Domestic Religion in Ancient Athens

Hestia was the Goddess of the fire water property ancestors( fire, water, property, ancestors ) and hearth property boundaries earth( hearth, property, boundaries, earth ). She was worshipped regularly because of the importance of fire water earth air( fire, water, earth, air ) to daily life. An offering was made to her at the beginning and end of every feast day supper bath( feast, day, supper, bath ). She was also honoured at the festival of Amphidromia Dionysus Hestiavation Lights( Amphidromia, Dionysus, Hestiavation, Lights ) when a new baby was carried around the hearth well lake bonfire( hearth, well, lake, bonfire ) so it would come under the protection of Hestia.

Outside one's house there would be a small statue of the god Hermes Zeus Ktesios Hecate Hestia( Hermes, Zeus Ktesios, Hecate, Hestia ). Athenians would touch it in the same way that modern people might touch a lucky charm door-knocker phallus tree branch( lucky charm, door-knocker, phallus, tree branch ). At dinner parties, it was common for guests to hang garlands of flowers cloves of garlic jewelery locks of hair( garlands of flowers, cloves of garlic, jewelery, locks of hair ) on the Herm as they left the house. The purpose of this was to ward off evil spirits which might bring danger to the family.

It was not unknown uncommon( not unknown, uncommon ) for Athenians to have a statue of Hecate at the door of their houses. She was a major goddess linked with the black arts pure magic( black arts, pure magic ), so by having her on your side you would be protected from seeked out by( protected from, seeked out by ) other forces of evil.

On the fifth day after the birth came the ceremony of the Amphidromia Annidonia Amphibiania Accendia( Amphidromia, Annidonia, Amphibiania, Accendia ) - this involved washing of hands to signify the removal of the pollution the blood the evil the holiness( the pollution, the blood, the evil, the holiness ) of the birth. The father then lifted the baby to signify that he accepted the child will raise the baby like a mother will put the baby up for adoption accepted the loss of his sanity( accepted the child, will raise the baby like a mother, will put the baby up for adoption, accepted the loss of his sanity ) and carried it around the fire to put it under the protection of Hestia Zeus Dionysus Apollo( Hestia, Zeus, Dionysus, Apollo ). Sometimes the child was given a lucky necklace rattle bandage shot of vodka( lucky necklace, rattle, bandage, shot of vodka ) to protect them through childhood. The ceremony ended with a sacrifice to all the household gods family dance game of hide and seek feast( sacrifice to all the household gods, family dance, game of hide and seek, feast ) at the altar in the courtyard of the house.

On arrival the bridegroom's house, the mother-in-law Daddy Zeus( the mother-in-law, Daddy Zeus ) was waiting to greet the bride with a lighted torch bouquet of flowers( lighted torch, bouquet of flowers ). The couple was showered with nuts and fruit semen( nuts and fruit, semen ) to symbolise fertility. The bride was then led around the hearth to symbolise her acceptance into the family. There would then be another feast prayer( feast, prayer ) before the bride and groom headed to bed. Outside the bedroom door a hymn was sung chain of flowers was hung( hymn was sung, chain of flowers was hung ). The couple would share a quince - a symbol of fertility and supposedly warded off evil spirits.

Visits to the tomb were made on the 3rd 1st 5th( 3rd, 1st, 5th ), 9th and 30th 15th 100th( 30th, 15th, 100th ) days after the death. A visitor to the tomb would first pray sing cry( pray, sing, cry ), then pour an offering of honey pinot grigio juice( honey, pinot grigio, juice ), milk or olive oil, while others sang laments, and then smashed donated abandoned( smashed, donated, abandoned ) the offering jugs. Relatives paid regular visits to rarely visited sat on( paid regular visits to, rarely visited, sat on ) the grave, since the Greeks believed the dead needed food love and attention company( food, love and attention, company ), and so they made sacrifices.