Girls and Women in Classical Greek Religion Matthew Dillon

Girls and Women in Classical Greek Religion

Matthew Dillon, London, New York, Routledge, , 2002

The book opens with a quote from Euripides- women as play , prophetic priests at Delphi,= and Dordone , their importance in religion, their worship at the Fates and the nameless Goddesses ( in Athens)

p 1 despite modern scholarship giving women the role of fertility, as per Demeter and the festival of Thesmophoria, Euripides portrays different roles, as oracular and on show

p 2 and with secret rites.  In Aristophanes Lystistrata  women are reportedly 

But if the women were summoned to some rite of Bacchus, or shrine of Pan, or of [Aphrodite] Kolias or of Genetyllis, you wouldn't be able to get through, what for the number of drums [tympana]

Vases depict women in religious activities, with musical instruments and dancing especially for Dionysius and the Great Mother Cybele

also Pan, related to marriage, . Kolias or Aphrodite, the goddess of love at the cape of Kolias, near Athens as to Hecate goddess of sorcery.

This challenges preconceptions of womens role in classical Greece.

p3 Plato discusses the apparent freedom of religion and roles of women to take care of the sick, people with problems, fears, daytime apparitions and dreams, so the women establish shrines in their houses, open spaces, in every village and in places where they experienced these things. it is recorded that the women dressed in black and beat their breasts in lamentation for the rape of Persephone, ecstatic possession frenzies, begging rituals, secret rites and all night vigils.

Women draw blood from their faces at funerals, trow poppies into crevices, make dedications to the gods and take part in solemn processions. These are seen on the vases painted with these scenes.

p 5 women were categorised by Greek men as 

citizen wife, foreign, slave, free, prostitute, wife, girl, woman, priest. sorcerer

p9 10% of 900 dedications from 8- 5C BCE are found to be made by women, kourae ( kore) were inscribed, these were usually life sized of goddesses, other statues placed on top of columns, pins mirrors and other dedications.

p 14 many dedications at the sanctuary of Demeter at Corinth but it is unsure if these were from women although this temple was more popular with women

p 19 a large list of clothes were dedicate by women to the goddess Artemis at Brauron near Athens

p 20 girls who suffer during menarche, delirium, visions, suicidal tendencies, , when they recover offer dedications of fine clothes to  Artemis ( this is a common problem today termed Borderline personality disorder and related to depression).

p 21 the clothing was chitons, , belts, himations, robes, shawls,  a many coloured Median garment with sleeves, and textiles. 

p 22 similarly clothes were dedicated to Demeter and Kore. There is also a list of women who donated money for rebuilding the sanctuary

p 56 carved kistaphoroi, young women with kistai ( chests) on their heads were part of the Eleusinian Lesser Propylon ( monumental gateway) at the sanctuary at Eleusis, Attica. Two marble kistaphoroi were carried in the procession and they contained the secret items for the ceremony.

p 27 In the Hymn to Demeter, Callimachus describes the procession with the married women gynaikes liknophoroi carry likna in the procession ( baskets in the shape of scoops used for measuring grain. Hrer they are full of gold hoping for proserity

p 62 Pollux records a  Anthesphoria, flower  bearing festival for Kore

p 77 the female priests of Demeter could have children.. Houses were provided for them, possibly to absain from sexual activities as part of purification. ( p 78).

p 79 In the 4th C BCE the woman priest  reported directly to the boule about public sacrifices at the godesses' shrine, 

Chorrine , her 4th C stele  is shown holding the key, presumably the priestess at Eleusis

p 109 there were women only rites and rituals as well. The Athenian Stenia festival in the month of Pyanopsion offered sacrifice to Demeter and Persephone. Women assembled and blasphemed and abused each other.

p 110 the Thesmophoria in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros in Athns, Paros, Sicily and Eretria

 the women sacrifice pigs. The ceremonies went over three days then the wmen returned to Athens for further celebrations, so this is evidence that women moved freely. At Syracuse the celebrations lasted 10 days and commenced with the sowing of the corn.

p 112 the women were wife citizens.

the second day was Nesteia, a day of fasting the third day, beautiful birth- kalligneia

p 114 the women struck each other with a plaited bark, morotton

the pigs were cast into the pits, megara, and the  decayed remains were brought up by the bailers and used on the alters as well as on the fields for fertility.Dough models of snakes and phalli were added. 

Several thousand wives left their husbands for the celebrations.