Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
What roles could women have in Ancient Greece regarding Religion - Coggle…
What roles could women have in Ancient Greece regarding Religion
Priesthoods
Priesthoods were often open to women for certain gods such as Demeter, Hera, Athena
Most famous was the Pythia, oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Could perform sacrifices
Festival/cults
Could join the cult of Dionysus
Could join Elusinin mysteries
Could join the healing cults of Asclepius
The Themosphoria
Women could weave the peplos for the Panathenaia
As priests, women were actually taking part in the administration of the sacred; they led processions that attracted people from all over the Greek world and organized their own festivals, such as the Thesmophoria, which was a female-only festival in honour of Demeter.
When man dies wife takes care of funeral (religious burial)
Priestess of Athena Polias
The priestesses came from the noble family of Eteoboutadae
She was not directly involved in politics she would appear side by side with the most important Athenian officials
She is depicted with the archon basileus on the Ionic frieze of the Parthanon where he hands the peplos to Athena
Why was she important
Women were normally excluded from the male sphere of politics. Public priesthoods, therefore were an exception
Other examples of females being priestesses
Greek cities would employ priestesses for female deities and priests for their male counterparts. There were exceptions to this, as men also served in the sanctuaries of female deities. This was the same as women also served as consultants sometimes in very important positions, such as the pythia at the oracle of delphi