Greek Sacrifice Rituals PDF

# Sacrifice In order to honour the gods the Greeks would give them offerings. These could include gifts of money, dedications of songs and war booty. The gift of food was a popular offering to the gods and the main way this was done was through the killing of an animal as a blood sacrifice. The s...

# Sacrifice In order to honour the gods the Greeks would give them offerings. These could include gifts of money, dedications of songs and war booty. The gift of food was a popular offering to the gods and the main way this was done was through the killing of an animal as a blood sacrifice. The sacrifice was not merely killing the animal, but a carefully planned ritual that had several stages to it before it could be correctly completed. First, the correct animal would have to be chosen for the sacrifice. Usually the animal chosen would be a domestic animal belonging to the person undertaking the sacrifice. Different gods required different sacrifices and some animals were cheaper than others. A household may restrict their sacrifice to animals such as chickens and piglets. Cities, as part of a festival, would spare no expense. The most expensive of sacrifices would be the _hecatomb_, that took place in festivals such as the Great Panathenaia and Olympic Games, in which one hundred oxen would be killed. At an approximate cost of 8,000 drachmae (34 kilograms of silver) this would be no small expense. The sacrifice can be divided into three parts: * the preparation * the kill * the sharing of the sacrifice. ## The preparation First all the participants would ensure they were clean and well in order not to pollute the sacrifice. Participants would wear their best clothes and garlands of leaves or twigs, dependent on the type of sacrifice. Next the animal was prepared by gilding the horns if it had any. Attendants would then lead the animals to the altar. These attendants included a maiden, who would carry a basket full of barley grains or cakes. This basket also hid the sacrificial knife that would be used for the kill. The number of attendants that joined the procession could vary. As can be seen from the Panathenaic procession, the whole city could take part. However, if it was a smaller sacrifice it would, at a minimum, include musicians and water bearers. The musicians were important as their playing would reduce the chance of the animal taking fright at the noise of the crowd. If the animal did become scared, the whole sacrifice would have to be started again as a frightened animal symbolised a negative sign from the gods. Once the procession arrived at the sanctuary the participants would cleanse themselves with water again and gather around the altar. At this point the fire was lit. Note here the importance of the altar in the worship of the god rather than the temple building itself. The participants would take a handful of grain and the sacrificer would pour water on the head of the animal, causing it to nod. This was important as the animal had to be seen to agree to the sacrifice. The chief sacrificer would utter a prayer to the god and the other participants would then throw their grain into the fire to confirm their participation. ## The kill Once the preparations were complete, the chief sacrificer would take the knife from the basket and remove some of the animal's hairs, throwing them into the fire. When this was done the animal's throat was cut. If the sacrificial animal was large, a bowl would be used to collect the blood; if it was a smaller animal it would be held above the altar. It was key that the animal's blood be poured over the altar. As at funerals, women would then let out a high-pitched scream to mark the animal's passage from life to death. ## The sharing of the sacrifice After the animal was killed the feast began and the Greeks ensured that none of the animal went to waste. The most important recipient of the sacrificial meat was the god for whom the sacrifice was intended, so they received their portion first. The god's portion was prepared by removing the animals thigh bones and wrapping them in fat. This was then burned on the altar while wine was poured on the fire. The reason the gods received the bones and fat, and not the meat was explained by the myth of Prometheus. Once the god had been satisfied, the entrails of the animal were read for omens. When this was completed they were cooked and shared amongst the immediate participants. The remaining meat was then cut up, cooked and shared with the wider community. Meat was not a normal part of the Greek diet, so sacrifices offered a rare opportunity for it to be eaten. This element of the sacrifice stresses the communal spirit and benefits of sacrifice to those who participated. Once the feasting had finished, the animal skin was given to the sanctuary.