Near Therapne: ‘Poseidon the earth-holder’. Also worshipped at Delphi where his oracle was consulted by all Greeks: gave approval, through the Great Rhetra, of the Spartan constitution. These men were usually over the age of 60 and were elected to the council for life.

The eating of bread and cakes was forbidden; there was a special funeral meal, then a day of ritual grief. It commemorated the battle of Thyrea fought against Argos c.550 B.C. Although not divine, Helen and Menelaus, the legendary rulers of Sparta, were revered as gods. The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia was one of the most important in Sparta. Religion in Sparta, like in many societies, had a purpose to support the ideals of a militaristic society The Spartan ideal of an elite military state influenced the approach to religion and the ways in which religion would be moulded to suite state doctrine, therefore highlighting the importance of religion in upholding the values of Spartan society such as endurance, loyalty, obedience, conformity, and skill Religion was also use to create social coherence, important in promoting conformity and in controlling the society under the ideals of the military state. For this celebration, the men were divided up into nine groups of three phratries who dined together and each occupied a skias, an area which contained tents. Sons of Zeus and Leda – half human, half divine. The festival was held in the Spartan agora (market place). Five unmarried people, called the karneatai, were chosen from each phyle to cover the costs of the festivals, including both sacrifice and chorus. The festival featured: choral performances; the setting up of images of Apollo and Artemis “boxing” amongst boys and men. At an individual level religion provided a way of ensuring fertility both human and natural as well as averting disaster and ensuring victory in war. Three major festivals honored Apollo in Sparta: the Gymnopaedia, the Hyacinthia and the Carnea. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Carnea was the most significant festival. Each king had equal power and neither could overrule the other.

Caster and Pollux, the semi divine Dioscuri, were also local heroes. After many years of fighting, both against other Greek city-states and foreign enemies the population and power of Sparta eventually began to decline, but it remained a powerful force in the region and retained its independence until around 195 B.C. The Spartans combined her with Orthia, an earlier Spartan goddess. Overall, the Karneia had a communal aspect, emphasising heroic exploits. The Hyacinthia centered on the sanctuary of Apollo of Amyclae, which was three miles south of the city. Goddesses Olympians Aphrodite Artemis Athena Demeter Hera Hestia Other Goddesses Gaea Nike Selene Heroes Achilles Alexander the Great Bellerophon Heracles Odysseus Perseus Theseus Other Heroes Myths ( Log Out / 

Although much has been written about the violent aspect of the festival, it has been interpreted as a ‘rite of passage’; on the way to manhood, an initiation that indicated membership or belonging to the community. Artemis Orthia’s rites centered on rites of passage Certain gods, however received greater devotion in ancient Sparta.

Sparta was ruled by two kings who came from the Agiad and Eurypontid families, it was believed by the Spartans that these families had descended from Heracles. But most importantly, the race gave young men a taste of the military way of life ahead of them and helped prepare them for manhood. The historian Hooker has interpreted the festival as a festival for the dead on one hand, combined with a thanksgiving for life on the other. Unsurprisingly for a love goddess, she was said to have emerged from the foam generated when the severed testicles of her father, Uranus, were thrown into the sea by his son, the Titan Cronus. Sheldon holds a Bachelor of Arts in ancient history and archaeology from the University of Leicester and a Master of Arts in ancient history and historiography from the University of Bristol. The goddess was a hybrid of the Olympian Artemis and Orthia, a local deity. Sun god; order and harmony; brother of Artemis, Associated particularly with Amyklai and the Hyakinthia festival. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. The Menelaion, their cult center was situated a couple of miles south of the city on the site of an ancient Mycenaean palace. Kings were the descendents of the son of Heracles, Descended from twin brothers of Helen ,powerful ancestry, Led worship of Apollo (for omens and prophecy ), Conducted marriage and funeral ceremonies. A priestess oversaw the beatings while holding the cult statue of the goddess. From the age of 20 to 30 men were members of the active military and could not live with their families until the age of 30. ( Log Out /  Artemis Orthia’s rites centered on rites of passage into adulthood and fertility. In it we see the whole warrior code to initiate the young soldier to a life of physical excellence, a life that would involve enduring pain for the good of the Spartan state. On their death special ceremonies were held where they would be declared the best king Sparta ever had. University of Chicago: The Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia at Sparta.

Link will appear as Ancient Sparta: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, October 21, 2019, © Greek Gods and Goddesses 2010 - 2020 | About | Contact | Privacy, Ancient Sparta: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net. The entire city-state was organized to maximize its military capabilities. They were not the only demi gods or mortals worshiped by the Spartans. Goddess of fertility and childbirth; huntress; sister of Apollo. Our sources stem largely from non Spartan writers such as Xenophon, Plutarch as well as Pausanius.

This training lasted until the age of 20 when they became citizens, though they could not hold elected office until the age of 30. This site was the location of a huge statue of Apollo, the tomb of Hyakinthos and an open area for festival dances. If they caught the frontrunner, it was a good omen for the state and, if not, the future was bleak. Two kings, hereditary to the Agiad and Eurypontid clans. The second stage involved rejoicing in honour of Apollo, the wearing of wreaths, the singing of joyful songs, sacrifice to Apollo, a festive meal, a procession to Amyclae, choral song and dance. Spartan dedication to her cult is evident from the 100,000 small dedications found around her shrine. Poseidon is also called ‘house-god’ and ‘Family Poseidon’. good thing this has helped me with me report it is due in 2 weeks and I have nothing down yet thanks. Later the Romans The consequences of this race and the chasing of a human are rather interesting as it was primarily the agamoi who participated. Given this reputation, Sparta led all of the combined Greek armies in the war against the Persians in the early 400s B.C.

Like all the Greeks, the Spartans worshiped the Olympian pantheon.

The goddess was a hybrid of the Olympian Artemis and Orthia, a local deity. This means only the children of citizens could become citizens.

Demetrios of Skepis described the Karneia and the games as a reflection of the military training system, which has been echoed by many modern scholars in an attempt to understand this festival. In addition to the kings, there was a high council of 28 elders who came from the royal houses that helped to decide important matters of the city. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Ritual dances were also held as part of these agricultural rites. There are different traditions in Greek mythology regarding their divine status, Aided in battle; associated with horsemanship; associated with athletic contests (. It was a celebration of migration, the colonisation of the city, the foundation of the Doric peoples and of various military events. The kings held a high religious role as the chief priests; they controlled all religious happenings within the community. Their worship emphasized the attributes most relevant to the city’s ideals. She was known as Athena Khalkioikos, or Athena of the Bronze House, because of her bronze-plated temple on the Spartan acropolis. Typically in their late teens or early 20s, instead of at age 12 or 13. Sparta was the most powerful state in the ancient southern Peloponnese. Priests had the role to carry out public sacrifices, omens and portents. In addition, some citizens carried models of rafts, which also symbolised the coming of the Dorians. Based on the Word Net lexical database for the English Language. If he was caught, Sparta was blessed with luck.

Athenaeus, writing in the 2nd century A.D., has given an account of this festival which basically revolves around mourning for Hyakinthos and praise of Apollo: This was ‘The Festival of the Unarmed Boys’. The festival took place over three days in the (summer) month of July. ( Log Out /  Spartan kings inherited their roles, a job filled by the leader of each family. The young man ahead of the rest was dressed in woollen fillets (ribbons around the head), which was similar to an account of human sacrifice by the Thessalians as described by Herodotos and is possibly derived from an earlier celebration of Karneios. Sparta was renowned for its military preeminence in the region. The Karneia, a harvest festival celebrated for nine days during the month of August (late summer), was an extremely important festival for the Spartans. Athena occupied a special position in Spartan society as guardian of the city. Another aspect of this festival was the foot-race, which resembled a chase of prey, rather than your standard race.