1	The Ancient Greeks: Through the Eyes of Socrates Session 3 Paganism and the Musterion L.D. Alford Author of The Second Mission www.lionelalford.com www.ldalford.com
2	The Second Mission Historical fiction novel with a SiFi driver Idea 1994, start 1996, finished 2000 Published by Xulon in Aug 2003 Follows Alan Fisher and Sophia Time: October 400 BC to October 399 BC Location: Athens Greece Available here from me and Watermark Books
3	Class Syllabus 1. Novel, characters, history, politics 2. Ancient Greece in time and place – 400 BC 3. Paganism and the musterium – 400 BC 4. Greek life – 400 BC 5. Socrates 6. The Socratic Dialogs 7. The Death of Socrates 8. Conclusion
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5	"As Sophia and Caliban walked" As Sophia and Caliban walked, the changing sunlight visibly moved down the trees but never touched the floor of the woodland. Caliban almost swore he could perceive the nymphs and minor gods of the wood represented by the trees, shrubs, and flowers. A man of Athinai would know each for what it was, a being in the shape of the common woodlands— each minor god real, and each treacherous, capricious by nature—but only their beauty seduced Caliban.
6	Evolution of Religion Animism – gods in everything No understanding of natural law Reason for all dynamus (power) in world is animating dynamus of gods that inhabit all living and moving things Gods must be placated to prevent harm Characteristic of an illiterate society Words are concrete and not forms of things
7	"Sophia gathered some food from..." Sophia gathered some food from her chest and repacked the rest. Then, she took some things from the bag that hung on the back of the door. She handed Alan a flat, slightly leavened loaf of bread, a chunk of goat’s cheese, and a handful of fresh olives. While they dipped the bread into a shallow bowl filled with flavored olive oil, Sophia boiled water and combined it with thick strong wine. The mixture made a light transparent red liquid flavored with just a taste of grape. Without even thinking, Sophia poured out a practiced libation to the gods.
8	"Ohmia came back to the..." Ohmia came back to the kitchen and commanded, “Caliban, bring the pot.” She gathered bowls and Caliban followed her to the hearth room. Socrates, Xanthippe, Sophia, and the boys sat, half-reclining, around the large low table in the room. Caliban placed the pot on the table and Ohmia served each of them. Socrates said a benison to the gods the others echoed, and they began to eat. After a few moments, Xanthippe pointed to the pot and Ohmia filled two bowls. She handed one bowl to Caliban, then pushed him back toward the kitchen. They ate their porridge by the hearth.
9	"Caliban took wood from the..." Caliban took wood from the kitchen storage and meticulously prepared the hearth in the courtyard. When he entered with firebrands from the kitchen hearth, the men moved out of his way and watched reverently as he made the oblation and symbols to the gods.
10	"Socrates murmured appreciatively," Socrates murmured appreciatively, “Very good, Caliban. Your hands speak as loudly as the words of the priests.” A couple of men dressed in the robes of Athena turned to see if Socrates’ expression conveyed sarcasm, but his features held nothing but open appreciation. They glanced at Caliban’s work and smiled in pleasure. One said a benison over the fire and the men in the room replied with a solemn affirmation.
11	Evolution of Religion Pantheism Grows with and following literacy Words may still be concrete, but they become forms Words for things that cannot be seen Gods turn from only things in nature to feelings, human industry, and intellectual qualities Old Zeus – Sky Poseidon – Bodies of water New Athena – Wisdom Apollo – Music
12	Pantheon Hestia – Hearth, home, family, meals, sacrifice Zeus – Sky Poseidon – Water Hera – Sky, women, marriage Ares – War, men Artemis – Hunting, wild animals, children Demeter – Agriculture Apollon – Music , sun Athene – Wisdom, industry Aphrodite – Beauty, pleasure
13	Pantheon Hermes – Domesticated animals, trade Hephaistos – Fire, metal working Dionysos – Wine
14	Pantheism Pantheism Recognition that gods do not reside in all things No inkling of natural laws Nature contained by a pantheon Nature and forces of nature under pathos and chronos Nature and forces of nature under power of pantheon Industry and actions of civilization incorporated
15	Musterion Musterion Literally – “the silence during the initiation ceremony” Mistranslated in all NT documents as mystery or secret Found in: Matt, Mark, Luke, Romans, 1 Cor, Ephe, Col, 2 Thess, 1 Tim, Revelation – 27 times total Exploration, trade, intellectual investigation Recognition of natural laws – scientific method Recognition of importance of human events in history – legal-historical method Invention of mathematics – Logic
16	Musterion Intellectual movement from worship of gods to worship of natural laws Budding monotheism Named after founder or main god Eleusinian – Demeter (named after place) Mithric – Mithras (Birth December 25) Osiran – Osiris Pythagorean – Pythagoras Epicurean – Epicurus Platonic – Plato Sophoclean – Sophocles Christian - Christ
17	Musterion Focus is a real mystery Osiran – pi (π) – radius of a unit circle Pythagorean – Pythagorean theorem Mithrian - ? (ritual revelation) (Marcus Aurelius writes about it) Eleusinian - things in a box (kiste) possibly: golden serpent, egg, phallus, seeds Natural reactions – vinegar and soda Christian – mystery of faith Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again
18	Musterion Beginnings circa 1600 BCE Exploded circa 400 BCE State took control 300 BCE Hellenization: Musterion spread significantly under Alexander and later the Romans Musterion was force of religion that allowed Christianity to gain such a powerful foothold in the ancient world Christianity is not itself a Musterion, but shares many characteristics
19	Musterion – Mystery Religion Judaism unpopular—promised rewards only to Jews (conversion required) Mystery religions were popular because they offered salvation from sin and the promise of eternal life to everyone regardless of their nationality. Similar to Christianity Influenced uniformly by the ideas of the Greek philosophers
20	Musterion – Mystery Religion Common to all mystery religions: Admission to the community was by a rite of initiation Solemn consecration held in secret Preceded by rites of purification Fasting Baptism Confession Delivery of the sacred symbol or signal Vision of the deity (revelation of the mystery) Vesting of the robe of the deity Adoption of a new name
21	Musterion – Mystery Religion Common to all mystery religions: Personal relationship with deity attained through a sacred meal. Ate "holy food," by eating deity thereby became a deity Gnosticism Ideas emerged from a combination of mystery religion and Christianity Knowledge leads to salvation
22	Greek Religion – 400 BC Pantheon focused Becoming Musterion Influenced generally by concepts of philosophy – 400 BC Festivals and public ritual Endued life Imbedded completely in community Sacrifice of all meats Fire Participation in festivals
23	Festivals in Athens 60 days a year set aside for festivals Anthesteria - festival of Dionysus and new wine Apaturia - festival of the phratry brotherhood Dionysia - dramatic festival of Dionysus Eleusinia - festival of games held at Eleusis Panathenaea – festival of Athena Pyanepsia - a bean feast Thargelia - festival of Apollo and the new harvest Thesmophoria - festival of Demeter celebrated by women
24	Dionysia
25	Promethean – relighting hearth fire
26	Artemis
27	Festivals Comparing the festivals to Musterion, we find a correlation This isn’t accidental Comparing festivals to Christian feasts—correlate Most festivals included Processionals Sacrifices Eating and drinking Let’s look at a couple of the more important festivals
28	Anthesteria Held in honor of Dionysus Celebrated in most Ionian communities Annually 3 days (11th-13th) during Anthesterion (February-March) Name is a Festival of Flowers (anthos), focused Opening the new wine Placating the spirits of the dead.
29	Anthesteria 1^st day Called Pithoigia (Jar-opening) Casks of the previous vintage taken to the sanctuary of Dionysus in the Marshes Libations were offered to the god of wine and sampled by all the household Rooms and drinking vessels were adorned with spring flowers, as were also the children over three years of age
30	Anthesteria 2^nd day Named Choes (Pitchers) People dressed themselves gaily, some in the disguise of the mythical personages in the suite of Dionysus, and paid a round of visits to their acquaintances Primary activity was a drinking competition, in which participants sat at separate tables and competed in silence at draining a chous (a five-liter container) of wine Slaves had a share as well. Miniature choes were given to children as toys, and "first Choes" was a rite of passage.
31	Anthesteria 3^rd day Called Chytroi (Pots) from the pots of seed and vegetable bran (panspermia) that were offered to the dead People also chewed leaves of whitethorn and smeared their doors with tar to protect themselves from evil. A common proverb was, "Away with you, Keres (evil spirits), it is no longer Anthesteria."
32	Anthesteria State conducted a secret ceremony in which the basilissa (or basilinna), wife of the basileus (king), participated in a ceremonial marriage to Dionysus Assisted by 14 Athenian matrons, called geraerae, chosen by the basileus and sworn to secrecy Ritual conducted in a sanctuary of Dionysus in the Lenaeum, which was open only on this day Musterion components
33	"The spring festival was a..." The spring festival was a seminal event in the life of Athinai. This was a key period Sophia wanted to record. So far she had kept her time in Athinai hidden in women’s events and Socrates’ household, but the festival would expose them both to a greater degree than before. They participated in the temple rituals and in the main celebrations of the festival. The festival was punctuated with religious processions, banquets, and a play. Sophia and Caliban attended all these with Socrates’ family.
34	"The high point was the..." The high point was the play. Aristophanes’ The Frogs was chosen to be presented at the festival that year. Sophia, Caliban, and every member of Socrates’ household walked together to the Theater of Dionysus that lay under the northern shadow of the Acropolis. The narrow streets led between the Temple of Asclepius and behind the back of the Stoa of Eumenes. There the battle of Marathon was portrayed in livid colors that vied with the diseased and malformed beggars who sat before the temple. They came to the temple as much for a miracle cure from the deity Asclepius as to beg obeliskoi from the patrons of the festival and the theater.
35	"At the entrance to the..." At the entrance to the theater, each person paid an obol, and inside the patrons arranged themselves according to their position and class. The wealthy and distinguished sat in the seats closest to the stage, the tradesmen and craftsmen in the center, the freeman peasants behind them, and the slaves stood at the back and periphery.
36	"Ohmia and Caliban stood a..." Ohmia and Caliban stood a little away from the other slaves at the back of the Theater of Dionysus. They had to strain to hear the words of the play. Caliban didn’t fully understand the comedy, but from what he heard and gleaned from Ohmia’s commentary, it was a satirical farce that made fun of Euripides and the play he presented at the festival a year before. She said the priests chose Euripides’ play over Aristophanes’ and that unintentional snub resulted in this critical portrayal of the poet and his tragedies.
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38	Dionysia Great Dionysia or City Dionysia Origin of dramatic tragedy and comedy Founded or revived, by the tyrant Pisistratus (c. 530 BCE) Held in Athens at the end of March, when the city was once again full of visitors after the winter Honored Dionysus Eleuthereus
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40	Dionysia 1^st event a procession bearing an image of Dionysus to the theater (on the south slope of the Acropolis) to commemorate his original arrival in Athens Followed on the 10th of Elaphebolion by another procession, which followed an unknown route to the sacred area next to the theater Participants in the procession carried phallic symbols, loaves, bowls, and other sacred objects Resident foreigners dressed in red At the end of the procession, animals sacrificed and bloodless offerings made
41	Dionysia Theatrical contents 11th to the 14th of Elaphebolion At some point before the performance of the tragedies, sons of citizens killed in battle paraded around the theater, as was the tribute brought by Athens' allies Priests of the city chose from 3 tragedies on a single theme plus one satyr play (a burlesque comedy serving as comic relief) to present Judges, who were chosen by lot, would then award a prize to the best poet.
42	Dionysia Comedy competition introduced in 486 BCE, and followed the tragic contest 5 comic poets competed, each with a single play, one was chosen for presentation Each of the 10 demis also provided one dithyrambic chorus for the men's contest and one for the boys' contest
43	Olympics Festival that included Athletics Music performances Dramatic performances
44	"Ohmia took Caliban by the..." Ohmia took Caliban by the hand and led him to the court where the street led out in front of the Temple of Asclepius. While they waited, she pointed to the simple temple. A dozen misshapen beggars still sat outside its front wall and implored the crowd for coins. “I have prayed away my few obeliskoi there,” Ohmia shook her head. “I brought a plaster model to the great god—last time. It cost me a great deal. And it did no good. My face is as misshapen as it has been since I was a child. There isn’t even a lightening in the color.”
45	"She sighed," She sighed, “Perhaps I should try another god.” Then she covered her face with her hand, “I shouldn’t speak of such things, here of all places. This is why I will never look like others. I have no faith.”
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47	Changing World There is no other god for Ohmia Asclepius is a late god Post pantheon Based on a doctor (hero) – Asclepius Prior to Asclepius, Greeks had no god of healing In the ancient world injury was treated, but not illness Pathos and Chronos Reason for movement toward musterion
48	"The chief clerk stepped to..." The chief clerk stepped to the center of the raised area. He opened a scroll and read, “‘It is so sworn on this day, in the name of the great god of Athinai: Socrates is a public offender in that he does not recognize the gods recognized by the state of Athinai, but introduces new demoniacal beings. He has also offended by corrupting the youth of Athinai.’ The charge is brought by Anytus, Meletus, Lycon, and Phormio.”
49	Summary Evolution of Greek religion (all religions) Animism Pantheon Musterion Gnosticism Religion completely integrated into Greek culture and society
50	Next Time 4. Greek life – 400 BC