nto the rites
Ancient greek initiation rituals
the ritual and, sometimes, symbolic killing in the aim to grow up in the polis
‘Greek religion is more of a practice, a manner of behaviour and an internal attitude than a
system of beliefs and dogmas.’ Jean-Pierre Vernant
Erigone and Aiora festival
Female rites in honor of the pain of Erigone, become rites of passage for women.
Brauron's maidenbear
Spartan's krypteia was one of the fundamental rites of passage, which allowed Spartiate boys to become men, but above all warriors, an essential resource for the development of the city.
Female cultual rituals to Artemis; before moving to Aphrodite's influence.
Male sacrificial rite of passage from childhood to adulthood
Spartan Krypteia
Athenan ephebeia
This practice was only the final phase of a more complex educational system, called agoghè. This had the aim of developing real warriors and citizens devoted to discipline and kosmos Spartan. Agoghè began already in childhood, more precisely at seven years old, in fact the Spartiate boys were entrusted to the state and began their training, especially on a physical and psychological nature: in addition, they also had to appear obedient and respectful. Starting from the age of twelve, young people had to shave their hair, sleep with their mates and make do with the limited amount of food they received. However, they could steal it as long as they were not discovered, otherwise they would be severely punished. To prevent them from suffering too much hunger, while not allowing the young people to take the food they needed without hindrance, the initiation still left the possibility of stealing something. However, it's clear that anyone who wants to steal something must weave deceptions and set traps. This way, the boys became more and more ingenious in obtaining the most suitable supplies for the war. But those who got caught red-handed were punished and whipped for stealing badly. This was demonstrated that, in affairs where is necessarywhere it is necessary to be quick, those who delay gain the least advantage and a lot of trouble. All this had the task of both training the hoplite, a Spartiate citizen-warrior, and selecting future warriors, given that the Spartan polis was founded precisely on war.
Here you can put an important title
These individuals could be rebels, dissidents or simply people considered dangerous to the stability of the Spartan regime. Krypteia was overseen by the ephors, a group of five Spartan magistrates who held enormous political and military authority. The ephors were responsible for overseeing the entire Spartan education system, including the training of young soldiers. Deciding who was eligible to participate in the Krypteia was one of their primary responsibilities. Despite the brutality and controversy associated with the Krypteia, this practice contributed to the formation of highly disciplined Spartan soldiers ready to sacrifice themselves for the defense of the state. Training during Krypteia was extremely tough and required a high degree of physical and mental endurance. Furthermore, the experience gained during these clandestine operations prepared young soldiers for future military campaigns and to maintain control over subjugated populations.
As the years passed, the tests also became more and more difficult, such as the fictitious fights.The most intrepid warriors had to take part in the rite of krypteia.Krypteia was a Spartan institution aimed at maintaining control over the Eliotic population, a population subjugated by the Spartans after a long series of conflicts. This practice was part of the Spartan military training system, known for its rigorous discipline and extreme physical training. The young participants in the Krypteia were selected from the best and strongest soldiers, since the goal was to train an elite of warriors ready to defend the Spartan state at any cost. There Krypteia was a secret and clandestine activity, carried out at night and away from the public eye. Participants were sent into the surrounding countryside to conduct surveillance, reconnaissance and, in some cases, targeted assassination operations on individuals deemed a threat to the Spartan state.
ATHENAN EPHEBEIA
From this moment the two-year period began: they were sent to the border of the territory and risked their lives, carrying out observation and plotting ambushes against the enemy. They were completely isolated and ties to the family were forbidden.
In Athens, for example, one was a child from eighteen to twenty years of age, this was sanctioned with a solemn oath in the temple of Aglauros during the sacrifice of a goat which represents the symbolic killing of the young adolescent to be reborn as an adult.
Info
The young people were also engaged in hunting, which was an important element because thanks to it they developed skills that were fundamental to military life such as physical prowess. Furthermore, the liminal moment of the ephebia was characterized by the inversion of hoplite values: the adult soldier was opposed by a group of young people, life in the polis was opposed by life on the borders of the territory.
Often in this path homoerotic relationships were very important because newly pubescent children were at the center of them with older men and served from a sentimental, cultural and social point of view within Greek culture. Therefore the homosexual experience represented a first step into the adult world.
WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT IT REPRESENTED?
Ephebia, the transition from childhood to adulthood, represented for the Greeks an essential moment to prepare the young person for his new responsibilities as a citizen. Ephebia (ephebéia) was the legal condition of young people at the first step of the military enlistment who practiced under the control of the state. The ephebia was therefore the first step to adulthood and marked the exit from childhood.
The "Little bears" ritual
The dance of the "little bear" virgins in honor of Artemis Brauron and, although more rarely, of Artemide Mounichia, consisted of a female rite of passage. The young Athenian girls gathered in the sanctuary of Artemis in Brauron, in Attica, 39 km from Athens, and performed the initiatory rite of dressing up as bears to symbolize the sacrifice of the animal to the goddess. The fake sacrifice, made up of dances, simulated the passage from the bestial and virgin stage of girls, sacred to Artemis, to that dedicated to love and marriage,sacred to Aphrodite. It was a female rite celebrated by unmarried girls at a very young age, perhaps even as children: many sources attest from the age of 5 to 10.
INSIGHTS
Peri Parthenion -virginity and rites-
The psicology behind the rite
The cult of the bears of Artemis in Brauron
The cult of the bears of Artemis in Brauron, in Attica, was linked to a feminine initiatory rite called arkteia: to atone for the killing of a sacred bear that had penetrated the enclosure of Artemis, the virgin girls, worn a particular dress called krokotos, they had to "imitate the bear", according to symbolic methods, typical of passage rituals. Participation in the ritual is designated in the texts through a specific verb “to be a bear”. Until now it has not been possible to understand what exactly this means on the level of ritual action. The news relating to the progress of the arkteia is infrequent and cannot always be inserted into a coherent framework. Among these is the statement that the arktoi imitated the she-bear.
The intent of this rite was to sacrifice a bear, an animal dear to her, to Artemis, goddess of purity and virginity. The girls who were about to get married, however, could not kill the bears, so they disguised themselves as bears and, after having gathered in the sanctuary of Artemis in Braurone, in Attica, they performed the initiatory rite of dressing up as bears to symbolize the sacrifice of the animal to the goddess.With this ritual it was as if girls killed their pure, childish part to definitively enter the world of adults and marriage.
INFO
The feast of Aiora and the myth of Erigone
According to an early version of the myth of Erigone, she was the daughter of Icarius and the lover of Dionysus. After Erigone's suicide, Dionysus punished the virgin Athenian women by condemning them to the same fate as Erigone.
Another version of the myth tells how Erigone was actually the daughter of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra and, therefore, Orestes' half-sister. The latter, in order to avenge the murder of his father Agamemnon, killed his mother and lover, thus leaving Erigone an orphan. When, through Athena's intervention, Orestes was acquitted of all charges, Erigone, in desperation, hanged herself. It is said that Erigone, dying, hurled curses at the Athenian girls, condemning them to suffer what she had been forced to suffer. Because of this, the number of suicides by hanging increased dramatically. To appease and honor Erigone, they decided to start the custom of creating swings and letting themselves be swayed by the wind.
Erigone was celebrated under the name of Aletis, that is, the wanderer. Hence the feast was also called the name of Aletides or Aiora which contains the root of the verb alein, "to wander", in ancient Greek.
The Aiora ritual
ancient greek initiation rituals
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Transcript
nto the rites
Ancient greek initiation rituals
the ritual and, sometimes, symbolic killing in the aim to grow up in the polis
‘Greek religion is more of a practice, a manner of behaviour and an internal attitude than a system of beliefs and dogmas.’ Jean-Pierre Vernant
Erigone and Aiora festival
Female rites in honor of the pain of Erigone, become rites of passage for women.
Brauron's maidenbear
Spartan's krypteia was one of the fundamental rites of passage, which allowed Spartiate boys to become men, but above all warriors, an essential resource for the development of the city.
Female cultual rituals to Artemis; before moving to Aphrodite's influence.
Male sacrificial rite of passage from childhood to adulthood
Spartan Krypteia
Athenan ephebeia
This practice was only the final phase of a more complex educational system, called agoghè. This had the aim of developing real warriors and citizens devoted to discipline and kosmos Spartan. Agoghè began already in childhood, more precisely at seven years old, in fact the Spartiate boys were entrusted to the state and began their training, especially on a physical and psychological nature: in addition, they also had to appear obedient and respectful. Starting from the age of twelve, young people had to shave their hair, sleep with their mates and make do with the limited amount of food they received. However, they could steal it as long as they were not discovered, otherwise they would be severely punished. To prevent them from suffering too much hunger, while not allowing the young people to take the food they needed without hindrance, the initiation still left the possibility of stealing something. However, it's clear that anyone who wants to steal something must weave deceptions and set traps. This way, the boys became more and more ingenious in obtaining the most suitable supplies for the war. But those who got caught red-handed were punished and whipped for stealing badly. This was demonstrated that, in affairs where is necessarywhere it is necessary to be quick, those who delay gain the least advantage and a lot of trouble. All this had the task of both training the hoplite, a Spartiate citizen-warrior, and selecting future warriors, given that the Spartan polis was founded precisely on war.
Here you can put an important title
These individuals could be rebels, dissidents or simply people considered dangerous to the stability of the Spartan regime. Krypteia was overseen by the ephors, a group of five Spartan magistrates who held enormous political and military authority. The ephors were responsible for overseeing the entire Spartan education system, including the training of young soldiers. Deciding who was eligible to participate in the Krypteia was one of their primary responsibilities. Despite the brutality and controversy associated with the Krypteia, this practice contributed to the formation of highly disciplined Spartan soldiers ready to sacrifice themselves for the defense of the state. Training during Krypteia was extremely tough and required a high degree of physical and mental endurance. Furthermore, the experience gained during these clandestine operations prepared young soldiers for future military campaigns and to maintain control over subjugated populations.
As the years passed, the tests also became more and more difficult, such as the fictitious fights.The most intrepid warriors had to take part in the rite of krypteia.Krypteia was a Spartan institution aimed at maintaining control over the Eliotic population, a population subjugated by the Spartans after a long series of conflicts. This practice was part of the Spartan military training system, known for its rigorous discipline and extreme physical training. The young participants in the Krypteia were selected from the best and strongest soldiers, since the goal was to train an elite of warriors ready to defend the Spartan state at any cost. There Krypteia was a secret and clandestine activity, carried out at night and away from the public eye. Participants were sent into the surrounding countryside to conduct surveillance, reconnaissance and, in some cases, targeted assassination operations on individuals deemed a threat to the Spartan state.
ATHENAN EPHEBEIA
From this moment the two-year period began: they were sent to the border of the territory and risked their lives, carrying out observation and plotting ambushes against the enemy. They were completely isolated and ties to the family were forbidden.
In Athens, for example, one was a child from eighteen to twenty years of age, this was sanctioned with a solemn oath in the temple of Aglauros during the sacrifice of a goat which represents the symbolic killing of the young adolescent to be reborn as an adult.
Info
The young people were also engaged in hunting, which was an important element because thanks to it they developed skills that were fundamental to military life such as physical prowess. Furthermore, the liminal moment of the ephebia was characterized by the inversion of hoplite values: the adult soldier was opposed by a group of young people, life in the polis was opposed by life on the borders of the territory.
Often in this path homoerotic relationships were very important because newly pubescent children were at the center of them with older men and served from a sentimental, cultural and social point of view within Greek culture. Therefore the homosexual experience represented a first step into the adult world.
WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT IT REPRESENTED?
Ephebia, the transition from childhood to adulthood, represented for the Greeks an essential moment to prepare the young person for his new responsibilities as a citizen. Ephebia (ephebéia) was the legal condition of young people at the first step of the military enlistment who practiced under the control of the state. The ephebia was therefore the first step to adulthood and marked the exit from childhood.
The "Little bears" ritual
The dance of the "little bear" virgins in honor of Artemis Brauron and, although more rarely, of Artemide Mounichia, consisted of a female rite of passage. The young Athenian girls gathered in the sanctuary of Artemis in Brauron, in Attica, 39 km from Athens, and performed the initiatory rite of dressing up as bears to symbolize the sacrifice of the animal to the goddess. The fake sacrifice, made up of dances, simulated the passage from the bestial and virgin stage of girls, sacred to Artemis, to that dedicated to love and marriage,sacred to Aphrodite. It was a female rite celebrated by unmarried girls at a very young age, perhaps even as children: many sources attest from the age of 5 to 10.
INSIGHTS
Peri Parthenion -virginity and rites-
The psicology behind the rite
The cult of the bears of Artemis in Brauron
The cult of the bears of Artemis in Brauron, in Attica, was linked to a feminine initiatory rite called arkteia: to atone for the killing of a sacred bear that had penetrated the enclosure of Artemis, the virgin girls, worn a particular dress called krokotos, they had to "imitate the bear", according to symbolic methods, typical of passage rituals. Participation in the ritual is designated in the texts through a specific verb “to be a bear”. Until now it has not been possible to understand what exactly this means on the level of ritual action. The news relating to the progress of the arkteia is infrequent and cannot always be inserted into a coherent framework. Among these is the statement that the arktoi imitated the she-bear.
The intent of this rite was to sacrifice a bear, an animal dear to her, to Artemis, goddess of purity and virginity. The girls who were about to get married, however, could not kill the bears, so they disguised themselves as bears and, after having gathered in the sanctuary of Artemis in Braurone, in Attica, they performed the initiatory rite of dressing up as bears to symbolize the sacrifice of the animal to the goddess.With this ritual it was as if girls killed their pure, childish part to definitively enter the world of adults and marriage.
INFO
The feast of Aiora and the myth of Erigone
According to an early version of the myth of Erigone, she was the daughter of Icarius and the lover of Dionysus. After Erigone's suicide, Dionysus punished the virgin Athenian women by condemning them to the same fate as Erigone. Another version of the myth tells how Erigone was actually the daughter of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra and, therefore, Orestes' half-sister. The latter, in order to avenge the murder of his father Agamemnon, killed his mother and lover, thus leaving Erigone an orphan. When, through Athena's intervention, Orestes was acquitted of all charges, Erigone, in desperation, hanged herself. It is said that Erigone, dying, hurled curses at the Athenian girls, condemning them to suffer what she had been forced to suffer. Because of this, the number of suicides by hanging increased dramatically. To appease and honor Erigone, they decided to start the custom of creating swings and letting themselves be swayed by the wind. Erigone was celebrated under the name of Aletis, that is, the wanderer. Hence the feast was also called the name of Aletides or Aiora which contains the root of the verb alein, "to wander", in ancient Greek.
The Aiora ritual