Women and Religion

• Why was religion the greatest outlet in terms of freedom for women?

  - opportunity to leave their homes and engage with the community

  - influence over the public sphere of government
• What did both Greeks and Romans worship?


  apantheonof gods and goddesses
• A: Pantheon


  group of gods and goddeses
• A: Religious worship was the most common way for a greek woman to...


  get out the house and be involved in the life of the city
• A: What was a priestess in Athens referred to as?

  hieraia
• A: Where would most priests and priestesses work?

  at a particulartemplewithin a particularsanctuaryin honour of agode.g. acropolis, sanctuary of athena
• A: How did one become a priestess? (3)

  - elected position

  - chosen by lottery

  - inherited
• A: How long did a priesthood last for?

  a short period of time - often a year
• A: What were the main roles of a priestess? (3)

  -looking afterthe sanctuary-supervisingtemple attendants as they washed and clothed the statue of the god- presiding atsacrificesand certainpublic festivals
• A: Benefits of being a hiereia in Athens (2)

  Give evidence (2)

  -salariedpositionse.g. priestess of Athena Nike was paid 50 drachmas a year

  - hadinfluenceand werehighly respectedthroughout greek societye.g. priestess of Athena Polias refused to let the Spartan king Cleomenes onto the Acropolis
• A: What was one of the most important ways that the Greeks honoured their gods?

  through sacrifice
• A: What were common offerings to the gods? (4)

  - small figurines

  - valuable objects

  - liquid offerings (honey, wine, olive oil)

  - food offerings
• A: How would a sacrifice take place?

  - directed by a priestess- an animal would bekilledand its blood allowed to cover the altar- priestess would pray and direct the attendants to carve the meat- some would be burnt for the god and the rest cooked- all female celebrants would shout´ololyge´which marked transition from life to death- communal feast; significant as meat was aluxury
• A: What was a mantis?

  -soothsayer/oracle- after a sacrifice , she would examine the animalentrails- would interpret whether the godsapprovedof the sacrifice- would interpret anyanswersto questions posed to the gods
• A: How do we know this is a mantis? (2)

  - holding aliver- standing near apalm tree(palm trees associated with apollo, god of prophecy)

  
• A: How could a mantis divine messages from the Gods? (3)


  - examiningentrailsafter sacrifices- interpretingflight patternof birds- changes inweather
• A: How could someone become a mantis?


  - no special training

  - claimed to have prophetic gifts

  - became successful with prophecies becoming true
• A: How did manteis protect their reputation?

  prophecies werevague, leaving plenty of room forinterpretation>> could not beproven wrong
• A: Benefits of being a mantis?


  - wieldpolitical power- governments often consulted manteis on matter ofnational importance-manteis usually taken onmilitary campaignsand consulted beforeimportant decisionswere made
• A: Evidence to show the influence of being a mantis

  Lycurgus, legendary spartan law giver consulted an oracle when he needed guidance on his legal reforms
• A: How can we identify the figure in the vase painting as a

  Pythia? (3)- gazing into abowl of spring wateras she isgiving a prophecy- holding alaurel wreath/bay leaf(sacred to apollo)- sitting on a3 legged stool(associated with apollo)

  
• A: What was the most important greek mantis called?

  thePythia
• A: Where did the Pythia reside?

  at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi
• A: Why would people visit the Pythia? (4)


  - removing religious pollution

  - how to earn the god´s forgiveness

  - ask about a particular course of action

  - ask about important decisions
• A: Consulting the Pythia

  -7th dayof each month was consultation day- pythia would bathe herself in theCastalian Spring- she would garland herself withbay leaves- she sat on a3 legged stoolin a room with achasm- burntbarley and laurel leavesas an offering toapollo- pythia entered a state ofintoxication- inquirers would bring ananimal sacrifice- pythia wouldmumble incomprehensibly-interpretedby one of the temple´s preiests andwritten down in verse
• A: What was it believed about the Pythia? (2)

  - she was amediumthrough which apollo would speak- by becoming intoxicated, she temporarily allowedapolloto takecontrolof her body
• A: The Pythia´s pronouncements were...


  ambiguous
• A: Who were only allowed to ask the Pythia questions in public?


  men
• A: Identity of the Pythia (3)

  - local peasant woman born at Delphi

  - a virgin maiden

  served Apollo for her whole life

  - refrained from having sex
• A: 3 most important greek festivals

  - Panathenaia

  - Thesmophoria

  - Dionysian Mysteries
• A: What was the

  Panathenaia? (3)- most important festival- honoured thebirthday of athena- celebrate the victory of thegods over the titans(Gigantomachy)
• A: What was the

  Great Panathenia?- held every 4 years- lasted for 8 days- compromised ofsporting, musical, and religiousevents to celebrate Athena
• A: What could women not take part in in the Great Panathenaia?

  the sporting and events and games so could not win glory
• A: What sporting events were included in the Great Panathenaia? (6)

  - stadion (200m race)

  - chariot racing

  - boxing

  - pankration (wrestling)

  - javelin

  - rhapsodes (reciting and musical)
• A: What role did women play in the Panathenaia? (5)

  - allowed to watch

  - present statue of athena with a new peplos each year

  - weave the peplos

  - set up loom for weaving peplos

  - active roles in the procession on the 6th day
• A: P- What was the Peplos? (2)

  - cloak

  - presented to the olive wood statue of athena each year

  - paraded through the streets as part of a procession on the 6th day of the festival
• A: P- How were women associated with the Peplos?

  - peplos woven on a largeloomset up by4Arrephoroi(young girls)- peplos woven by women known asErgastinai
• A: P- What did the Ergastinai weave onto the Peplos?

  intricate pictures depicting the famous battle between the Olympian gods and titans (Gigantomachy)
• A: P- Evidence that women took an active role in the procession of the Great Panathenaia?

  women shown in afriezefrom the Parthenon, depicting the procession
• A: What is a

  frieze?a carving of a scene