The Priestess in the public sphere
Ancient
Greek religion wasn’t known for its large body of priests. There wasn’t a
central organization with rules and practices that shaped the Greek religion.
For an example, anyone could perform a sacrifice. There wasn’t a general
priesthood, but only priests dedicated to specific gods in specific
sanctuaries. Either men or women could
be priests, depending on which god they would serve. People could obtain
multiple priesthoods. Priesthoods were often hereditary and were seen as an
honorary office to obtain. It is said that it brought great prestige and honor.
That makes it questionable whether a person would obtain the priesthood out of
devotion, out of prestige, out of political gains or maybe out of something
else, like economic gains. Keeping in
mind that both men and women could be priests, it is even more interesting to
examine the motivation of the ancient Greek women to become a priest, given the
fact that women didn’t play a big role in the public sphere of the ancient
Greek polis. Could it be that men used their priesthoods inter alia for
political gains, while the women used it for other purposes, such as higher
personal prestige or solely devotion? The nature of female priesthood in
ancient Greece isn’t clear.
Religious and political intertwinement?
Much has been written about the position of women in ancient Greece. The conventional view is that women were ‘second-class’ citizens preoccupied with the household and secluded from the public sphere. Daniel Ogden argues that ‘’religion allowed women to break free from domestic constraint’’ and he reasons furthermore that women were at the center of the polis because of their reproductive capacity, but they were socially and politically marginalized because of their inferior relationship with men. Religion was a sort of an outlet for the ancient Greek woman.
Joan Connelly stresses that priestesses had a much broader civic engagement than previously was recognized. Women were not just second-class citizens preoccupied with the household. She argues that women in their religious positions were directly engaged in political and economic spheres. All priesthoods were essentially political offices, even the priesthoods held by women. The female had a greater mobility in the polis landscape due to her role in priesthoods than was assumed earlier. The woman could exercise political power through a priesthood. There was a profound difference between seclusion and separation. The power, authority and influence the ancient Greek priestesses had, is therefore debatable.
Much has been written about the position of women in ancient Greece. The conventional view is that women were ‘second-class’ citizens preoccupied with the household and secluded from the public sphere. Daniel Ogden argues that ‘’religion allowed women to break free from domestic constraint’’ and he reasons furthermore that women were at the center of the polis because of their reproductive capacity, but they were socially and politically marginalized because of their inferior relationship with men. Religion was a sort of an outlet for the ancient Greek woman.
Joan Connelly stresses that priestesses had a much broader civic engagement than previously was recognized. Women were not just second-class citizens preoccupied with the household. She argues that women in their religious positions were directly engaged in political and economic spheres. All priesthoods were essentially political offices, even the priesthoods held by women. The female had a greater mobility in the polis landscape due to her role in priesthoods than was assumed earlier. The woman could exercise political power through a priesthood. There was a profound difference between seclusion and separation. The power, authority and influence the ancient Greek priestesses had, is therefore debatable.
The priestess in
action
One example of political power of the priestess is the story by Herodotos about whether the Athenians should evacuate or not for the incoming Persian invasion in 480 B.C. There was much debate among the Athenian citizens whether they should follow Themistokles and leave the city or stay and defend the city. The priestess of Athena Polias saw that the snake who ate a honey cake every day, didn’t eat it that particular day. She interpreted that Athena had left the city and that the Athenian citizens should follow her example. The Athenians decided to abandon the city.
This clearly is an example in which the priestess played a big role in decision-making, but it doesn’t explain for what reasons she played this role. Did she because she wanted to exercise political power and steer the polis in a certain direction, or was it because she really believed in the symbolism of this happening? Or was it only to show off her influence or was it maybe because she was bribed by men at the side of Themistokles? Coincidence and the fact that men with political power could use her interpretation as an justification for leaving the city were factors to be reckoned with.
Another example of the political influence of the priestess is her role in legal affairs. Priestly business was bound by law. The priestesses were involved in dealing with these laws and so that dealt with the political bodies of the polis. These laws were about enforcing sacred regulations and the priestess might argue her case before the Assembly. The Council and the Assembly could pass a decree at the recommendation of a priestess. It is not clear if this happened frequently and if this had profound consequences. Nevertheless gave this the priestess a unique agency in the public arena with respect to other women.
One example of political power of the priestess is the story by Herodotos about whether the Athenians should evacuate or not for the incoming Persian invasion in 480 B.C. There was much debate among the Athenian citizens whether they should follow Themistokles and leave the city or stay and defend the city. The priestess of Athena Polias saw that the snake who ate a honey cake every day, didn’t eat it that particular day. She interpreted that Athena had left the city and that the Athenian citizens should follow her example. The Athenians decided to abandon the city.
This clearly is an example in which the priestess played a big role in decision-making, but it doesn’t explain for what reasons she played this role. Did she because she wanted to exercise political power and steer the polis in a certain direction, or was it because she really believed in the symbolism of this happening? Or was it only to show off her influence or was it maybe because she was bribed by men at the side of Themistokles? Coincidence and the fact that men with political power could use her interpretation as an justification for leaving the city were factors to be reckoned with.
Another example of the political influence of the priestess is her role in legal affairs. Priestly business was bound by law. The priestesses were involved in dealing with these laws and so that dealt with the political bodies of the polis. These laws were about enforcing sacred regulations and the priestess might argue her case before the Assembly. The Council and the Assembly could pass a decree at the recommendation of a priestess. It is not clear if this happened frequently and if this had profound consequences. Nevertheless gave this the priestess a unique agency in the public arena with respect to other women.
Conclusions
There certainly are examples of religious and political intertwinement in the female priesthood, but that doesn’t prove that the priestess used her powers for the same purposes as her male counterpart did. It could be that the priestess used her political power, which mustn’t be exaggerated, merely for personal prestige and status. Those single examples do not prove that the political power of the priestess was fundamental and structural of nature. It still rather seems an escape from the household, in which the woman sought to enlarge her prestige by exercising her powers. It is important to doubt the underlying motives for exercising power. Sometimes it is clear that the priestess played a role in decision-making, but it remains unclear for what reasons she did, and just that is what really is important to know more about the role of women in Athenian society. It could be that the political role the priestess played was unintended and unenvisaged.
Next to that, it remains unclear how often it was that women actually had political influence. Was their role in the public sphere regular and widespread or was it occasionally, like the example of Themistokles, and played coincidence a large role? The examples were not that comprehensive to prove that the woman played a fundamental role in the polis’ politics. Therefore it must be said that the mobility of the woman in the polis’ political landscape should not be exaggerated. The position of the priestess and the female role in the public sphere remains complex.
There certainly are examples of religious and political intertwinement in the female priesthood, but that doesn’t prove that the priestess used her powers for the same purposes as her male counterpart did. It could be that the priestess used her political power, which mustn’t be exaggerated, merely for personal prestige and status. Those single examples do not prove that the political power of the priestess was fundamental and structural of nature. It still rather seems an escape from the household, in which the woman sought to enlarge her prestige by exercising her powers. It is important to doubt the underlying motives for exercising power. Sometimes it is clear that the priestess played a role in decision-making, but it remains unclear for what reasons she did, and just that is what really is important to know more about the role of women in Athenian society. It could be that the political role the priestess played was unintended and unenvisaged.
Next to that, it remains unclear how often it was that women actually had political influence. Was their role in the public sphere regular and widespread or was it occasionally, like the example of Themistokles, and played coincidence a large role? The examples were not that comprehensive to prove that the woman played a fundamental role in the polis’ politics. Therefore it must be said that the mobility of the woman in the polis’ political landscape should not be exaggerated. The position of the priestess and the female role in the public sphere remains complex.
Sources
Top image
East frieze V of the Parthenon, British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=k119763.jpg&retpage=18001
Figure 1
5th century BC Attic vase painting, Toledo Museum of Art
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/01/books/01coat.html
Figure 2
Marble portrait of Lysimache, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut. Römische Abteilung
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lysimache.JPG
References
Burkert, W., Greek religion (Cambridge 1985)
Connelly, J., Portrait of a priestess: woman and ritual in ancient Greece (Princeton 2007)
Dillon, M., Girls and women in classical Greek religion (London 2002)
MacLachlan, B., Women in ancient Greece: a sourcebook (London 2012)
Ogden, D., A companion to Greek religion (Malden 2007)
Price, S., Religion of the ancient Greeks (Cambridge 1999)
Written by M.K.
Top image
East frieze V of the Parthenon, British Museum
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=k119763.jpg&retpage=18001
Figure 1
5th century BC Attic vase painting, Toledo Museum of Art
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/07/01/books/01coat.html
Figure 2
Marble portrait of Lysimache, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut. Römische Abteilung
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lysimache.JPG
References
Burkert, W., Greek religion (Cambridge 1985)
Connelly, J., Portrait of a priestess: woman and ritual in ancient Greece (Princeton 2007)
Dillon, M., Girls and women in classical Greek religion (London 2002)
MacLachlan, B., Women in ancient Greece: a sourcebook (London 2012)
Ogden, D., A companion to Greek religion (Malden 2007)
Price, S., Religion of the ancient Greeks (Cambridge 1999)
Written by M.K.