Latest / Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome / 020 - Public Worship of the Ancient Greeks and Romans

Transcript

020 - Public Worship of the Ancient Greeks and Romans · Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Section nineteen of Myths and Legends. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Myths
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by E. M. Barns.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Public Worship of the ancient Greeks and Romans temples In
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: very remote times, the Greeks had no shrines or sanctuaries
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: devoted to public worship, but performed their devotions beneath the
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: vast and boundless canopy of heaven in the great Temple
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: of Nature itself. Believing that they are divinities throned above
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: the clouds, pious worshippers naturally sought the highest available points
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: in order to place themselves in the closest communion possible
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: with their gods. Hence, the summits of high mountains were
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: selected for devotional purposes, and the more exalted the rank
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: and importance of the divinity invoked, the more elevated was
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: the site selected for his or her worship. But the
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: inconvenience attending this mode of worship gradually suggested the idea
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: of erecting edifices, which would afford means of shelter from
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: the inclemency of the weather. These structures were, in the
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: first instance of the most simple form and without decoration.
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: But when with the progress of civilization the Greeks became
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: a wealthy and powerful people see Footnote one eighty nine,
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: temples were built and adorned with the greatest splendor and magnificence, talent, labor,
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: and wealth being lavished unsparingly on their erection and decoration. Indeed,
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: so massively were they constructed that some of them have
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: to a certain extent which stood the ravages of time.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: The city of Athens especially contains numerous remains of these
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: buildings of antiquity. On the acropolis we may still behold,
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: among other monuments of ancient art, the temple of a
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: theory Unapolius and that of Theseus, the latter of which
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: is the most entire ancient edifice in the world. In
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: the island of Delos also are to be seen the
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: ruins of the temples of Apollo and Artemis, both of
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: which are in a wonderful state of preservation. These ruins
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: are most valuable, being sufficiently complete to enable us to
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: study by their aid the plan and character of the
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: original structure. Among the Lacedaemonians, however, we find no vestiges
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: of these stately temples, for they were especially enjoined by
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: a law of Lysergus to serve the gods with as
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: little outlay as possible. When the great lawgiver was asked
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: the reason of this injunction, he replied that the Lacedaemonians,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: being a poor nation, might otherwise abstain altogether from the
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: observance of their religious duties, and wisely added that magnificent
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: edifices and costly sacrifices were not so pleasing to the
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: gods as the true piety and unfeigned devotion of their worshipers.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: The most ancient temples known to us served a double purpose.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: They were not only consecrated to the service of the gods,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: but were at the same time venerable monuments in honor
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: of the dead. Thus, for instance, the temple of pallas
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: Athene in the tower of the city of Larissa served
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: as the sepulcher of Acrysius, and the Acropolis at Athens
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: received the ashes of sea crops founder of the city.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: A temple was frequently dedicated to two or more gods,
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: and was always built after the manner considered most acceptable
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: to the particular divinities to whom it was consecrated. For
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: just as trees, birds, and animals of every description were
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: held to be sacred to certain deities see footnote one ninety,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: so almost every god had a form of building peculiar
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: to himself, which was deemed more acceptable to him than
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: any other. Thus, the Doric style of architecture was sacred
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: to Zeus, Eras and Heracles, the Ionic to Apollo, Artemis
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: and Dionysus, and a Corinthian to Hestia. In the porch
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: of the temple stood a vessel of stone or brass
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: containing holy water, which had been consecrated by putting into
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: it a burning torch taken from the altar, with which
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: all those admitted to take part in the sacrifices were
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: besprinkled in. The inmost recess of the sanctuary was the
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: most holy place, into which none but the priests were
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: suffered to enter. Temples in the country were usually surrounded
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: with groves of trees. The solitude of these shady retreats
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: naturally tended to inspire the worshiper with awe and reverence.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Added to which the delightful shade and coolness afforded by tall,
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: leafy trees is peculiarly grateful in hot countries. Indeed, so
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: general did this custom of building temples and groves become,
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: that all places devoted to sacred purposes, even where no
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: trees existed, were called groves. That this practice must be
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: of very remote antiquity, is provided guided by the Biblical injunction,
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: having for its object the separation of the Jews from
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: all idolatrous practices. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: of trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy god. Statues.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: The Greeks worshiped their gods without any visible representations of
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: them until the time of sea crops. The most ancient
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: of these representations consisted of square blocks of stone upon
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: which the name of the deity intended to be represented
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: was engraved. The first attempts at sculpture were rude stocks
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: with a head at one end and a shapeless trunk
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: at the other, tapering slightly down to the feet, which however,
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: were not divided, the limbs being in no way defined.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: But the artists of later times devoted all their genius
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: to the successful production of the highest ideals of their gods,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: some of which are preserved to this day and are
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: regarded as examples of purest art see footnote one ninety one.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: On a pedestal. In the center of the edifice stood
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: the statue of the divinity to whom the temple was dedicated,
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: surrounded by images of other gods, all of which were
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: fenced off by rails altars. The altar in a Greek temple,
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: which stood in the center of the building and in
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: front of the statue of the presiding deity, was generally
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: of a circular form and constructed of stone. It was
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: customary to engrave upon it the name or distinguishing symbol
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: of the divinity to whom it was dedicated, and it
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: was held so sacred that if any malefactor fled to it,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: his life was safe from his pursuers, and it was
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: considered one of the greatest acts of sacrilege to force
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: him from this asylum. The most ancient altars were adorned
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: with horns, which in former times were emblems of power
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: and dignity, as wealth and consequently importance consisted among most
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: primitive nations. In flocks and herds in addition to those
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: erected in places of public worship, all were frequently raised
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: in groves, on highways, or in the market places of cities.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: The gods of the lower world had no altars, whatever,
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: ditches or trenches being dug for the reception of the
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: blood of the sacrifices offered to them priests. In ancient times,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: the priests were recognized as a special social caste and
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: were distinguished not only by their sacerdotal vestments, but also
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: by their piety, wisdom, and blameless life. They were the
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: chosen mediators between gods and men, and offered prayers and
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: sacrifices in the name of the people, whom they also
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: instructed as to what vows, gifts, and offerings would be
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: most acceptable to the gods see footnote one ninety two.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Every deity had a different order of priests consecrated to
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: his worship, and in every place a high priest was appointed,
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: whose duty it was to superintend the rest of his order,
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: and also to carry out them more sacred rites and
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: religious observances. Priests and priestesses were permitted to marry, but
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: not a second time. Some, however, voluntarily adopted a life
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: of celibacy sacrifices. There is no doubt that a feeling
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: of gratitude to the gods for their protecting care and
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: the abundance with which they were believed to bless mankind
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: has induced men of all nations and in all countries,
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: to feel a desire to sacrifice to their divinities some
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: portion of the gifts so generously lavished upon them. Among
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: the Greeks, sacrifices were of various kinds. They consisted of
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: free will offerings, propitiatory offerings, etc. Free will offerings were
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: grateful acknowledgments for benefits received, and usually consisted of the
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: first fruits of the field or the finest of the
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: flocks and herds, which were required to be without spot
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: or blemish. Propitiatory offerings were brought with the object of
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: appeasing the anger of the gods. In addition to those
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: above enumerated, sacrifices were made either with a view of
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: obtaining success in an enterprise about to be undertaken, or
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: in a fulfillment of a vow, or at the command
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: of an oracle. Every sacrifice was accompanied by salt, and
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: also by a libation, which usually consisted of wine. The
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: cup being always filled to the brim, indicating that the
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: offering was made without stint. When sacrificing to the infernal gods,
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: the cup containing the libation was filled with blood. The
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: animals offered to the Olympian divinities were white, whilst those
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: to the gods of the lower world were black. When
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: a man offered a special sacrifice for himself or his family,
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: it partook of the nature of his occupation see footnote
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: one ninety three. Thus a shepherd brought a sheep, a
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: vine grower his grapes, and so forth. But in the
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: case of public sacrifices, the supposed individual of the deity
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: was always consulted. For instance, to Demeter, a sow was
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: offered because that animal is apt to root up the
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: seed corn. To Dionysus a goat on account of its
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: being destructed, to vineyards, etc. The value of offerings depended
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: greatly upon the position of the individual, it being regarded
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: as a contempt of the gods for a rich man
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: to bring a sordid offering, whilst from a poor man
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: the smallest oblation was considered acceptable. Hecatombs consisted of one
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: hundred animals and were offered by entire communities, or by
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: wealthy individuals who either deserved or had obtained some special
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: favour from the gods. When a sacrifice was to be offered,
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: a fire was kindled on the altar, into which wine
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: and frankincense were poured in order to increase the flame.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: In very ancient times, the victim was laid upon the
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: altar and burned whole, But after the time of Prometheus,
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: portions only of the shoulders, thighs, and d trails, etc.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Were sacrificed, the remainder becoming the perquisites of the priests.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: The officiating priests wore a crown composed of the leaves
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: of the trees sacred to the deity they invoked. Thus,
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: when sacrificing to Apollo, the crowns were of laurel, when
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: to Heracles of poplar. This practice of wearing crowns was
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: at a later period adopted by the general public. At
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: banquets and other festivities. On occasions of special solemnity, the
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: horns of the victim were overlaid with gold, and the
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: altars decked with flowers and sacred herbs. The mode of
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: conducting the sacrifices was as follows. All things being prepared,
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: A salt cake, a sacrificial knife, and the crowns were
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: placed in a small basket and carried to the sanctuary
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: by a young maiden, whereupon the victim was conducted into
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: the temple, frequently to the accompaniment of music. If a
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: small animal, it was driven loose to the altar. If
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: a large one, it was led by a long trailing rope,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: in order to indicate that it was not an unwilling
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: sacrifice see footnote one ninety four. When all were assembled,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: the priest, after walking in solemn state round the altar,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: besprinkled it with a mixture of meal and holy water,
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: after which he also besprinkled the assembled worshippers and exhorted
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: them to join with him in prayer. The service being ended,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: the priest first tasted the libation, and, after causing the
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: congregation to do the like, poured the remainder between the
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: horns of the victim, after which frankinsense was strewn upon
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: the altar, and a portion of the meal and water
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: poured upon the animal, which was then killed. If by
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: any chance, the victim escaped the stroke or became in
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: any way restless, it was regarded as an evil omen. If,
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: on the contrary, it expired without a struggle, it was
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: considered auspicious. At the sacrifices to the aerial day vinities,
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: music was added, whilst dances were performed round the altar
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: and sacred hymns sung. These hymns were generally composed in
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: honor of the gods, and contained an account of their
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: famous actions, their clemency and beneficence, and the gifts conferred
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: by them on mankind. In conclusion, the gods were invoked
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: for a continuance of their favor, and when the service
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: was ended, a feast was held. Oracles the desire to
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: penetrate the dark veil of futurity, and thereby to avert,
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: if possible, threatened danger as animated mankind. In all ages
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: of the world, prophetic knowledge was sought by the Greeks
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: at the mouth of oracles, whose predictions were interpreted to
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: the people by priests specially appointed for the purpose. The
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: most famous of these institutions was the oracle of Apollo
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: at Delphi, which was held in general repute all over
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: the world. People flocked from far and near to consult
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: this wonderful mouthpiece of the gods. One month in the
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: year being specially set apart for the purpose see footnote
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: one ninety five. The priestess who delivered the oracles was
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: called the Pythia, after the serpent Python, which was killed
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: by Apollo. Having first bathed in the waters of the
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: Castilian spring, she was conducted into the temple by the
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: priests and was seated on a sort of three legged
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: stool or table called the tripod, which was placed over
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: the mouth of a cave. Whence issued sulfurous vapors. Here,
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: she gradually became effected in a remarkable manner and fell
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: into an ecstatic condition in which she uttered wild and
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: extraordinary phrases, which were held to be the utterance of
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: Apollo himself. These the priests interpreted to the people, but
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: in most cases in so ambiguous a manner that the
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: fulfillment of the prediction could not easily be disputed. During
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: the ceremony, clouds of incense filled the temple and hid
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: the priestess from the view of the un initiated, and
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: at its conclusion she was reconducted in a fainting condition
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: to her cell. The following is a striking instance of
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: the ambiguity of oracular predictions. Croesus, the rich king of Lydia,
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: before going to war with Cyrus, king of Persia, consulted
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: an oracle as to the probable success of the expedition.
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: The reply he received was that if he crossed a
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: certain river, he would destroy a great empire. Interpreting the
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: response as being favorable to his design, Crosus crossed the
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: river and encountered the Persian king, by whom he was
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: entirely defeated, and his own empire being destroyed. The prediction
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: of the oracle was said to have been fulfilled. Soothsayers augurs.
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: In addition to the manifestation of the will of the
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: gods by means of oracles, the Greeks also believed that
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: certain men called soothsayers were gifted with the power of
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: foretelling future events from dreams, from observing the flight of birds,
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: the entrails of sacrificed animals, and even the direction of
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: the flames and smoke from the altar, et cetera. See
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Footnote one ninety six. Augers. The Roman soothsayers were called
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: augers and played an important part in the history of
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: the Romans, as no enterprise was ever undertaken without first
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: consulting them with regard to its ultimate success. Festivals. Festivals
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: were instituted as seasons of rest, rejoicing, and thanksgiving, and
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: also as anniversaries to commemorate events of national importance. The
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: most ancient festivals were those held after the in gathering
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: of the harvest or vintage, and were celebrated with rejoicings
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: and merry makings, which lasted many days, during which time
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: the first fruits of the fields were offered to the gods,
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: accompanied by prayers and thanksgiving. The festivals held in cities
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: in honor of special divinities or in commemoration of particular
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: events were conducted with an elaborate ceremonial gorgeous processions, games,
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: chariot races, et cetera were conspicuous features on these occasions,
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: and dramatic performances representing particular episodes in the lives of
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: the gods and heroes frequently took place. We subjoined a
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: few of the most interesting of the Greek and Roman festivals.
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: End of section nineteen. Recording by Anthony Wilson