Role Of Sacrifice In Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek Sacrifice

In the Ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals of animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of man kind and to give the gods a face, temples which dominated the landscape, city festivals and national sporting and arts tournaments, religion was never far from the minds of the Ancient Greeks. Whilst every individual had their own mindset on their personal religious beliefs, there were three factors that were fundamental in Greek religion; 1) the gods existed, 2) the could influence human affairs, and 3) the welcomed and responded greatly to acts of piety and worship. The Ancient Greek ritual of animal sacrifice gives a clear view into the everyday lives of Ancient Greeks and reveals both their social and cultural identity.

To deny the existence of a deity was to risk reprisal, from the deity of from other mortals. In the center of Greek religious rituals was the animal sacrifice, hence why at temples or sanctuaries dedicated to the gods and goddesses there stood an altar solely for the use in these sacrifices. These sacrifices were a central event performed at festivals in honour of the gods, such as the festival of Thesmophoria in honour of the goddess Demeter. This particular festival was held in Autumn when the seeds were sown for the next year’s harvest. Festivals such as this happened annually, making it a very large and significant point of the Ancient Greek culture. This ritual, however was also used on a daily basis, as families could pray to the gods for help in their daily lives, such as praying to the god Apollo for medical help when a member of the family was