Sorenson Greece Project

8/14/2019 Sorenson Greece Project

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Rendering OrderRendering Order

The Sanctuaries of AncientThe Sanctuaries of Ancient

GreeceGreece


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The Problem with BeingThe Problem with Being

CivilizedCivilized The Oikoumene: settled agricultural

regions.

Much more productive thanunsettled areas, but it requires aunited, orderly community thatbehaves in predictable ways.

And that is willing to help its membersdefend themselves against barbariansnatch n grabs.


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Worship as a Strategy ofWorship as a Strategy of

OrderOrderWorship is an organized reminder ofthosevalues/experiences/beliefs/practicesthat unite a community

Sanctuaries and rituals provide asymbolic representation of the waythe universe works

Participants in the rituals rehearsethe behaviors that the communityhas reason to believe will work

better than just doing what comesnaturall


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Walter Burkert calls it societysWalter Burkert calls it societys

softwaresoftware

Our bodies are our hardware.

The things we learn during our

lifetimes are our software. Worship was a way to pass on the

wisdom members of a society acquired

beyond the span of individual lives. So heres the problem: how do you

teach people things they dont know

they need?


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First, you do it as a groupFirst, you do it as a group

Worship ispublic. Itinvolves rituals thathelps members of thesociety feel connected toeach other.

One of the best ways todo this is by keepingtogether in time.

Hence, public worshipoften includes parades,dances, choral singing,and other communalrituals.

Dancers from the

Acropolis


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Second, you make itSecond, you make it

repetitiverepetitive Feelings, which arise in the limbic(mammalian) brain, are the strongestand most stable motivators across alife time.

But since they are the product ofaccumulated experience, they arehard to influence quickly.

The answer? Religions emphasizeboth obedience and the discipline ofrepetitive ritual, so that the software

of wisdom has time to take root.

hi i h G k li iT G


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This is what Greek religionT s s w at Gree re g on

WASNT:WASNT:

A moral systemdesigned to makepeople better on theinside

An organized,centralized churchwith scriptures and aspecific creed

A way to feel Godslove. The Greekgods didnt love their

people.

Red figure pot illustratinga religious procession and

sacrifice


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This is what it was:This is what it was:

A contractual system that offeredpeople a way to negotiate for whatthey needed and wanted for the price

of the sacrifices they offered. TheGreek word is charis: reciprocity.

A safe strategy for approaching the

terrible and unpredictable divine.

Entertainment that everyone sharedand had a part in; social glue.


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Two Things Required forTwo Things Required for

WorshipWorship

A sacred place, whichwas separated fromordinary space by a

temenos, or sacredboundary (temenomeans to cut off) ofboulders or a low wall.

An altar, where youmade sacrificialofferings to the gods.

A temenos at the Athenianagora. The block at the left

reads sacred.


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Sacrifice is Not About DestroyingSacrifice is Not About Destroying

ThingsThings

Its about giving the bestgift you can to the gods,and giving it ascompletely as possible.

If its a cereal, you mill orcook it because humanscant digest (get the goodof) grains until they areground to flour or cooked.If its an animal, you

wash it and slit its throatso that it can give itsblood and breath (the

things that make it alive)to the gods.

Libations (liquid offering) andburnt offering of animals organs.


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The Nature of SacrificeThe Nature of Sacrifice

You dont sacrifice things that are wortha lot of money, like treasures or art, butthings you need to stay alive.

Why? Because when you sacrificethings your life depends on, you areshowing the gods that you think they

matter more than anything--even theearth they made.

f i l f


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If you were setting up a place forIf you were setting up a place for

people to meet the gods, wherepeople to meet the gods, where

would you put it?would you put it?

The trees formed the first

temples of the gods, andeven at the present day, thecountry people, preservingin all their simplicity their

ancient rites, consecrate thefinest among their trees tosome divinity; indeed, wefeel ourselves inspired toadoration, not less by thesacred groves and their verystillness, than by the statuesof the gods, resplendent asthey are with gold and ivory(Pliny, Natural History, XII,

Cronoss Hill behindthe sacred

grove (Altis) atOlympia. Its usuallyharder to see, but afire in August, 2007burned away the

woods that usuallycover it.


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Becoming SacredBecoming Sacred

Crossing over to sacredspace required purification,usually from a local spring

or water borne to the siteby virgins.

The modern fountain above

is from the entrance toOlympia; the maidens comefrom the Panathenaic friezeon the Parthenon.


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SanctuarySanctuary

Once you were in thetemenos, you were setapart from ordinary lifeand could not be harmed.

This was called the rightofasylia, or to be notstolen. (Like the modernword asylum.)

A shrine is stronger thana tower to save, a shieldthat none may cleave.Aeschylus, The

Suppliants.


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Religious Festivals andReligious Festivals and

ProcessionsProcessions Divinity is, by definition, inhuman and thusunpredictable, so its safest to approach thegods as a group according to nomos, orlawful custom.

Religious festivals reserve a specific timeand place for a communal focus on thosevalues that order communal life, sometimes2-3 times/week.

Participants...are alert, even sophisticated,actors in a ritual drama affirming theestablishment of a new civic order, andrenewed rapport among people, leader, and

protecting divinity (Connor, 46, quoted in


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The open air altar is blood-stained. The sacrificial animalmust be without blemish andconsents to the sacrifice bynodding when its sprayedwith water.

A virgin carries the sacrificialbasket. Her purity ensures thepurity of the sacrifice. Herbasket contains barley (a

reference to first fruits), waterfor purification, and the knife.

Members of the processionwear garlands and thesacrificial lamb is tied withribbons to indicate that this is a

joyful occasion, not a reason tomourn.

This Pompe or religiousprocession marches to the beatof a musical accompaniment--see the pipes and lyre?


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Public WorshipPublic Worship

You offered your sacrifice at apublic altar, where everyonecould see and participate.

If the sacrifice was an animal,

the priest divided its bodyand distributed the parts inimitation of the order thegods had established in theuniverse.

In The Timaeus, Plato wrotethat the human body itselfwas parts, borrowed fromthe universe, to be given

back again.

Altar (at left) outside Apollos temple aDelphi


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II. The Rise of the Polis andII. The Rise of the Polis andTemple Sanctuaries, c. 600-Temple Sanctuaries, c. 600-

300 BCE300 BCE


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Temples for the GodsTemples for the Gods

By about 600 BCE, the development of thecity state (polis) and the growth of trademeant that communities had more money

The Greeks spent much of this new wealth on

the sanctuaries they believed were thesource of prosperity, protection, and publicorder.

The most famous example of this expansionof the functions of Greek sanctuaries is theAcropolis in Athens, rebuilt with taxes thatwere collected for the defense of entireDelian League after the Persian Wars.


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The Acropolis as a one-stopThe Acropolis as a one-stop

community centercommunity center

Propylaea(rest stop)

Theater(civics)

AthenasPartheno

n

(education and

treasury)

Athena

Nike(militarypower)

Erechtheum

(history)

Altar(divine

help)

Stoa

(market,internet,

govtand

lodging)


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The Panathenaic FestivalThe Panathenaic Festival

Athens mostimportant festivalwas celebrated everyfour years in honor of

Athena, their patrongoddess

It began with the

PanathenaicProcession, a Pompe(religious procession)from Athens to the

Acropolis

The Panathenaic Processionentering the Propylaea on the

Acropolis; image fromConnolly and Hodge, The

Ancient City


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Theres a place forTheres a place for

everyoneeveryone These scenes of the

PanathenaicProcession are fromthe frieze that runsaround the

Parthenon, Athenastemple on theAcropolis.

It includes both men(above) and women(below) both of whommeet in front of theseated gods who are

watching.


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The Propylaea, gateway toThe Propylaea, gateway to

the sacredthe sacredThe Propylaea was aformal gateway fromordinary to sacredspace. The one on theAcropolis is famous for

the way its arms reachout to welcomeworshipers

Inside, it offered an artgallery, a dining hall,and benches thatallowed worshipers torecover from the

arduous climb up the

Fragment ofthe rampleading tothe Acropolisin Athens.Imagine

climbing thison a wet dayin leathersandalswhile youcarried a calf

on yourshoulders for


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Culminating in the sacrificeCulminating in the sacrifice

This scene fromthe frieze showsthe bull that isbeing led to the

altar that stood inFRONT (to theeast) of theParthenon,

Athenas temple.

In that case, whybother with a

temple?


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A. Displays of MilitaryA. Displays of Military

PowerPower

The Temple of AthenaNike, the victoriousAthena, is a small temple

to the right of the Propylaea Built to celebrate victory

over Sparta, visible frombluff.

Frieze on one side shows thehistory of the battle; on theother shows the victorycelebration afterwards.


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Civic MuseumsCivic Museums

Empowerment--the templeswere a way todisplay thecitys wealthand pride,including the

weapons theyhad won inbattle.Helmets, weapons,and parts of shieldswere often deposited

in temples aftervictories


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The most famous example of aThe most famous example of a

military offeringmilitary offering

This helmet wasfound deposited atthe temple at

Olympia. It bears aninscription sayingthat it was a gift fromMiltiades, theAthenian commander

who won the Battle ofMarathon for Athensagainst the Persians,to the god Zeus.


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B. Monuments to SharedB. Monuments to Shared

HistoryHistory The Erechtheum

honors Athensfounders

Built during thetragic years of thePeloponnesian wars.

Several sites on

different levels

unified by bluemarble trim--can

you see it?

The stones in front are thefoundation of the original Temple

to Athena the Persians destroyed


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Celebrating CivilizationCelebrating Civilization

Athena stands beside theolive tree that was her giftto her people and which,people believed, had still

grown to the west of theErechtheum until thePersians burned it in 480(when it was said to haveturned green again).

It was planted next to thegrave of King Cecrops, theking who brought writingand monogamy to Athens.

A grave marker fromthe Acropolis


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Lets get you orientedLets get you oriented


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D. The Education of allD. The Education of all

GreeceGreece

Temples were decorated by carved, painted reliefs.

Doric temples displayed the reliefs in cartoon-likepanels called metopes. In Ionic temples, the reliefsformed one continuous frieze.

These were artistic crib notes that reminded thecommunity of the stories and values that unitedthem.


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Invitingworshipers to

achieve areteby means ofagon.

III. WiderIII. WiderPurposes ofPurposes of

SanctuariesSanctuaries

The Labors of Heraclesat Olympia suggestedthat man could

become semi-divine


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Sanctuaries invited worshipersSanctuaries invited worshipers

to achieveto achieve aretearete throughthrough agon.agon.

One of the purposesof religion is to endowits members withenhanced power.

The Greeks called thisarete, or excellence.

They believed aretewas most readilyachieved by agon, orcompetition.

Text


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The Olympic Games & FleetingThe Olympic Games & Fleeting

GloryGlory

Greatness was to bewon at Olympia; it wentby the name ofkudos,renown, and it was aquality endowed by

Zeus....Because it wasdivine in nature, thisgreatness was a powerthat had the potentialto overwhelm mundane

conditions (Munn, 25)


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Theater could also provokeTheater could also provoke

greatnessgreatness Theatrical

competitions were acommon part ofreligious festivals

Theater was also away to provokeindividuals toexperience the full

complexity of difficultsituations from avariety of viewpoints;the leading actor in atragedy was calledthe first competitor.

The theater at the sanctuaryat Epidaurus


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God from below and above the earthGod from below and above the earth


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God from below and above the earthGod from below and above the earth

came together to heal body andcame together to heal body and

mind.mind. After being bathed,

patients were taken tosleeping quarters, given asedative, and told the gods

would visit their dreamsand give them instruction.

Holistic healing thatinvolved the whole family:

physical or intellectualexercise (gymnasium andlibrary); rest and recreation(theater); specialized diets(lots of dining areas).

Some he tended with soft

incantationsSome had juleps to drinkOr round their limbs helaid his simplesAnd for some the knife.

--Pythian Ode III


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G. Binding Authority: the OracleG. Binding Authority: the Oracle

at Delphiat Delphi

Most sanctuaries werelocal. There were,however, fourPanhellenic

sanctuaries, includingOlympia and Delphi.

Delphi was a place of

last resort, where thecommunity could usethe oracle to come toconsensus on adifficult question


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A Sacred SiteA Sacred Site Delphi was

understood to beworlds omphalos, ornavel; a steadycenter point andsource of

nourishment.

The site encompasseseverything--

mountains (theShining Ones) rivenby a sacred spring;plains, clear skies,scudding clouds,

woods, water, the

Ed ti f B d dEd ti f B d d


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Education of Body andEducation of Body and

MindMind

The site included

areas for instruction,including agymnasium, track(immediately ahead)and pools to the right.


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PurificationPurification

One of the most famousof the purification sites isthe Castilian Spring atDelphi

This is where the Pythia,the soothsayingpriestess, purified herselfbefore going to Apollos

temple.

Those wishing to consultthe Pythia also purified

themselves here.


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History & Public RelationsHistory & Public Relations

The Sacred Way, pasthuge monuments toathletes and cities

Athenian Treasurymemorializing theirvictory at Marathon

Right next to thesacred rock on whichApollo was said tohave slain the Pythia,the wise serpent.


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AgonAgon The Pythian Games every

four years included poetic,dramatic, and athletic

contests.

Queen Demeter, standbefore us,

Smile upon your favoriteChorus!Grant that when we danceand playAs befits your hold day,

Part in earnest, part in jest,We may shine above therest,And our play in all menseyesFavor find, and win the


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The oracle sat in a sunkenThe oracle sat in a sunkenarea at the west end of thearea at the west end of the

temple with the omphalostemple with the omphalos

K l d di t f thKnowledge direct from the


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Knowledge direct from theKnowledge direct from the

GodsGods The story was that a goat fell down a cleft in

the earth and became intoxicated; ashepherd followed and began to prophesy.

This became a nuisance as more and morepeople followed--and all disappeared.

They finally appointed one woman asprophetess and made her a three-footed

tripod seat on which to steady herself overthe chasm.

Recent geological studies confirmhallucinogenic gases


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A procession to Apollo in his temple atA procession to Apollo in his temple at

Delphi--hes sitting between twoDelphi--hes sitting between twotripods. A young woman is carrying thetripods. A young woman is carrying the

sacred basket with the sacrificial knifesacred basket with the sacrificial knife

and barley; an incense stand is behindand barley; an incense stand is behind

her.her.


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SourcesSources

Adkins, Lesley and Roy. Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece. Factson File, 1997.

Boardman, John, et al. The Oxford History of the Classical World.OUP, 1986.

Burkert, Walter. Creation of the Sacred: Tracks of Biology in EarlyReligions. Harvard University Press, 1996.

Easterling, P. E. and J. V. Muir, eds. Greek Religion and Society.CUP, 1985.

Freeman, Charles. The Greek Achievement. Viking, 1999.

Haidt, Jonathan. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truthin Ancient Wisdom. Basic Books, 2006.

Lewis, Thomas, et al. A General Theory of Love. Vintage, 2001.

Sources contSources cont


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Sources, cont.Sources, cont.

McNeill, William H. Keeping Together in Time: Dance and Drill inHuman History. HUP, 1995.

Munn, Mark. The Mother of the Gods, Athens, and the Tyranny ofAsia: A Study of Sovereignty in Ancient Religion. University ofCalifornia Press, 2006,

Neer, Richard T. Delphi, Olympia, and the Art of Politics. In TheCambridge Companion to Archaic Greece, ed. H. A. Shapiro. CUP,2007.

Pedley, John. Sanctuaries and the Sacred in the Ancient Greek

World. CUP, 2005.

Mark Henn graciously allowed me to use his photographs toillustrate slides #9, 26, 27, 40, 44, 46. Thanks, Mark.

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