civic
pride
4. Emphasised difference between Athenians and non-Athenians as
non-Athenians could not vote or write plays
5. Honours Athens leading citizens and given them the opportunity to
become a choregos
6. Meat given to the city’s poor
7. Raises significance of drama in society
8. Act of communal worship
9. Enjoyment of communal ceremony