Transcript Ritual and Festival

RITUAL AND SANTUARY
Ancient Greek Religion
REL 320A
So, who was the Pharmakos?
Iphigeneia
What elements of Sacrifice do you
see on this slide?
Describe this scene.
Another View
Travel to This Site
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Chthonic Pit and Altar
The Diasia
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A great festival celebrated at Athens, without the
walls of the city, in honour of Zeus, surnamed
Meilichios (mild). The whole people took part in
it, and the wealthier citizens offered victims
(hiereia), while the poorer classes burned such
incense as their country furnished (thumata
epichôria). The Diasia took place in the latter
half of the month of Anthesterion, with feasting,
and was, like most other festivals, accompanied
by a fair.
Zeus Meilichois (from the Peiraeus,
now in Berlin Museum)
Zeus Meilichois (relief from
Boeotia)
Anthesteria
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Athenian festival in honor of Dionysus, held
during the month of Anthesterion (Feb.–Mar.) to
celebrate the beginning of spring and the
maturing of the wine stored at the previous
vintage.
It lasted three days and included libations to the
god from newly opened casks, popular
merrymaking, a secret ceremony of marriage
between Dionysus and the wife of the king, and
underworld rites.
Day 1- Pithoigia
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On this day, the pithoi were opened for the
first time, and the new wine tasted, after
proper mixing. The first mixed wine would be
offered to the gods, in particular to the god
Dionysos. Afterwards, men could taste this
season's wine. This was done after the
libation and a prayer that the wine would be
beneficial to them for all its uses. The rest of
the day is believed to have been spent
drinking.
Day 2- Feast of the Choes
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A chous was a vessel measuring
approximately 3.2 liters, obviously it lent its
name to the day. Each adult had his own, and
miniature versions were given to children, as
everyone over the age of three participated in
the festivities. The Choes was one of life's
rites of passage, along with birth, puberty,
marriage, etc. Three year olds experiencing
their first Choes were lavished with gifts of
chous and crowned with flowers.
Day 2- Feast of the Choes
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This was a day of grand drinking, both public and
private, and drinking contests were held in both
spheres. While it may seem to be a loud, fun
ceremony, the reality was that the wine was
consumed in silence. This dates back to the legend
of Orestes, who, infected with blood guilt, sought
sanctuary in Athens. It happened to be at the time of
the Anthesteria. The king had to protect his people
from the curse of the blood-guilt, but he also did not
want to be rude and exclude Orestes from the
celebration. To solve the problem, the two parties
drank separately and in silence, and thus a tradition
was begun. At the end of the drinking, the last of the
wine from each choes was poured as a libation to
Dionysus.
Day 3- Chytrai
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This day has a very somber tone, as it was
dedicated to the god Hermes and to the
dead. A meal was prepared strictly as an
offering to appease the dead. The Ancient
Greeks believed that on this day, the soul's
of the dead would return to the land of the
living. In order protect themselves from the
dead, they closed all the sanctuaries and
took other actions they believed would keep
these spirits away. When the day was over,
the men of each house would go around
shouting " 'Get out, Goblins (Keres), the
Anthesteria is over!' "
Mycenaean funeral ritual