Sacred Marriage in the Rituals of Greek Religion 3261044322, 9783261044327

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The concept of hieros gamos has roused scno1ars' interest since the 19th century. The review of scholarship is indicative of the fact that the meaning of hieros gamos has been misconceived, unreasonably expanded into every case of sexual intercourse between immortals or immortals and mortals. The ritual's purpose was seen to be the promotion of fertility, in the context of agriculture and vegetation of the nature. The concern of this thesis is the conceptual pattern of sacred marriage as a ritual of initiation and a rite of passage; the context of hieros gamos could be understood as the sacralized ritual of divine marital union enclosed by the legitimacy of a formal wedding ceremony. Sacred marriage presupposes the following specific fundamentals mutually dependent on each other: a wedding ceremony performed as if it were a human one, immortal nature of both of the partners and a permanent marital union. At the core of hieros gamos there are the basic configurations of human life with its psychological prerequisities; thus, the anthropological aspect of the ritual of hieros gamos is preponderant throughout all its stages.

Aphrodite Avagianou C: 0

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Sacred Marriage in the Rituals of Greek Religion

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Aphrodite Avagianou was born in Lesvos-Greece in 1953. She graduated from Athens University in Classics, History and Archaeology in 1976 and Theology in 1982. She won a scholarship from the Foundation State Scholarships for post-graduate studies abroad in the field of History of Religions (esp. Ancient Greek Religion). She was awarded the Master's degree CM.Litt.)from the Univ. of Bristol, England, (Classics), in 1986 after two years of research including a thesis under the title "Studies in the use of Mythology by Historians and Orators in the 5th and 4th centuries B. C." She got a Doctor's degree (Ph.D.) from the Univ. of Zurich, Switzerland, in 1990 (Classics & Philology). Supervisor Professor of her dissertation "Sacred Marriage in the Rituals of Greek Religion" was Prof. Dr. W. Burkert. Her interests are focussed on the study of Ancient Greek Religion.

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Peter Lang

Sacred Marriage in the Rituals of Greek Religion

European University Studies

Aphrodite Avagianou

Publications Universitaires Europeennes Europaische Hochschulschriften

Series XV Classics Serie XV Reihe XV Klassische Sprachen und Literaturen Philologie et litterature classiques Vol./Band

Sacred Marriage in the Rituals of Greek Religion

54

PETER LANG

PETER LANG

Bern · Berlin · Frankfurt/M. · New York · Paris · Wien

Bern · Berlin · Frankfurt/M. · New York · Paris · Wien

Die Deutsche Bibliothek - Cip-Einheitsaufnahme Avagianou, Aphrodite: Sacred marriage in the rituals of Greek religion/ Aphrodite Avagianou. - Bern; Berlin; Frankfurt a. M.; New York; Paris; Wien: Lang, 1991 (European university studies: Ser. 15, Classics; Vol. 54) Zugl.: Ziirich, Univ., Diss., 1990/91 ISBN 3-261-04432-2 NE: Europaische Hochschulschriften / 15

To my parents, Antonis-Myrsini

To my Professor Dr. W. Burkert

TOil IJ\TATOII nAEIITA YflAINEIN XAIPEIN

as a sign of my love and gratitude

This thesis was accepted as a doctoral dissertation by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ziirich in the winter semester 1990/91 on the recommendation of Professor Dr. Walter Burkert.

ERRATUM © Peter Lang, Inc., European Academic Publishers, Bern, 1991

Drawing opposite page 92: All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm, xerography, microfiche, microcard, offset strictly prohibited. Printed in Germany

read: No. 30 (instead of No. 31)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am pleased to be able to acknowledge the debts I have incurred in the cource of realizing this doctoral dissertation. I wish to express my thanks to the State Scholarships Foundation of the Republic of Greece for financing my studies in Zurich during the first ten months. I also wish to express my thanks to the University of Zurich and its Faculty of Philosophy I, which welcomed me as a doctoral student. I owe a debt to the Klassisch - Philologisches Seminar as well as to the Archaeologisches Institut (especially to Dr. Sguaitamatti) and to the Zentralbibliothek of Zurich. I am also indebted to R. Diem and H.-M. Friedrich for their practical help. But most of all I owe sincerest heartfelt gratitude to my parents and to my Supervisor Professor Dr. Walter Burkert. Professor Burkert has given me his invaluable advice and guidance and with learning, lucidity and unstinting patience has taught me the essence of the fascinating Greek Religion. He has been a kind and encouraging mentor. For all this and his politeness ou ;x_~c,w e:naivouoa. His immense scholarship has been and will be a continual source of inspiration to me. Finally, I am deeply grateful to my parents, Antonis and Myrsini: they have been a constant source of support and encouragement throughout my graduate career. They have understood and accepted academic vagaries that would have distressed and confounded others. Without these three individuals my doctoral dissertation would never have seen the light of day. Zurich, 1991

CONTENTS PREFACE ........................................................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 1. HUMAN MARRIAGE RITES ........................................................................ l I. npoau'A,a .......................................................................................................... 3 II. r&.µ01............................................................................................................... 6 III. 'Errau'A1a..........................................................•........................................... 15 2. GREEK TERMINOLOGY ............................................................................ 19 A. IEPOI rAMOI ...............................................................................................19 B. TA eEorAMIA ..............................................................................................25 PARTI. IEPOI rAMOI - eEOrAMIA ..............................................................27 Chapter 1. SACRED MARRIAGE of ZEUS and HERA ................................. 27 A. Athens ........................................................................................................... 27 B. Argolid .......................................................................................................... 36 C. Sarnos ............................................................................................................ 46 D. Boeotia - Plataea (Daedala) .......................................................................... 59 E. Stymphalus (Arcadia) .................................................................................... 69 F. Cnossus .......................................................................................................... 71 Chapter 2. LIST of REPRESENT ATI ONS of the SACRED MARRIAGE of ZEUS - HERA ............................................................................................... 75 Groups by type and age ..................................................................................... 7 5 Groups by subject .............................................................................................. 75 I. Unique and isolated ........................................................................................ 76 II. Two figures, plastic art ................................................................................. 77 III. A pair of lovers, meeting ............................................................................. 79 IV. Bridal procession ......................................................................................... 85 V. Zeus sitting, Hera unveiling herself .............................................................. 93 Commentary on two outstanding monuments of this catalogue ...................... 102 a) Zeus and Hera on the Eastern Frieze of the Parthenon (nr. 33) .................. 102 b) Zeus and Hera on the metope of Selinus (nr. 32) ........................................ 104 Chapter 3. COMPARISON of REPRESENTATIONS of HUMAN MARRIAGE to those of ZEUS' and HERA'S SACRED MARRIAGE. ........ 107 Chapter 4. HADES - KORE (PERSEPHONE): SACRED MARRIAGE via ABDUCTION. DRAMATIZATION of the "FIRST TIME" in MARRIAGE ................................................................................................ 113 A. A review of scholarship .............................................................................. 113 B. Marriage - Abduction .................................................................................. 115 C. Kore's abduction: the mythological prototype of the dramatization of

X

the bride's "first time" in marriage .................................................................. 116 D. Kore's abduction in the ancient literature ................................................... 119 E. The pattern in literature ............................................................................. •• 120 F. A concise commentary ................................................................................ 130 Fl. On the myth ............................................................................................... 130 F2. On the festivals .......................................................................................... 136 H. Concluding Remarks: Comparison of Hera's sacred marriage with that ofKore - Persephone ....................................................................................... 142 PART II. DIVINE RAPE - MIXIS:The reversal of hieros gamos ................. 145 Chapter 1. DEMETER ERINYS / MELAINA and POSEIDON HIPPIOS: The appr]TO.ai Eio' 'Af5ao.

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