Domestic Religion in Ancient Athens

The family in ancient Athens included:

The head of the family was:

Hestia was the Goddess of the [blank_start]fire[blank_end] and [blank_start]hearth[blank_end]. She was worshipped regularly because of the importance of [blank_start]fire[blank_end] to daily life. An offering was made to her at the beginning and end of every [blank_start]feast[blank_end]. She was also honoured at the festival of [blank_start]Amphidromia[blank_end] when a new baby was carried around the [blank_start]hearth[blank_end] so it would come under the protection of Hestia.

Zeus [blank_start]Ktesios[blank_end] was the god of household property. He was worshipped in a ceremony in which samples of household necessities for example grain, [blank_start]olive oil[blank_end], water and a [blank_start]coin[blank_end] were all placed in a jar. The intention was to ensure prosperity and [blank_start]sufficient food[blank_end] for the family.

[blank_start]Zeus Herkeios[blank_end] was the god of the boundaries of the property. There was usually an altar to him in the courtyard where offerings fruit, grain and [blank_start]wine[blank_end] were made - sometimes a [blank_start]blood[blank_end] sacrifice of a pig would be offered.

Apollo [blank_start]Patroos[blank_end] was the god of ancestors, and protected family and property; Apollo [blank_start]of the streets[blank_end] kept people safe as they attended their daily business.

Outside one's house there would be a small statue of the god [blank_start]Hermes[blank_end]. Athenians would touch it in the same way that modern people might touch a [blank_start]lucky charm[blank_end]. At dinner parties, it was common for guests to hang [blank_start]garlands of flowers[blank_end] 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 [blank_start]not unknown[blank_end] for Athenians to have a statue of Hecate at the door of their houses. She was a major goddess linked with the [blank_start]black arts[blank_end], so by having her on your side you would be [blank_start]protected from[blank_end] other forces of evil.

Birth was a time of great anxiety to a family, and so the help of the gods were enlisted. This was done by:

It was generally believed that the Fates visited the baby's home shortly after its birth to give it its destiny.

On the fifth day after the birth came the ceremony of the [blank_start]Amphidromia[blank_end] - this involved washing of hands to signify the removal of [blank_start]pollution[blank_end] of the birth. The father then lifted the baby to signify that he [blank_start]accepted the child[blank_end] and carried it around the fire to put it under the protection of [blank_start]Hestia[blank_end]. Sometimes the child was given a [blank_start]lucky necklace[blank_end] to protect them through childhood. The ceremony ended with a [blank_start]sacrifice to all the household gods[blank_end] at the altar in the courtyard of the house.

On the [blank_start]tenth[blank_end] day after the birth, the baby was named in front of friends and family and [blank_start]a sacrifice[blank_end] was made to the household gods. If the baby was male, it had to be accepted into the Phratry - this took place at the first annual festival of the [blank_start]Apatouria[blank_end] after the birth. After a sacrifice, the father had to swear to the clan that the baby's mother was [blank_start]an Athenian[blank_end] - if no one [blank_start]agreed[blank_end], the child was [blank_start]accepted into the Phratry.[blank_end]

When a boy was about 16, he was given full membership of the phratry at the Apatouria when he:

When a boy was 18, he began two years of military service; before this he had to swear an oath:

The night before the wedding:

The wedding ceremony took place in the [blank_start]bride[blank_end]'s house which was decorated with [blank_start]laurel and olive branches[blank_end]. The day began with a [blank_start]sacrifice[blank_end] at the family altar. This was followed by a meal, during which a boy wearing a crown of [blank_start]thorns and corn[blank_end] handed out [blank_start]bread[blank_end] to the guests from a basket inscribed with the words "[blank_start]I have banished evil and found good[blank_end]". This symbolised marriage as the mark of [blank_start]civilised[blank_end] life. Sesame cakes were then served, a symbol of [blank_start]fertility[blank_end].

Before the wedding:

After the wedding, the bride was escorted to her new home in a chariot [blank_start]drawn by mules or oxen[blank_end]. She would sit [blank_start]between[blank_end] the bridegroom and one of his close friends or relations. This would be one of the [blank_start]longest public appearances[blank_end] she would ever make. During the procession a wedding song was sung to [blank_start]the music of pipes[blank_end] and the couple received [blank_start]greetings and congratulations[blank_end] from the crowd.

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

When someone died, it was traditional for:

An [blank_start]obol[blank_end] was placed on the body to pay the fare to Charon. The body was placed on a [blank_start]bier[blank_end], covered up with the [blank_start]feet[blank_end] facing the door. Around the bier were [blank_start]branches[blank_end] and jars of oil. The [blank_start]mourners[blank_end] stood around the bier singing laments. The relatives [blank_start]cut their hair[blank_end], wore filthy clothing and beat their chests.

Burials mainly took place along the main roads outside the city. Burials usually involved:

Visits to the tomb were made on the [blank_start]3rd[blank_end], 9th and [blank_start]30th[blank_end] days after the death. A visitor to the tomb would first [blank_start]pray[blank_end], then pour an offering of [blank_start]honey[blank_end], milk or olive oil, while others sang laments, and then [blank_start]smashed[blank_end] the offering jugs. Relatives [blank_start]paid regular visits to[blank_end] the grave, since the Greeks believed the dead needed [blank_start]food[blank_end], and so they made sacrifices.