The Beliefs and Practices during time of Pericles
The Beliefs and Practices of the Athenians in the time of PericlesThe people of Athens in the time of Pericles had many religious beliefs and practices. People’s beliefs and practices were often very important to the way they went about their everyday lives. Some of these practices would be visiting the temple, praying to the gods, and the many different festivals that were conducted throughout the year as a result of beliefs in different gods. The first thing that is noticeable about the Athenian culture in Pericles’ time is that the whole culture revolves around polytheistic beliefs, the worship of many gods. This is especially evident when looking at the Acropolis with its many temples dedicated to the different deities that were most commonly worshiped. Although the Athenian’s were polytheistic and therefore divided in their allegiances to the gods they all worshiped showed immense respect to the god of their beloved city, Athena. The Parthenon was the chief temple in the Acropolis; it was dedicated to the cities patron goddess Athena. On the outside of the temple there was a frieze that depicts the birth of the goddess Athena as well as her battle with the god Poseidon for the city of Athens. Another frieze on the temp . . .
Women who normally didn’t play much of a part in the daily going on of society were very important to the Athenian society played an important role in the part of the ceremony when the peplos was presented to the Statue of Athena as the priestess herself directed this. The Panathanaea was a festival that was held in honor of the patron goddess of the city, Athena. Animals were the most common offerings to be sacrificed to the gods and these animals had to be in perfect health and without a deformity. On paintings, pots we see pictures of people sacrificing such things as bulls and people they most likely captured as a result of successful military campaign. In writings that have been found we discover that there were many festivals that were performed around the course of the year that different people would attend. The two main festivals however were the Panathanaea and the Anthesteria. A prayer by the officiant was recited 4. Unground barley was sprinkled on the victim and on the alter 5. Another form of ritual that we see from writings and inscriptions that was practiced as part of the beliefs of the people was prayer. The entrails of the animal were cooked separately and were the first to be eaten 10. Sacrifices to the gods were a very important practice that was based on the beliefs of the people. A sacrifice was seen as a gift from the individual that went directly to the gods themselves. The most important forms of rituals that were performed were the festivals that the people performed. This festival occurred once a year and during this festival a new peplos or dress was carried up to the acropolis and placed on the wooden statue of Athena.
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