Rachel Bushkuhl
Oxford Readings in Greek Religion
Ed. Richard Buxton
Chapter 9
Votives and Votaries
in Greek Sanctuaries
Folkert van Straten
The votives in this chapter are generally:
1. Classical
2. Attic
3. Private
I. Placement and Arrangement of Votive Offerings
A. Two Common terms:
1. anathema– votive
2. anatithenai– the setting up of a votive in a sanctuary
B. The votives had to reach a certain height.
1. Mounted on Pedestals
a. Akropolis: small pillars, fluted columns, smooth columns
b. Common Archaic Example: Figure11 pg. 193, Monument of Lysikleides,
Sanctuary of Thmis at Rhamnos (420), rectangular cross section, tapered
pillar, capital
c. Votive Reliefs
i. Usually two pieces with a tenon(hole) for mounting
ii. THIS CAUSED SEPARATION OF RELIEFS AND DEDICATIONS
2. Nailed to Walls
a. Terracota votive plaques
i. Sounion 700 BC is early example
ii. Pinakes and Penteskouphia
iii. EX. Pg. 195, Cheapest ever, part of a vase
b. Wooden painted pinakes
i. Popular but few survive
c. topoi esmatoi, katamaktoi, tamata: gold and silver plates
now in churches
d. Stone Plaques- limestone with suspension holes
e. Votive limbs in Corinth hung
C. Figurines
1. Bronze, terracotta
2. Laid close to altar or cult statues
3. Herondas’ 4th mimianbus, “put votive to the right of Hygeia”
II. Worshipper’s View
A. Representational Evidence
1. Reliefs and Vase Paintings in Attika depict votive offerings
2. Suggest the nature of sanctuary
3. Depict incubation: enkoimeterion(dorm)
B. Unusual Iconography
1. Classical details in paing
2. Oropos- Amphiareion- apobates race
C. Tablets not on Pillars
1. Hero banquets (Piraeus)
2. Flexible votive iconography
3. Horses- horsemen, horses heads in windows
D. Medical Equipment:
1. Surgical instruments
a. Karkihoi iatrikoi– medical pincers/forceps
b. Sikue– cupping instrument
2. Anatomical parts(Corinth)
E. Questions:
1. Are ex votos in reliefs votive offerings of dedicants of the releifs?
2. Are they more general indicators of nature of locality?
F. Vase Painting with votive panels or statues on pillars
1. anatomical ex votos
2. painted votive pinakes represented
3. Examples
a. Herakles at sanctuary of Chryse, Attic red figure
b. Bucarest Apollo- temple depiction
c. Attic and South Italian plaques
G. Architectural Indications: Material Surroundings
1. Architectural Frame, 4 c. P. 209, Fig 16
a. Reference of temple or stoa
2. Not exact representations of real buildings
a. To Nymphs, set within specific space
3. Not to be taken literally
4. Architectural environment, interior and exteriors
5. Saulenbau, columnar, fig 17
H. Typical Components
1. identify space, set scene
2. literary and epigraphical texts
I. Key words:
1. agalma, kosmos- to be enjoyed, beautiful, ornamental
2. Choregic monument- gift to god, ornament for deme
J. Clutter
1. Irritated Plato
2. Rules for offerings introduced
a. Rhodian decree of 3rd C. BCE,
b. Miletus, special instructions for placement
c. Become property of the god, left alone for fear of the gods deisidaimonia
d. Great story about a thief and a dog
e. Melting gold and silver for an anathema
f. OFFERING IS A PERMANENT LINK BETWEEN GOD AND DEDICANT
III. The Worshippers
A. How they saw themselves, wanted to be seen
1. Iconograpchical evidence in representations of worshippers
2. Epigraphical- inscriptions and inventories
B. Gender?
1. 51.39%female, 45.82 male, 2.79 couples. At the Athenian Asclepieion.
2. Artemis Brauronia, patroness of childbirth- all female
C. Children Represented closest to God
1. introduced to phratry, introduced twice
D. Civil Status
1. Couldn’t tell metic, citizen apart
2. Slaves seen as accessories
E. Families
1. Hero Banquets- Classical
a. Out of 200, 70% were couples with children
2. Men vs. Women
a. Men’s offerings as offerings of individual
b. Women’s were usually tied to the family
3. Rarely see dances and banquets because they were too communal
4. Incubation scenes very common
Return to Main Page: CLST 4003H. Greek Religion.
Spring, 2002.
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