The Athens Greek Religion Seminar welcomes you to a seminar by Ariadne Gartziou-Tatti, Professor Emerita, University of Ioannina: “Sacrifices and Ritual at Dodona”.
The seminar takes place Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 17.00 (Athens time) via Zoom link. To participate, please contact [email protected] (registration is obligatory).
Abstract
Information from surviving oracular tablets found at Dodona has brought to light hitherto unknown aspects of the oracular procedure and the religious practices that appear to have been followed at the oracle throughout its centuries-long history. New evidence necessitates a multi-disciplinary appraisal of the available information concerning the sacrificial practices described in the surviving material. The present communication seeks to discuss the most crucial archaeological, inscriptional, and literary evidence that sheds light on information, both known and unknown, regarding sacrificial rites at the Dodona sanctuary. The first category of our research encompasses the sacrificial rules of conduct, i.e., vocabulary, altars, means, items, personnel (e.g. thyoskoos) as well as types of sacrifice (bloody or bloodless). The second concerns the divinities to which the rites and sacrifices were addressed and dedicated, i.e., gods, heroes, and daemons, in addition to the ways in which a god, goddess, or hero affected the context of a specific rite. The third category documents information regarding the identity and gender of the petitioners and the content of their questions in order to communicate with the world of gods and heroes through sacrificial offerings. To conclude, mythological narratives will enrich our knowledge regarding the multi-faceted nature of the sacrificial rites performed at the Oracle of Dodona, where personal interactions with the divinities occupied center stage.