Votive Offerings and Libations

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What is a VO?
Gift to a God
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Where was VO placed
In the sanctuary. Within the god's temenos, sacred wall established around the perimeter of the sanctuary
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What does the VO record/show?
Reciporcal relationship that anicent Greeks had with their Gods
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What can VO mark?
Imp life transitions - gives clues about an individual's life
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E.g. of an offering
Girls - toys/dolls to Artemis before her marriage
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What can large scale VO serve as/show?
Serve as a mean to display one’s position and wealth in a city.
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What can VO give as an insight into?
Can give us important insights into the lives, fates and habits of individuals that we would otherwise know nothing about, as we have seen in the case of the votive inscriptions to Asclepius.
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Ritual context of libations
Ancient Greeks poured water, wine, milk or honey – honouring the Gods, heroes or even the dead and asking their favour in return.
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E.g of how a libation was part of everyday life:
At the beginning of a symposium, a spondê was offered to the gods to try and ensure that the behaviour didn’t become too wild.
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Choe
Offered to chtronic beings - liquid tipped into the earth in one go.
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Sponde
Poured to the Olympian Gods. Offering of wine/water/honey/milk. Liquid poured carefully and slowly. Help of the Gods then requested.
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Chtonic deities
Deities of the Underworld
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E.g. of libations during travel
Spondai was often poured for sailors embarking upon a voyage or for soldiers setting out to battle.
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E.g. of libation in the Iliad
Achilles pours a spondê in the Iliad before praying (unsuccessfully) for Patroclus’ safe return from the battlefield.
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Megaron
Underground chamber for ritual offerings
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What was there bi/annual clearances of?
Clearances of sancturies. Objects either stored in seperate treasuires or buried ritually, depending on value or size.
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Did priests have to go to schl to become a priest?
No
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What could a VO be
A statue or a vase
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What was a VO the result of
A vow by an individual or a community to one or more Gods and was not prescribed by a ritual (as for e.g. during a festival where certain sacrifices were regularly made in a particular manner)
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VO - e.g. of a vow made
If i achieve XY/recover from an illness/become pregnant, I will offer a shrine/statue/10th of my income to the gods (one specific god)
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VO - e.g. - prize winners
Prize winners/successful warriors offered their prizes/weapons that helped achieve their victory
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E.g. of a large scale VO
Individuals offered Temples, most famously Themistocles, after his victory over the Persians
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Many VO bore what
Inscriptions with the dedicator's name in it. Only poss for the wealtheir people who could afford them
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E.g. of libation in food
Beginning/end of banquet/sarifce itself
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Libation - truce
When 2 people made a truce with one another, they poured libations. As a result, the Grk word for 'truce' = spondai
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E.g. of libations - Argonauts
Argonauts pour libations for honey/wine to Earth (Gaia), the Gods of the land and the souls and dead heroes, at their arrival in Colchis
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Grk sanctuaries were crowded with what
Everything a worshipper could poss dedicate to a deity, ranging from parasols to jewellery, statues, inscriptions, in fact, any obect dear to a worshipper
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Why would soliders and armies giver trophies of war as offerings
Ask for support and give thanks for help recieved
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Example of trophy of war
Odysseus kills Dolon at Troy. Gives Dolon marten-skin cap, wolf-skin bow and spear to Athena out of gratitude
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Personal dedication example
Night b4 her wedding, a young bride would dedicate a lock of her hair and childhood toys to Artemis
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Offering by a city
Treasuries - Olympia/Delphi
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James Renshaw
Treasuires - came to be among the most imp buildings in both centres
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Where was VO placed

Back

In the sanctuary. Within the god's temenos, sacred wall established around the perimeter of the sanctuary

Card 3

Front

What does the VO record/show?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What can VO mark?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

E.g. of an offering

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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