A ST U DY O F T H E G R E EK

P R I ES T E S S

By

E L I S A B ET H S I N C LA I R H O L D E R M A N
B er e a C o l l eg e

e
n tu c ky
K
)
(

A S T U D Y O F T H E G R E EK
P R I ES T ES S

A T H E S I S S U B M I T T E D T O T H E F A C UL T Y O F T H E D E P A R T M E NT
O F L I T ER A T U R E S C I E N C E A N D T H E A R T S O F T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I C H I GAN FO R T H E DE GR E E
O F DO CT O R O F P H I LOS O P H Y
,

By

E LI S A B E T H S I N C LAI R H O L D E R M A N

I
9

Pub l ished Ju

o ar
0

o o u

ne 1 9 1 3

3
o

T h e U n iv e rs ity o f Ch ica g o P ress

Ch ica g o . I ll in ois , U S A
.

B I B LI OGRAP H Y

Adrian :

D ie P riesterinnen der Griechen

B erl in ,

1 8 83

Frank furt

18 2 2

B ou ch Lecl erq :

H istoire de l a Di vina tion don s l An tiqu it

zu m

Untersuchung en

B uresch :

K l a ras

Curt ius :

D os P riestertu m bei den H ell enen , Al ter tum

Or a k el wesen

Leip zig ,

a nd

1 8 7 9-

1 88 9

82

B erl in ,

Geg enwa rt

F a rnell :

Cul ts

P a rn ell :

the

( I 904)

Gr eek S ta tes

So ciol og ical

An cien t Rel ig ion

F eh rl e :

Paris

1 88 2

Oxf ord,

1 8 96- 1 909

Hypo th eses con cern ing th e Position of Wom en in

in Archiv f Rel igionswissensehaf t
L eip zig Vol VI I
.

D ie K ul tische K euschhezt im Al ter tum

Giessen ,

'

1 91 0

Fou cart : Les Gra nds My stres d E l euszs Paris 1 900

Frazer : The Golden B ough Lon don 1 9 1 1
Ha rris on : P r oteg omen a to the S tud y of Gr eek Rel igion Cam b ridg e 1 903
H eim b rod : D e Athen iensium S acerdotzbus
Gl eiwitz 1 8 54
Hell er : D e Cur ia e Ly diaequ e S ocerdotzbus Leip zig ; rep rin t from F l eck
'

'

'

S u ppl

XVI I I ,

H erb rech t :

D e S aoerdotzi

Maj or Restric tion s o n Access to Greek

Ma inz

D er H el l enen P riesterstaa t

L eh m a n

Tem p les ,

Qua estiones

S acer dota l es

182 2

K onig sberg ,

Ma rth a : Les S acerdoces Ath n iens Pa ris 1 88 2

Mo mm sen A : F este der S tad t Athen im Al tertum
.

Gr iech zsche F es te von

Nil sson :

'

Leip z ig ,

1 906

P r iester

1 90 5 1 90 8

Roh de :

TAP A

B os ton ,

Leip z ig ,

1 8 98

Leip zig B erlin ,

-

Tiib ing en ,

1 90 7

B erl in ,

D ie B il du ng d er g r iech isch en
Leip zig , 1 899
P dd

S teng el :
S ten g el :
Wach ter :

Temp el im H ell en istischen Aegypten

Gr iechische Al tertztmer t

Sh o w er m a n :

1 888

B edeutu n g mit Ausschl uss der Attischen

rel ig ib ser

a nd

P sy che4

S ch om a nn :
u

Seeck :

1 88 5

K r eu ser :

Otto :

B erl in ,

pud Gr aecos E mptione, Venditione

1 909

Lehr buch der g riechischen Antiquita ten , I I , Gottesdienstl iche Al ter

F r eibu rg , 1 84 6

He witt :

'

Herm ann :
tztmer

1 89 1

1 90 2

Relig ion

in N eue Ja hrb

K l ass Al t
.

The Gr ea t M other

the Gods

Opf erbr duche der Griechen

Ma dison

L eip zig -B erl in ,

D ie Griechisehen K u l tusal tertzi mer

Munich

Rein heitsvorschriften im g riechis chen K ul t

111

7
9
2
2
28

1 901

1 9 10 .
,

1 8 98

Giessen ,

1 9 10

P AGE

Patriarch al Worsh ip

II

Sex

III

APPENDIX

R esem bl ance

In terp reta tion

List

of

Priestesses

in

of

D ivin ity a nd Min istrant

th e Custom

an d

Priests

32

I NTR OD U CTI ON

Writers upon the subject of relig ious antiquities have long recog
n iz ed that
according to Greek custom gods were usually served by
priests while goddesses wer e attended by p r iestesses The statement

of Fairbanks is as complete as any : The choice of a priest must con

form to conditions which differ ed with each shrine Ordinarily the
gods were served by men and the goddesses by wome n but the Oppo site
wa s not rare as at Tegea where a boy was p r iest of Athena and at Thes

piac where the priestess of Her acles was a young w o m a n

S ch om a n n s
words a re to the same ee c t : E inige P riester th iim er wurden v on Man
nern andere von Frauen bekleidet u n d bei m anchen Tem peln gab es
P riester u n d Priesteri nn en neben einander Oh n e Zweifel beruhten die
B estimmungen hieriib er auf bestim m ten Griin den die wir aber nach
zuweisen nicht im S ta n de sin d We n n sich auch an n ehmen l asst dass
in der R egel das P rie ster th u m der m an n l ich en Gottheiten von Mannern
das der weiblichen v on Weibern bekleidet worden sei so litt doch diese

S tengel says the same : I n v ie l en Heilig

R egel manche
tii m ern bekleidete eine F rau das P r iester th um an a n dern gab es P riester
und P riesterinnen n eben einander N icht selten wurde das P rie ster th u m
eines Gottes von einer F rau und u m gekehrt einer Gottin von einem Mann
3
verwaltet
Adrian in a treatise upon Greek priestesses barely touches
upon the poi n t 4
F arnell has several times con sidered the subject I n discussing the
impress which the matriarchal system left upon ancient religio n b e
briey touches upon the priestesses of m ale and fem ale divinities 5 and
6
also upon the male ministrants of fem ale divinities illustratin g each

case by a few exam ples H e then says : B u t in the Gr eek and R oman
religions the rule generally held though with ma n y exceptions that the
7
god de sired the priest the goddess the priestess
E lsewhere he has
,

H a ndb ook
3

f Gr eek

Rel ig ion ,

78

Sch om a nn -Lip siu s , Gr iech Al terth , I I ,

.

3
4
5

Griech K ul tusa l t ,
.

Di e P riesterin n en der

18

I b id pp
,

7 7 78
-

44 0

con c ern in g
.

Griechen

Archie f Religion swiss

.

34 ,

H y po th eses

Soc iol og ica l

R el ig ion ,
6

th e

P o sition

pp

VI I
7

7 3 74

I bid p
.

79

of

Wom en

in An cien t

A S T UD Y O F THE

EEK PRI E S TESS

GR

frequently made the sa m e generalization

Farnell has also suggested in
a cursory way some possible explanations of the exceptions to the rule
The purpose of this treatise is to consider m ore fully the custom of
having resemblance in sex between divinity and priesthood and to show
by detailed evidence to what extent such a custom prevailed amon g
the Greeks and upon what underlying principles it was based

Cul ts of the Gr eek S ta tes I p 3 20 : As a rul e th e Greek g oddess w a s served b y

p riestesses a n d worshipped with th e sa cri ce o f fem al e vic tim s ; b u t in th e ritua l o f

Ath en a a s o f Aph rodite w e n d n ot inf req u en tl y th e m a l e vic t im a n d th e p riest

I bid IV p 3 3 (spea k in g of th e pries tess o f P o seidon a t Th eb es) : C erta inl y this is a
sin g ul a r ex cep tion to th e u su a l rul e o f Gr eek r itu a l th a t a m a l e deity sh oul d b e serv ed

b y a ma l e m inistran t
C f ibid IV p 2 2 3
p 81
Archiv f Religion swiss VI I
,

CHAP TER
P AT RIAR CHAL

WOR SH IP

Worship in ancient Greece was sometimes conducted by the father

on behalf of hi s household by the kin g for his people and by the magis
trate for the state When fa ther king or m agistrate perfor m ed this
sacred duty he sacriced to any divinity whether god or goddess as
occasion demanded On the o ther hand wor ship was very of ten con
ducted by a priestly mini ster who was connected with a temple and w as
chosen for the ser vi ce of a particular divinity
The Homeric account of the sacrice performed by Nestor portrays
clearly the patriarchal custom of sacrice by the father O n the day
after the arrival of Telema chus N estor and his family oered a sacrice
to Athena The sons were bidden by their fa ther to make the necessary
preparations When thi s had been done Nestor washed his hands and
after praying earnestly cast the forelock of the v ictim in to the re
O ne of his sons who stood near then struck the victim while the wo m en
of the family raised their voices in a cry When the sons had ni shed the
slaughter the aged hero burned the parts assigned to the gods and poured
a libation Then the you ths cooked the rem ainder of the victim and
a l l shared in the feast
S uch a sacrice was similar in form to that performed by the priest
and hi s temple assista n ts but in the prese nt instance all w as done by
members of the family N estor l ike the priest performed th e essential
of ces the p r ayer the consecr ation of the victim and the burning of
cer tai n pa r ts while the wom en merely raised a cry at the time of the
slaughter I t is worthy of notice ( I ) that the patriarch N estor performed
sacrice to Athen a without a priest or a priestess ( 2 ) that the women of
Nestor s household were n o t needed e x cept for a very minor service
Likewise O dysseus sacriced to the Nymphs at I thaca 3 Alcinous
to Zeus 4 and P eleus to Zeus 5 P enelope in the absen ce of her lord
6
went to the upper chamber to pray taking a basket of barley groats
Thi s is the one passage in H om er in which a woman is represented as
,

0d I I I , 4 1 8 ff
.

S teng el , Gr iech K i dtusal t ,

.

3
4

0d

XI I I

I bid

24

3 49 f

pp

97

1 0

11
.

6
.

XI

7 7 2 ff

0d IV , 7 5 9
.

A STUD Y OF

THE

GRE

E K P RI ESTESS

taking an active part in the household sacrice which is here very simple
and private and conducted in the absence of O dysseus
I n Homeric days a s the father sacriced for his fa m ily so did the
k in g for his people whether to god or to goddess
While Aga memnon
sacriced and p r ayed to Zeus he was eager also to off er hecatombs to
appease Athen a
O eneus failed to sacr ice to Ar temis in his great
o ff eri n g thus incurring the anger of the goddess } Y e t there were both
priests and priestesses in those days for exam ple Th ea n o priestess of

5
4
Athena C hryses p riest of Apoll o On etor of Zeus D ol op io n of
8
7
S ca m a n dru s and Dares of H ephaestus
Later evidence corroborates these in feren ces from Homer Aristotle
says that the kings wer e leaders in war decided ca ses at law and had
charge of those sacrices which were not in the ha n ds of priests 9 The
chorus of Ae schylus S uppl ia n ts regarded the king as ruler over the altar
of the land
Agamem n o n performed sacrice to Ar temis and P elias
sacriced to P oseidon and other divinities accidentally overlooking
m
Hera
O n the other hand while Agam e m non was absent C l y ta e m
n estra sacriced upon the altars of the city after the beacon signal had
announced the fall of Troy The custo m still re m ained in S parta during
historic days for the ki n g sacriced to god and to goddess alike to
Ath en a 4 or to the Muses as the situation required
B u t the patriarchal lord not only sacriced freely to any divinity
but also sometimes assu m ed the charge of a particular cult This
might be the cult of a god or of a goddess As Anius was r ex h ominum
"S
P h oebique sa cer dos so C inyras was ki n g and priest of Aphrodite " The
8
descen dants of C odrus contr olled the cult of Demeter at Ephesus a n d
the sanctuary of Demeter Th e sm 0p h or os at Thebes had once been the
house of C admus and hi s descendants 9 At the dea th of P andion his
sons divided the paternal estate E rechtheus took the kingship while
,

"0

II

II

1'

40 2

0d I I I ,
.

5
n

11
.

IX

I b id
1bid

1 43

5 36

VI ,

I,

Aesch Ag

2 98

ff

9
.

3 70

201

Aesch Ag

5 96

262 ,

P l u t Vit Ly e
.

21;

1 2 8 5b ,

S uppl 3 7 2

13 , 2

I ns t

Lac

16

11 9.

1 1 , 2 2- 2 3

1 110

if

Verg Aen I I I , 80
.

P in d P y th

S trab o XI V ,

P a us

IX

X en D e Repub La c
.

; E u rip I ph Aul 6 7 3 ,

2 24

13

P ol

I bid XVI 60 4 f
7 I bid
V 77 f
3
I bid V 9 f

6
.

Apo l l R h od I ,
.

if

1 1,

; VI I , 3 1 4

2 , 24
1,

1 6,

3
.

a n d sch o l

PATR I AR CHA L

W ORS H I P

B utes

took the priesthood of Athena and of P oseidon

A par t of the
palace at C nossus was devoted to sacred purpo ses E va ns says that
there was probably a sacerdotal as well as a royal side to the Minoan

dynasts of C nossus : I t would seem tha t there were here as in ear ly

Anatolia P riest ki n gs ; a n d the old tradition that made Minos son
and
C ompanion of Zeus
is once mo r e seen to have a basis
in
The divin ity worsh iped was a goddess 3 I n historic days
the s a me custom was practiced by X enophon who bought a piece
of ground and erected a sh rine after the patter n of tha t in Ephesus
Y ear after year he sac r iced to A r temis at this shr in e 4 Hiero of
S yracuse was a her editary priest of Demeter and K ore s I t is evi
dent then that when the great lord acted also as p riest he mi ght
attend a god or a goddess His p a tria p otestas predom inated over
a n y sex distinctions
As the po wer of the kings declined they were sometimes left only
6
the right to preside over public sa crice
This sacred o i ce nal ly
devolved upon civ il magistrates who often retained the old royal title 7
S uch was the Athenian ip xwv Ba m xa k s who as the name indica tes
was a m agistrate who kept som e of the functions of the ancient king
H e was attached to no sh rine but had general charge of religious a ff airs
his duties being lar gely admin istrative and judicial 9 H e performed all
m
ancestral sacr ices however and his wife as queen ( cix r ws Ba m h w a
za a
on
I n the cer emon y of the
), carried out certain sacr ed mysteries
sacr ed m arri a ge she acted not a s a priestess but as the hereditary queen
of the city The ar chon b asil eu s and the b as il ir ma executed their holy
not because of any o ther
o i ce s because of a quasi r oyal authority
specia l quali cation There is no evidence whatever that the a rchon
b a s il eu s attended the gods while the b asil im i a served the goddesses
of the state but rather that the husband and th e wife each perform ed
diff er en t of ces for the same divinities
B u t the a r ch on b a sil eu s w a s not the only magistrate who sac r iced
for Athen
The prytanes sacriced now to Magna Mater 3 a n d now
ll

'

"

"

Ap ol l od \B ibl
.

B S A, I X ,

38

Aristot P ol
Aristo t
I b id

1 58 ;

1 2 8 5 b,

Con st

cf

11 9.

S ee F ra zer , Jour

2 90 e ;

H dt V I I ,
.

1 1 , 1 6- 1 7

3, 5 7 ; Pl ut

P l a to P ol
.

1 96 .

Ram 63

ua est

Ly sia s 6, 4

P hil ol

XI V,

1 5 35 4

I bid

X en Ah a b

Ix ,

37

I b id

Aristot

1 3 2 2 6,
.

11
.

Const

29

57

ff

D e m o sth 5 9 , 7 4
.

3, 7

147

S ch ol P in d OZ 6 ,
.

III

Th eop h r VI I , 11 3 9 f
.

ST UD Y

B oul a ia

or

REE K PRI E S TESS

TE E G

to Ar temis
S o the polemarch sacriced to Artemis Agrotera
and E ny a lio s
At C os in the great tribal sacrice at which the priest
of Zeus and the icpovrow c assisted the y ep ea qbpos Ba m xwv perform ed
the sacrice to Hestia on behalf of the com munity 3 S o at I lium the
p r ytanes join ed with the priestess and th e tepo v not in prayer to
Athena 4
F rom thi s brief r eview it is fair to conclude that those per sons who
sacriced by r eason of some form of patriarchal authority performed
sacri ce bo th to gods and to goddesses I t was left for temple worshi p
to develop the distinction that a woman should have char ge of the cult of
a goddess
x

I G, I I ,

Aristo t

1,
.

392 ,

ll

14

ff

Coa st 5 8 ; P ol l ux
.

P a ton -H ick s, 3 7 , 11
.

VI I I

91

5
.

Mich e1

5 25 ,

11
.

2 02 1

2 0 2 1 , 2 8- 2 9

CHA P T E R II
SE X RE SE MB LAN C E I N D I V I NI TY AN D

M I NI STRAN T

tem ple worship since the s acrice was o ffered not by the father
nor by the kin g but by a special mini ster who was chiey devoted to
the service of the divinity an excellent opportu n ity was a or de d for
pecul iar cu stoms and n e distin ctions to grow up The custo m s diff er ed
somewhat in va r ious localities inasm uch as they were not controlled
by any co m m o n ecclesiastical leader or synod Y e t ther e wer e certain
general practices whi ch sprang from a common attitude of the Greeks
in matters of cult For ex a m ple the temple of a goddess was very often
in charge of a priestess The n umber of exceptions however shows that
thi s wa s not a xed rule There were other i nuences at work whi ch
caused frequent deviation fr om such a principle
I n the Appendix a record may be found of p r iests and priestesses
classied according to the divinity whom ea ch served I t is n o t claim ed
that this account is complete but they were all that could b e found in the
mater ial available to the writer F urther more while many questionable
cases have been included in the lists for the sake of r eference they have
been carefully bracketed and none have been counted in the sum total but
those suppor ted by sound evidence As editors have supplied the word
priestess rather than priest in many inscr iptions simply because of the
gener al idea th a t a priestess or dinarily served a goddess great care has
been taken to ex clude all such cases from the total eve n tho ugh the
restor ation might s e em reasonable Again in n o ca se has a prie stess
been included in the list u n less the n a m e or at least the sex of the di vinity
and the exact location of the cul t have b ee n determined with reasonable
certainty
The lists co m p r ise only attenda n ts of the r st rank such as the
s ate a n d the ie eu u
"
who se duty w a s s acr ice a n d prayer
B esides
p
p
these there wer e var ious subordinate attenda nts e g cbt ep a a t v cwx po t
r o cpd m
who do n o t concern this
a nd o
( chroma icp odtir a t
p
p
discu ssio n bec a use they were devoted to a special service in th e
te m ple a s the n a me of each in dicates The nature of that service to a
great ex tent m ust have determ ined of what sex the attendant shoul d be
Men were most suitable for treasurers and butchers while women natu
In

ll

S t en g el ,

Cricch

K a l i/m a l t ,

3 1,

15

A ST UD Y O F

TH E

REE K PR IES TES S

rally were the basket bearer s and the weavers of a cult An exception
has been made in r ega r d to so m e cults of Asia Minor Of ten a man
and his wife or daughter held the priesth ood jointly the priest being in
char ge of the general ser vice of the god while his fema le associate per
formed so m e elaborate a n d im portant litur gy from which she derived her
title I n such cases each being noted in its place the woman was not a
young helper but an adult priestess with special fu n ction s The reaso n
ableness of m aking such an exception is assur ed by the fact that som e
times such a special priestess was also a high priestess under the R oman
imperial sy ste m
From the frag m entary record in the Appen dix at least so m e idea
can be gain ed of the relative number of priestesses and priests in the
service of god and goddess : 1 7 1 cases are recorded in which the cult of
a goddess w a s in charge of a priestess 1 7 7 cases in which it was served
by a priest a n d 3 1 cases in which a priest and a priestess were in atten d
ance O n the other hand 2 8 cases are found in whi ch the worship of a
god was in charge of a priestess and 2 0 cases in whi ch it was conducted
by a p r iest and a priestess Those cults which were attended by a priest
and a priestess co m prise two classes ( 1 ) those in whi ch a m a n and a
wo man served simultaneously as at E leusis ( 2 ) those in which they m a y
or may not have served at the sa m e time as in the cult of Arte m is
B u t such cases do not a ec t the r a tio of priestesses
P a trio ti s in Helos
to priests and therefor e all cul ts in which there was a priest a n d a priestess
have been entirely excluded from the tables at the e n d of the Appendix
Furthermore those cults of o p wpw t
(marked by a n asterisk
in the Appendix ) in whi ch the sex of the atte n dant was the sa m e as that
of the m ost i m portant divi n ity in the cult might well be excluded fro m
the sum total When two or more divinities were worshiped at o ne shrine
there was occasionally an atten dant for each of the gods as at Didyma
where there was a male p oor ns for Apollo and a female Ka v n 6p 09
for Artemis
S ometimes especially in A sia Minor there was a s a ce r
dotal pair neither of whom wa s lim ited to the service of either the god or
the goddess exclusively as in the cul t of Zeus and Hera at P a n a m a ra 3
30 74 01 Gec r with a common
B u t as a rul e the two deities wer e really 0 1575 1
priesthood which might be held by a man or a woma n accordi n g to the
s ex of the most prominent deity of the group
-

As
2

at

Rev d P hil ol
.

B er

Aph ro disia s , CI
.

B CH ,

XXVI I I

II,

282 2

XXI I I

d K gl P r eu ss A k ad d
.

Wiss ( B erl in )
.

pp

238

ff

3 14 , No 3 1 ;

1 90 4 ,

No s 4 2 ff
.

3 1 5 , No 3 2 ;

8 7 , No s

1- 2

3 1 9,

No 3 6 ;
.

ST UD Y O F

IO

R E K P RIES TESS

TH E

G E

Zeus and Athena : Athens

Delos
E ry th ra e
6
s
4
Zeus and Hera : Gor ty n My l a sa P on toreia
Zeus H era and Athena : Aeg a eae 7
8
Zeus Hera and P oseidon : Aegiale
Zeus and Dione : Ter m essu s 9
Zeus Helios and S elene : Gy thiu m

Zeus and Tyche : Myla sa P ogla

E ach of the fo l lowing cults was atte n ded by a priestess :
C ybele and Apoll o : N ica e a 3
Demeter and Dionysus : Larisa
D emeter K ore and Despotes : La risa 5
6
Hera and Zeus : P ergamum
I n each of these cases the sex of the attendant agreed with that of
the rst named and most important deity of the group
To be sure ther e were a few ins tances which did not show such agr ee

ment among the most important of whi ch were the Rhodian cults 7
These were doubtl ess inuenced by the strong cult of Athena and Zeus
at Lin du s The pries thood of the great Lindian cult wa s probably
8
f
f
a ected by the inuence of Asia Minor and by close connection with the
civic life of the commu n ity I n the cult of Zeus H era and Athena at
K a l y n iiren of Zeus and Hera at Olb a sa and of Demeter and S abazios

at Ag hl a n there may well have been both a priest and a priestess

al though time has left a record of but one m em ber of the pair The
incompleteness of the evidence must always be kept in mind in a study
of this kind
,

Io

( ) I bid
a

( )
.

15;

( )

S GDI , I I I ,

Ath

26

Mitt

I G, X I I ,

2,

5 145

1,

I G, XI I , 7 , 43 8

Ath

2"

10

5 6

2
.

Rh o de s ,

a nd

40 2 , No

if
.

I,

II ,

13 92

2 6 93 s ,

I G,

(0) ib id 11
.

pp

IX

5 73

2,

E p h Arch
.

1 910,

Cities a nd B ishopr ics of P hrygia

S terr ett , P a p ers

I,

the Am S chool a t A thens , I I ,

.

2 64

3 09, N o

pp

37 f

2 15

3 7 7 , NO

NO

157,

f,B
.

P h a sel is

Kilik ien p

111,

R ev Arch , X I I

prob ab l y

I GRR , I I I , 4 0 7

28

XXVI

1 2 1 3 ;

I bid
I bid

6 83

1, 272,

1 15

H eb e rdey -Wilh el m , R eisen in

Ra m sa y ,

; R ev Ar ch

XXXI I

1 01 1

C a mirus Ial y su s
Vide pp 1 7 f
,

Mitt XXXI I I
.

4 3 8 , 11

I I I , 4 3 06m

7 86 , l l

(b ) i bid 11 68 if

XV

I GRR , I I I , 9 2 5

C IG

(b ) B CH ,

2 2;

S I G ,

( b ) i bid I I I

2
3 5 26;

1 1 - 13 ,

No

1 13,

XXXI I

B CH ,

No

II,

122
,

No 3 7
.

24

SE X

RE SE MB LA N C E

DI VI N I T Y

IN

MI NI S T RANT

AND

I I

these exceptions were so few in number and so read ily

accounted for it seems fair to say that in the cu lts of a nwp m dea l the
sex of the priestly minister followed that of the leading deity of the cul t
These thirty six cases then real ly support the principle in question like
god like p r iest
A number of cases have been excluded from the sum total because
the word 390e was used with an uncertain m ea n ing
S ometimes 6
s a c
s eak was sim ply the oppo site of
Z
"
i e he was the male minis
p
p
trant at the head of the cul t S ometimes however the word was used

in a general sense meaning the on e who held the priesthood whether

man or woman and sometimes denoted any person connected with the
shrine even though a subordinate
The proportion of priests fou n d in the goddess cults of C os is large
B u t this is not surprising in view of the local use of the word l epa k
There remain several lo n g and formal lists of prescribed sacrices for
various gods and goddesses to be p erform ed at d ieren t tim es of the
year 3 The for m of these sacricial calendars of C os evidently followed
a xed type giving in regular order the date the name of the divinity
the kind of victim and then the phrase 015a tap e ) ; Ka i zep a wra p exa
S ometimes the phras e was added y ep q Aa p dm 6 tap e) ; a , Ra t 36p
0 icp a ic in this case very likely meant nothi n g mor e than
,u a r a

the one who holds the priesthood like John Doe in E nglish legal
phra seology U nfortunately no inscription has been saved from the
wreck of time whi ch records a priestess for any of the godde s s cults
mentioned in the s a cricial calendars B u t the persisten cy of the
formal phrase m akes reasonable the idea that the cults of Demeter 4
6
s
and of H era may each have been served by a priestess in spite
o f R hea
of the use of the word "sp ark in conn ection wi th them
S imilar in character is the explanation for the nu m erous prie sts of
goddesses belongi n g to E ry thr a e An inscription is p r eserved which
recor ds the sale of a l a r ge n umber of p riesth o o ds I t gives the nam e of
the divinity the pur chase price the b on us and the na m es of the pur
chaser and the secu rity for each p r iesthood sold e g A l e
Ari/
A
icp orrow i} E m y dv ov
is understood ) [cn p ddq] a a v
mmo; 3y K [o
B ecause

'

'

Awm

];

XH H H ,

E g
.

P aus I ,
.

imov

c rr u

3 ; S tr a b o

22,

VI I I

3,

Ath en X I V , 6 5 5 6 ; P l u t Vit Them

.

A A, Tp ecpwv Einau ,

P a ton -Hick s, 3 7 - 40

I bid
5 I bid

60

@ uVa x ou

'

'

25

10

I bid

38, l l

S I G , 600
Loo

cit

'

ll 63
.

A ST UD Y O F

12

GRE

TH E

Th e purchaser

E K P RI E STESS

in each case was a

Thi s does not mea n n e ces
sa ril y that a m a n was actually to perform the duties of the priest
hood which he b ought as a similar i n scription from Halicarnassus
shows
I n the l atter case provision was made in case a man bought the
p r iesthoo d that he must fur nish a p r iestess who fullled certain require
ments which were enumerated in full I f a woman bought the priest
hood however she must herself serve
These eighteen cults of E ry th ra e may have been served by priests
or by p r iestes ses The i n scription although it names men as buyers does
not tell anything about who really performed the duties at the shrine
N umbers in telling but half the truth sometimes come close to
falsehood The pr oportion of priestesses to priests in the goddess cul ts
varies g reatly accor d ing as the divinities are considered separately or in
groups While ther e are rec orded 1 2 5 priestesses a n d 83 priests in the
cults of the four great H ellenic goddesses co n sidered as a group (Athena
H era D em eter Artemis ) there are recor d ed but 2 2 priestesses to 3 6
p r iests in the cults of Aphrodite a n d the Mother of the Gods The
ch ange in ratio is still mor e str ik ing if one considers tho se female divini ties
which represented ideas not fully embodied in form s which possessed
di stinctive per sona lity H ere one nds 5 priestesses a n d 3 4 priests
I n this division are included ( 1 ) those divine gures which embodied
an abstract idea ( 2 ) those groups of goddesses in which the idea rep re
se n ted by the group as a whole predominated over the individuality of
any mem be r of the group
The divinities representing abstract ideas usually bore fem in in e
names 3 This was due to the tendency of language to adopt the feminine
form for the abstract 4 a n d not to anything especially feminine in the
nature or the function of the deity To be sure the feminine name
reacted upon the divinity and stamped it as feminine but the name was
not able to create a great personal gure like Athe n a or Demeter C on
trast the priesthood of the divinities who were feminine mainly in nam e
( 5 priestesses and 3 4 priests ) wi th the p r iesthood of a goddess like
Eilei thyia who was fe m inine in function ( 5 priestesses a n d 1 priest )
The groups of goddesses such as the C harites and the Muses also
I n these
sho w a smaller n umber of priestes ses (6) than of priests
m an

A
of

wo m a n

c erta in

No sso ,

th e D ioscuri for h er m in or
3

S I G , 60 1

so n ,

th e

c o nse n t o f

l oo cit , 11
.

h er xp w s, b o ug h t th e

121

if

pp

64 1 , 644

U se ner , Gotterna men ,

Cu rtius

with

pp

37

1-

72, 375

Gr undziige d gri ech Etymol

.

priesth ood

SE X RESE MB LAN C E

IN

DI VI N I T Y

MI NI S TRANT

A ND

cases the group was the unit of worship and the person ality of the indi
vidual goddess was subordinate to the idea embodied in the group as a
whole The presence of a priestess in such a cult was due to the fact
that the composite personality of the group developed a distinctly femi
nine character
I n the early days of Greece when a great lord held a local cult under
his patronage he sometimes made his wife or his daughter priestess in
case the divini ty was fem a le as in the cult of H era at Argos and of
Demeter at E leusis
O ccasionally however he kept the priesthood for
himself as did C inyras who was priest of the cult of Aphrodite at
P aphos 3 Many of those who were priests by here di tary right could
trace their of ce back to such a beginning At P ell ene the priests of
Artemis held oi ce by reason of their high birth 4 King Hiero was the
hereditary hierophant of the S yra cusan cul t of Demeter 5 E ven when
shorn of their te m poral power the old lords retained a vestige of their
for m er rank in the for m of sacerdotal dignity The best illustr atio n s
of this survival are to be found in certain cults in whi ch there were both
a priest and a priestes s I n some such cases there is evidence that the
priest represented the patriarchal claim upon the shrine while the
priestess was the reg ular atte n dant of the goddess
The priesthood of Demeter at E leusis was shaped by the intera ction
of patriarchal patronage and independent grow th Amo n g the attend
a n ts of rst rank the hi er ophant and the priestess of De m eter were most

impo r tant
To be sure the hierop h an tids were hiero n y m ou s] like the
8
B y that fact as well as by their rese m blance in title they
hierophant
showed their co n n ection with him B u t apparently they had to be
satised with that degree of disti n ction I t was the priestess of Demeter
and the hierophant who performed the sa cr ice 9 I t was the priestess
who had a house of her own by th e shrine
,

10

P l u t F ra g
.

X ; M ul l er

P a us I , 3 8 , 3 ; S uida s
.

P in d P y th
.

2 , 24

4 34

S ac erdoces A then ians ,

5
3

CI G , I ,
B CH ,
I G,

II

1 90 ,

cf

l 33 ,

1 5 6 5 9

5 , 8 3 4b , col

1,

of

1 5 354

P a us VI I ,
.

pp

d El eus is ,
cf

2 44 5 ,

6 7- 7 1 ;

L u c ia n Lex ip h

Ma rt h a

Les

10;

Marth a

Le s

3 2 5 ; Lu cia n Lexip h
.

50 ;

27,

th e t erm

1
1
6
435 ,
5 58

foo tn ot e

71

n o te

an d

H dt VI I ,

Gr a nds Mysteres

1 56,

XI I I
,

pp

63 33 4

F o r m ea n in g

pp

E no xiro s

1 58 ;

Vid e F o u c a rt , Les

C IG I

S acerdoces Athn iens ,

s v

I V,

; Ta c H ist I I , 3

S ch ol P in d 01 6 ,
.

F GE

10

E p h Arch
.

1 88 3 ,

pp

113

74 ;

pp

1 2 5- 2 6 ,

ST UD Y O F

THE

REE K P RIE S TE SS

was also she who held the o cia l title priestess ( iep a a ) of the
cult while the other names dadou chos hier ocery x hieropha n t and
hieropha n tid referred to a specia l service viz perform ance of the my s tic
rites The E leusinian cult h a d been diverted from the usual sim ple
type to an abnor mal form in whi ch ex traordin ary str es s was laid upon the
great mysteries The hierophant a n d hi s associates showed by their
B u t the iep a a who
n a m es that their place was in the mystic rites
belonged in the nor m al cult had not bee n crowded out
Moreover like the priestess of Athena P olias upon the Acropol i s of
Athens the E leusi n ian priestess of Demeter was eponymous
This
pe cul iar mark of distinction was attached not to the u n usual attenda n ts
such as the great hierophant and the h ierop h a n tids but to the regular
priestess
An Attic hydr ia bear s witness in a curious way to the distin ction of
her position 3 The vase pain ter who took his the m e fr om E leusin ian
tradition did not fail to depict the richly dressed dad ou chos in close con
B u t c a l mly seated above
n e c tion with the story w hi ch was deli n eated
the scene of actio n the priestess in ordin ary co s tume w a s added holding
her g reat tem ple key like the priestess o f a n y shri n e 4
E ven her par t in the mystic r ites was signicant for she was one of the
two leading gur es I n the very hear t of the cer em ony when the
mystic u n ion th e sacr ed mar riage was per formed she it was who took
the woman s par t 5 S he embodied in her person the character of the
fruitful E arth mother
I f the nal proo f of her close r elation to the goddess be sought con
sider that in the H aloa an agrar ian festival whi ch was separate from the
great mysteries the priestess perform ed the r ites herself even to the
exclusion of the hi erophan t 7 H erein doubtless lies the secret of her
'

It

E g
.

102 ,
3

I G, II I ,

No

III

Vide AJA ,

1 89 7 ,

15;

F a rn el l ,

1,

Cul ts of

23 2 ,

52,

foo tn ote 5

8 2 8 , 8 95 ; E p h Arch
N o 2 4 ; B CH , XIX
.

1 8 94 ,

Gr eek

the

and

382,

pp 2 06 7
p 1 13
.

No 3 0b ;

1 8 95 ,

S ta tes , I I I , Pl a te XX I b

I b id pp 2 5 6 f : An d th e a rt l a n g u a g e is m ore th a n u su a ll y sim pl e a n d a rtic u

l a te p ro cl a im in g
th a t if o n e w ish e d fo r m o r e e so t e r ic in fo rm a tion h e mi g h t

a pp l y to th e p rie stes s with th e k ey

S Te rtul l
Ad N a t I I 7 ( 5 9 5 c) ; Aster E n com M a rt p 1 1 3 B (quoted from
H a rriso n P rol eg p 5 5 1 foo tn o t e
cf
F a rn el l Cul ts of the Gr eek S ta tes I II
pp 1 7 6 ; H a rrison P rol eg pp 5 4 9 ; F razer Gold en B ou gh I I pp 1 3 8 40

E p h Arch 1 8 83 pp 1 1 9 f l 4 7 ; 1 890 pp 1 2 7 f l 7 ; S ch ol Lu cia n Di al

Meretr VI I 4 ; H a rp ocr s o Ax a
4

'

D em os th 5 9 ,
.

1 16;

S ch ol Lu c ia n , D ial
.

Meretr

VI I , 4

SE X RE SE MB LAN C E I N DI VI NI T Y

MI NI S TR ANT

AN D

persistency in the cult The hierophant however g reat his wor ldly
rank because he was at the head of the mysteries could never have the
real vegetative ef ciency which had beco m e traditionally embodied in
her becau se of her sex
Doubtless she became priestess because she w a s
a woma n I n spite of the changes whi ch time wrought she continued
to hold her place in the cult because her position as ip cm of the cult
was respected by natural r eli gious conservatism
B u t how did the hierophant come to be in the cult at all P P ausanias
relates that when E umolpus was over come by the Athen ian E r echtheus
the E leu sinians beca m e one people with the Athenians except that the
vanquished retained their charge over the sacred mysteries and the p r iest
esses who were daughters of Cel eu s kept their holy o i ce
B u t what
was E umolpus part " I f the hierophant a n d some of his colleagues were
E u m ol p ids 3 then E u m olpus was the rst hierophant of course 4 That
was the usual deduction of Gr eek ge n ea lo g y I n other words the head
of the g reat famil y did not entirely give over the cu lt to the priestesses
but he retained an importan t shar e for himself H is par t in the mysteries
was that which might naturally be ta ken by the lord of the la nd in the
sacred marriage just as the wife of the king ar chon of Athens beca m e the
bride of Dionysus on behalf of the city
I n som e of the other cults attended by a priest and a priestess there
were signs of a similar b l ending of famil y and temple worship The
elaborate r egime of the cult of Demeter and her associates at An da n ia
seems to have emphasized the position of the priest e g he decided cer
6
tain cases concerning the violation of cult regu lations and had charge of
the apportionment of g ifts made to the sh rin e I E ven Mn a sistr a tu s the
8
B u t the priestess wal ked side
ex priest was a person of im portance
by side with th epriest9 a n d with hi m received her share in the sacred
feast
The women of the cu lt the Z ep a a and her as sociates the l ep a a
evidently performed th e m imetic rites of the cult as a pr ovision was made
with reference to the clothing of the women who acted the parts
I t is
noteworthy that the mim etic rites a survival of early vegetation magic
were in charge of the priestess
.

33

pp

F ra zer ,

1 1 1 1 2
3

Gold en

3 II
B ou g h,
,

97

1 70 ;

Cul ts of

F a rnell ,

the

I , 38 ,

2-

S ch ol Aesch in 3 ,

H esy ch

Aristot

5 10 ,

I bid
3
I bid
9 I bid
I bid
I bid
7

pp

18

E bp oh rr l b a t

Con st

82

1 89

11

2 8,

ll

2 82 9 .

3
.

33
.

85

11 96- 9 7
.

1
.

24

Gr eek

S tates, I I I ,

16

A STUD Y

REE K PRI ESTESS

TH E G

or

In the Laconi an cult of the Leucippides which had both maiden

p rieste sses and a priest the maide n s were call ed Leucippides like the
goddesses whom they served At the shrine of Ar temis H ym n ia in
Orch o m e nus where ther e was a priest and a priestess in P ausanias
time there had once been a vir gin priestess in charge 3
Asia Minor also furnishes interesting evidence upon thi s point
S trabo says that the son of C odrus king o f Athens was the founder
of E phesus and hi s descendents who were still call ed kin gs even after
their power had declined retained charge of certain rites among which
were those of E leusinian Demeter 4 There is also an inscription which
refers to a priest of the cul t of the D em e tria sts the my stae of Demeter s
B u t a m ore explicit inscription says that the mysteries and sacrices
were conducted by the m y sta e together with the priestesses according

to the usual custom

The most interesting passages referring to the priestesses of Ephesian
Artemis must be disregarded here because they savor too much of liter
ary imagination too little of actual cult practice l There is better
evidence as to the priest The Meg a b y zo s whom X enophon calls the
8

temple warden was the manager of the shr in e I t was

n eok or os the
with him that X enophon left hi s treasure and fr om him that he received
it back 9 The E ssenes were th e yearly priests who acted as entertainers
and p r ob a bly directed the festiva ls
The fondness of
late writers for portraying the vir gin priestess in close r elation wi th the
goddess prob a bly had its origin in the special functions of th e priestess
The n eighboring shrine of Ar tem is Le u cop h ry ene at Magnesia
I n one in scription priest
o e rs better e v idence concerni n g the priestess
and priestess were mentioned together by the usual titles icp a is a n d
tepu a
They and their divinity were to be guests at the great pub l ic
sa crice of Zeus
B u t in a second inscription which gave directions for
the annual cer emony at w hi ch the xoa n on of Artemi s was tra n sferred
to the P arthenon no mention was made of the Z ep czis but only of the
3
r
v cwx d os and the iep a a
who
were
to
di
ect
the
ceremonies
This n eo
p
,

"

33

'

P a us I II
.

16

B S A , XI I ,

P a us

VI I I , 5 ,

XI V,

S GDI , I I I ,

356

11

f ;

13 , 1 ,

6
.

VI II

cf

C a l l im , H ym n to Z

P aus

H ist Apol l on Reg Tyr 48 ; X en E p h I ,

.

S I G , 5 53 ,

13 , 1

2 2,

32

48 f

eus ,
.

3
.

2,

5 60 5

66 ; H esy ch ,
2

s e
.

I bid

'9

5 103 , 6 5 5

H is t Apol l on R eg Ty r 4 8 if ; X en E p h I , 2
I
9 I b id
X en A n ab V , 3 , 6
7

1,

21

E a a rv

18

ST UD Y

REE K PRI ESTESS

OF THE

casu al ly remarks in another connection that the priest and the priestess
liv ed in the p eribol os of the sh rin e
H e does not m ention a priestess in
his ac count of the shrines of Zela a n d C appadocian C oma n a The
pr ies t in the cult of Aphrodite at P a l a e0p a p h o s w a s of the royal li n e
and frequently is mentio n ed in in scr ip tio n s 3 while the existence of a
priestess in the cult is o nl y co n j ectur a l 4 Thus the priest king was a
great lord whose r eal m was the shr in e over which he ruled The n u
settled political co n ditio n s o i Asia Mi n or which call ed fo r th such cente r s
of theo cr atic government laid upon the priest kin g great tempora l
author ity which i n sured his right to sacrice to the goddess
Table II at the e n d of the Appe n dix shows clearly that there was a
predominan ce of priests in the goddess c ul ts of Asia Minor I t also
shows how Asiatic inuence reacted upon th e cults of Hell e n ic divinitie s
in Asia Mi n or a n d how Greek inuence aff ected the p r iesthood of the
Anatolian divinities in Greece
The frenzy which was so character istic of Dionysiac worship explains
a nu m ber o f exceptions both in the cult of Dionysus and in other cults
This Wa hns inn was a character istic feature of the incarn a te m a n g od
The Gree k priesthood te n ded to be co me fo rmal a n d meani n gless as the
go ds grew into types and n ally into abstractions B u t there was a
time when spirit power s became epi thets epithets beca me gods and
gods grew into per sons s Wor ship too was in a plastic stage The tree
o r pillar was the statue and the sh a m a n was one who possessed some
divine power S o it was wi th the frenzied B ac ch a e the in spired pries t
esses and the Ga lli I n cults ch a racterized by ec s tatic worship it was
6
most important to secure not pe r so n al resembl a n ce but in carn ate power
I n the cult of the C orn mother the pri m itive fer tility rites beca m e
more mimetic a n d less e n thusiastic I n the cult of Dio n ysus the idea
of communion and ecstatic self abandon ment long r emained P r obably
the co n nection between Dionysiac worship and the vin e gave a n u n usual
amou n t of ex citem en t to the original rites so that they developed into the
rites of frenzy p a r excel l ence a n d spread as such through Gr eece
I

,
.

S tra b o X I I , 8 , 9

P in d P y th
.

IX

JH S ,

C f JH S , I X

S ch om a n n ,

Cr icch
ch a p s

.
.

1 09 ;

241 ,

Al ter th

No

411

Ta c H ist I I , 3 ; S GDI

251,

H a rrison , P rol eg

pp

2 , 2 43 1 ;

4
.

P sy che4, I I ,

An t ig

pp

14

9 63 ;

E u rip

II ,

pp

No 5 7

I , 3 84 0

F ra zer ,

135

Ur g esch

B acch 300 f ;
.

O S eeck N cu e Ja hrb

v i , v ii ;

f ; S ch ra der , S prachvergl

S op h

S GDI

I , 3 84 0

pp

Golden

Kl a ss

60 7-

12

F a rn ell ,

B out

Al t

cit

P dd

I,
,

ch a

iv ;

III

1 61

;
.

R oh de,

SE X

RE S E MB LAN CE

IN

DI VI NI T Y AND MI NI STRANT

19

this fren zied worship the devotees were not sim ply like the god
They were
They wer e the god often with a liberal supply of
the divine af l a tus They not o n ly bor e the nar thex but al so they were
They wore horn s
They br ought forth m ilk and hon ey fr om
B a cchoi
rock and river 3 That was p r obably the cli m ax u n til m a n rose above
the need for vegetation magic The predomin a n ce of wo m an in the
fr en z ied worship of Dionysus is proved by abundant evidence 4 The
early im porta n ce o f wo men in vegetation magic is but a p a r tial explana
tio n The r eal under lying cause was the adaptability of the fem inin e
tem per a m e n t to such em otional self ab a n do n me n t
The Bcix xa i were worshipers who stood in a very close relation to the
god P ausa n ias (or an early com m entator on P ausanias) describes them
well : They say that these wom en are sacred a n d that they rave in honor
s
of Dionysus
S o m etimes they were associated with a priest in acts
6
of ritual as at Or ch o m en u s wher e the priest pursued the Ol eia e
C on
siderin g that the cult of Dionysus was attended by fe m ale wo r shipers
of so sacred and inten se a natur e it is surp r isin g that so few ip a a c of
Dionysus are me n tion ed The occasional org ia stic rites had less power
to shape the priesthood than the ordinary practices of temple worship
I n the Delphic cul t of Apollo there were priests and a priestess or
prophetess the P y thia 7 Like the Thyiad she owed her position to the
excitable temperament of woma n hood Whether the Delphic type of
8
the priestess was fo r med under the inuence of the earlier earth oracle or
was borrowed from the wo r ship of Dio n ysus 9 or grew up independently
from the same source a s the Th y ia d the reason for choosing her remains
the sa m e the susceptibility of woman to emotional inuence
I n or der
to insure that the P ythi a had an open yieldin g nature custom declared
that she must have been reared in the home of poor farmers and be u n
tutored and inexperienced
Her natural tendency toward excitement
In

Io

"

"3

3
4
5

7
8

P l a to P ha edo 6 9
E u rip , B a cch

3
.

14 3 ;

Vide F a rn el l , op

P a us I I , 7 , 5 , tr
.

P l u t D e D ef ect
.

P l a to I on 5 3 4 A

V pp
F ra ze r

cit

Ly cop h Al ex

2 7 93 00 ;

R ohde , P sy che4, I I ,
9

5 1 ; De E

1 237

Orac

P l ut

Qn a est Gr
.

p D el p h 5 ; H dt
.

B ou ch Lecl erq , H istoir e de l a Divina tion , I I I ,

-

pp

4 3 if

38

VI I I
,

pp

9f

3 7 ; E urip I on 4 1 3

93

R oh de , P sy che4, I I ,

pp 5 2 if ; N eu e Ja hrb Kl a ss Al t u P dd III
F a rn ell op cit I V p 1 9 2
F or a v ery diff eren t view vid e F eh rl e Kul tische K en schhe it pp 7 f
O pp e I H S XX I V
pp 2 1 5 E
9

4 06

P l u t D e P y th
.

Orac

22

cf

h owev er ,

STUD Y O F

20

EE K PR IE S TE SS

GR

TH E

in creased also by the p r eparatory use of herbs whi ch were intended

to react upon her nervous system
A draught from the sacred spring
nall y brought the divin e power
There is one str iking resem blance betwee n the E leusin ian cult of
Dem eter and the Delphic cult of Ap oll o Ther e were priests of Apoll o9
just as there was a priestess of Demeter The Pythia at Delphi and the
hi erophant at E leusis were char ged with special duties The oracle
and the g reat m ysteries were extraordinary and could not entirely dis
place the regular form of wor ship presided over by l ep el is and icp u a
S o stro n g was the inuence of the Delphic oracle upo n the other Apolline
cults that it is better to contin ue thi s discussio n later under the subject
of the inuence of cer tain str o n g local cul ts
In the emotion al wor ship of the Great Mother both m en and women
took part The women raved much like the Thyiads of Dionysus" a n d
representation s of them have been found even in the Minoan palaces of
C rete 5 B u t in an enthusiastic worship and especially in that of a goddes s
one would expect to nd women The freque n cy with wh ich the Ga l l u s
appears both as a worshiper and as a priest must then be explained
The Gal l ns like the Thyiad a n d the prophetess was seeki n g for

B esides giving himself up to fren zy 7

com m u n ion with his div inity

A
r
n c and K qos the male counterpart of th e Great
he becam e
Mother At times he became prophetic
The repulsive practice of
self mutilatio n was an eff ort of the Gal l n s tobecome like his mistress
Although a m a n he used every means possible to conceal th e fact and
to become one with the great goddess
The calmer forms of primitive religion explain some variations fr om
the usual custom in regar d to the priesthood O n ce grant the premise
of sympathetic magic that liken ess signi es relationship and it becom es
was

"

P l u t D e P y th

P a us

3
4

(39 7 A) ;
.

Lu c ia n B is Accus

P ra ep E v
.

16

ap

23 7

E S A,

IX pp
,

Tr a goed

XXI I

XI pp

77

30

f ;
.

cf

F a rn el l , op

2 9 7 , n ot e a

Mitt XX I I

272

; Se rv Ver g Aen
.

Steph B y z s v P an e s; P lin N a t H ist

1 1 5 ; c f R o sch er , Lex II , 1 , 1 6 5 7 f
3

Mitt XVI I I
.

cit

Sh ow erm a n , op cit , pp 2 3 6 if
p 3 8 , No 2 2 ; M ich el , 4 5 , B , 11 6 , 1 8 ;

Ath

18 ;

247

S teph B y z s o P AM s
9 Ph o t s e K
no a

Ath

Lu c ia n
P ol y h

1;

D el p h 5 ; D e D ef ect Or ac 5 1 ; H d t VI I I , 3 7 ; E urip I on 4 1 3 if
E u rip B acch 5 5 f ; Ath e n XI V , 63 6a ; c f Sh ow e rm a n , The Gr ea t Mother of the
.

7 ; E u seb

24 ,

P l ut De E

Gods p
S

Or ac

XXXV

165

2 20

Se rv Ver g Aen I X ,
.

SE X RE S E MB LAN CE I N D I VI NI T Y

AN D

MI NI STRANT

21

clear that women being the mothers of men must be especially effective
in rites inten ded to increase fertility The fr equen cy with whi ch women
conducted the rites of the E arth mother has been observed but she was
not the only divinity con n ected with the growth processes of nature
I n the Athenian cu lt of Dionysus there we r e fourtee n old women
(y cpa pa iL who during the An thesteria perform ed mystic rites in com
pany with the B a sil in na 3 The story was told that a t the reception of
Orestes the king of Attica had o r der ed the revelers to hand over the
crowns which they wore to the priestess in Lim n a e 4 probably r eferring to
o n e of th e old wo m
en C er tainly this cult was connected wi th old
fer tility rites The p a rt which it played in the An thesteria the sacred
m arriag e and the F east of C ups betrays the worship of a wi ne god who
was als o a god of vegetation and the e m ployment of women was pr obably
a survival from the primitive days of vegetation m agic
P erhaps the
p r iestess of Dionysus An th io s ( if the epithet is to be so restored ) may be
accounted for in the same way 5
The priestess of Apollo in Epirus fed th e sacred snakes and the
prospects for the crops of the coming year were determined from the
9
ma n n er in which the serpents took their food fro m the priestess
F arnell
shows tha t there is reason to believe from the connection wi th the
serpent that an ancient chthonian and mantic cult of Gaea or Demeter
had been taken over by Apollo The ex planatio n of the priestess in this
Apollo cult is then easy for the ear th goddess is naturally ministered to
7
by a woman
S ometimes there was a maiden priestess for the god s own enjoym ent
P ausa n ias found that there was a vir gin priestess for H eracles at Thespiae
and thought it necessary to explain the reason He re l ates two traditions
neither of which leaves any doubt as to the purpose of the m aiden

i
n
priestess
the temple
The priestess of Apo llo at P ata ra slept in the
temple at the season whe n the god was there 9 P erhaps the priestess

of P oseidon at C a l a ur ia a n d at Thebes and of P an at Ephesus were

intended for the same purpose 3 The light whi ch anth ropology h as
,

F ra zer ,

P oll ux
3

Golden B oug h I p 1 4 1 ; F a rn el l
VI I I 10 8 ; H esy ch s o vep a p a l

Ath e n

I G, I I ,

X
1,

d
c
43 7

63 1 , 11 91 0 ;

F eh rl e ,

cf

Cons t

cit

pp

II I ,

10 6

P aus IX ,
.

P a us I , 3 1 , 6
.

XI 2
op cit I V pp 2 2 2 E
D ie Ku l tische Keuschheit pp
.

F a rn ell ,

3
.

H dt I ,
.

P a us

IG

27,

182

II

VI I ,

Ach Ta t
.

'

'

Ael ia n D e N a t A n im

D em osth 5 9 , 7 4 ; Aristo t
.

33,

2 4 65
.

VI II

6,

14

22

ST UD Y

CREE K

TH E

or

P RI E STESS

thrown upon the sacred marri age relieves the appar ent grossness of such
a custom

N o doubt ma ny variation s from the custo m like god l ike priest

were ca used by th e inuence of stron ger cults A nu m ber of the cults
of Demeter especially in southern Greece had mysteries which the
people declared were copies of the E leusinia n rites I t ca n ha rdly be
acciden tal that mo st of these rites were directed by priests S ometimes
even the na m e hierophant was a pplied to the priest At Cel ea e accord
ing to P ausa n ias there were mysteries of Dem eter The hieropha nt
to be sure was appointed an n ually and might ta ke a wife but in other
respects the m ysteries were a direct im ita tion of the E leus inian mysteries
as the P hl ia sia n s themselves admitted
At P h en eu s the peo ple cele
b ra te d mysteries in hon or of Demeter w hi ch they claimed were identical
with those of E leusis They traced the origin of these back to Naos a
grandson of E umolpus 9 At Argos where there was a hi eropha nt a
story was told about the ma r ria ge of the priest of the m ysteries with an
E leusinia n wif e to whom wer e born two sons E ub oul eu s and Trip tol e
mus 4 The story of the marria ge probably reects so m e former con nec
tion with E leusis As for An da n ia it was related that C aucon brought
the orgies of the Great Goddesses from E leusis and Lycus the son of
P an dio n raised them to higher hon or in Me ssen e s An inscription from
Lerna speaks of a Lern aean hier opha n t who was the son of an E leusinian
hierophant 9 At Mega lopolis mysteries had been introduced which

7
o
c
i
x
v
were an imitation of those at E leusis
The priest was called i p d r ns
The records in each ca se do not tell whether ther e was a priestess asso
c ia ted with the hierophant
I t is impossible to distingu ish in these cases what was native and
what was shaped under the inuen ce of E leusis The cults of Demeter as
Table I shows were very likely to be served by priestesses Y e t in these
cul ts which claimed to be under the inuence of E leusis there was a
specia l form of the priesthoo d as at E leusis I t is on ly a natural inf eren ce
tha t thi s inuence extended to the priesthood len ding it this cha racter
There was probably a sim ilar bo n d of con n ection among
istic form

9
e
l
a
a
n
d
r
the cul ts of southeastern S icily viz S yracuse G
Ac a e
3

"

xo

Vide F ra ze r ,
pp 2 1 7 ff

Golden

P a us I I ,
.

P aus

P au s I ,

P aus I V,

14, 1

VI I I

9I

ch a

II,

F a rn el l ,

x ii ;

cit

IV ,

B ou t

15, 1

14, 2

G, I II

1,

1,

7
.

VI I I

7 1 8.

E ph Arch

P au s

31, 7

1 89 6 ,

P in d OZ 6 ,
.

H dt VI I
.

CIG

pp

1 21

ll 3 ,
.

18

1 5 8 a n d sch ol .

1 5 35 4 ;

II I , 5 43 2

B iod Sic
.

XI

26

34 ;

SE X RE S E MB LA NCE I N D I VI NI T Y AND MI NI S TRA NT

23

number o f cults in R hodes were under the in uence of the grea t

cul t of Athen a Lin di a and Zeus P olieus at Lin du s I n each of the c ul t
titles Athena was n a m ed rst usually with a n epithet formed from t h e
na m e of the city to which she belon ged wh ile Zeus w a s in ea ch case
named P olieus Just as there w a s a priest of Athen a L india and Zeus
P olieus at Lin du s so there was a priest of Athena I a l y sia P olias and
Zeus P olieus at Ialysus of Athen a Ca m eira s and Zeus P olieus at
C amirus 3 a n d of Athena P olia s and Zeus P olieus at Rh odes The
priest of Athen a P olia s at P haselis on the L ycia n coast may ha ve
belon ged to the sa m e g roup 5
The inuen ce of the Delp hi c prophetess as a type ca n be traced in
9
m
n
much the sa e way a s that of the E leusi ian hieropha nt
Lucia n
certainly ha d a clear idea of the course of Delphic inuence although
he probably made a slight mista ke in ascribing a priestess to the shr ine
at C larus Zeus was complaining of the rush of oracula r business which
pressed upon the u n fortunate Apollo who must be rst a t Delphi then
o to C olophon then to X anthus back to C la rus then to Delos and
I n fact he ha d to run abo ut at the ca ll of ea ch priestess
B ra n chi da e
who had had her ta ste of holy water ha d chewed the laurel and had sat
upon the t ripo d 7 B esides these oracles of Apol lo there was also one
at Argos whi ch was atten ded by an inspired prophetess although in this
case the intoxica tion came fr om tasting blood Tradition sa id tha t the

temple had orig in a l ly been built by P y th eu s who ca me from Delphi

The cul t of Ap hr odite at P a l a e op a p h o s9 probably exerted an inuence
over the other cults of the P aphian goddess in Cyp rus where the same
form of the priesthood reappea rs at Gol g os at La p eth u s and Ne0pa

I n C os Athena So teira who was joined in the cult with Zeus

phos
S oter had an attendant of her own a priest I n the same way, wi thin
the E leusinian cult P luto had a priestess Among the n umerous pries t
esses of the great cult at An da n ia there was one of Ka rn eios s
'

"

I G, XI I ,

I bid
CIG

1,

7 86 , l

11 5 6
.

cf

B ouch Lecl erq ,

-

Lu cian B is Accns

JH S ,

IX

Rev Arch
.

33

33

S GDI

I bid

33

I,

p
,

cit

1.

1bid

11 6 7

11 6 1- 6 2

XXI I

2 5 1,

Cricch My th u Rel ig p
II I pp 2 3 2 ii 2 49 ff 3 2 8
P a us II 2 4 1
No 1 09 ; S GDI I 3 84 0
pp 3 7 07 2 P l a te XXI I I

Gruppe,

I bid

I I I , 433 2 ;

809 if

2;

33 1

1.

P a ton -H ick s,

34 , l 4 5
.

34

S I G , 6 2 8 , ll

35

SI

2 1 2 2 .

65 3 , l 9 7
.

24

STUD Y O F

TH E

REE K P RI E S TESS

Many priests rema in who have not been mentioned in this cha pter
I t would be foll y to try to account for every priest of a goddess and
every priestess of a god considering the present sta te of our knowledge
of Greek cults B u t it is hoped that this partial interpretation may add
to the rea sonableness of the principal hypothesis
.

26

ST UD Y

EE K PRI ESTESS

GR

THE

or

the persistency with which the sex distinction was observed Wachter
too is very sparing of conclusion s upon this subject because he writes
with another po int in min d
The n u m erous cases cited by these
schola r s however show but few exceptions to the p rinciple tha t when
such restrictions were ba sed upon di ff erences of sex the men were the
ones ad m itted to the shrines o f male divinities while the women ha d
readiest access to the prec incts o f goddesses F o r exa mple at Meg a l op o
lis there was a shrine of the Maid whi ch women were a lwa ys allowed to
en ter but m en on ly on ce a year
There was a tem ple of Demeter at
C ata n a fr om which m en we r e ex cluded } and the precin ct of H ippodamia
at O lympia was open o n ly to wo m en 4 On the o ther hand the right of
entra n ce was conned to m en at least during certain periods at the
9
5
shrine o f Ares at Geron th ra e of P oseidon at My con o s of H erm o tim us

n
at Cl a z o m en a e of E n n o stu s at Ta agra and of the C abiri at El a tea 9
At the sanctuary of Dem
eter and K ore in S icyon there were two parts to
the shr ine the one for m en the other for women
S uch sex restrictions
may not ha ve been frequen t b u t when they did exist they followed
the sa m e p rinciple as the p riesthood simil ia similibu s E ven the
exceptions are sign icant e g the temple of Dionysus at B ry sea e was

open onl y to women whil e that of Aphrodite Acraea at Paphos was

closed to them
There were some festivals preferably conducted by women others
by men The rites of wom en were most often atta ched to cults of De
meter thus preserving the tradition of the e ff ectiven ess of women in
rites intended to increase the fer tility of the elds The Thesrnophoria
at Athens is the best known example " but women also had cha rge of the
H al oa in connection with the E leusinia n cult 5 and there were women s
-

ach ter ,

Rein he itsvorschrif ten i m Griech

P a us VIII , 3 1 , 8
.

La c t Di v

C ic I n Verr I V , 4 5

P a u s VI ,

2 0,

P aus I I I ,

22,

F rot t- Z ieh en , Leg S acr I , 4 , l 9

Aristop h
Gea m
5

mp l

S tra b o XI V , 6 , 3
.

I ns t

Wach ter op

cit

I I , 4,

P l ut

Apoll on D y sc H ist
.

1 2 5-

34

K ul t pp

Mir

3
.

1 333 4 ;

Thesm p assim;
.

I sa eus 8 ,

P a us

cit

II

1 1,

2 0,

II

Meretr

8 8 ; F a rn ell , op

1 88 3 ,

VI I , 4 ; E p h Arch

79

cit

pp

I II ,

Meretr

ow .

S ch ol L ucia n , Dial

S er v Verg A en I I , 63 2

2;
,

S ch ol Lu cian Dia l

19;

II I , 8 ,

H ewitt, op

40

F rott-Z ieh en , L eg S a cr

Ma cr ob

Q ua est Gr

P a us I I I ,

cf

pp

9
.

2 7 5A

1 1 4 , 1 19 .

pp

II,

45 f

1,

TE RP RETATI O N O F

IN

C U S T OM

TH E

27

rites in honor of Demeter at C yren e Thebes E phesus } P ell en e 4

9
5
Aeg il a E retria and Miletus 7 B u t othe r goddesses besides Dem eter
cla im ed the specia l se rvice of wo m en Argive women washed the

statue of Athena while Damia a n d Au x esia wer e appea sed by choruses

of wom en 9 Artemis was hono r ed by the bear m a iden s and the wo m en

of C olias celeb rated a festival of Aphrodite

On the other ha nd the
men of Geron th ra e held a festiva l of Ares each year from which wo m en

were excluded
There wer e so m e exceptio ns of course The women
of P iraeus bewailed Adonis as usually women mourned the dea d th e
E lean ma trons pe rformed rites for Achilles " and the men of S icyon had
a festival of their own in honor of Demeter separate from the women s
A curious exception was the women s festival of Ares r w a t KO
rites s
do i va s at Tegea at whi ch the women gave the men none of the sacricia l
esh 9 Of all the interpretations whi ch have been o ffered F a rn el l s

seems to be the most reason able :

Ar es is emphatica l ly the man s
divinity
and the ta pu at Tegea cannot be explained on ordinary
H ell enic principles I t must be regarded as an alien trait and is to
be connected with the Amazonian tradition which was sporadic in
Greece and which always perplexes the ethn ographer and the student
of
N o doubt the preference for women in fertil ity rites accounts for the
large number of festivals of Demeter which were in cha rge of the women
of the community P robably some of the other festivals of women are
to be explained in the same way but the explanation is not sui cien t for
I t does not account for the rites limited to men nor for the restricted
a ll
rites of goddesses who are not especially concerned w ith fertility There
fore a n inte rpretation must be ma de n o t simply from the standpoint of

'

'

Ael ia n F ra g 44
.

X en H ell
.

H d t VI ,

P a us VI I ,

16

2 , 29

E dt
9

83

S ch ol Aristop h Ly sist 64 5 ;
.

L ucia n Ame r 4 2
.

P a us

III ,

7;

22,

P l ut Vit Al cib

P a us VI ,

P a us I I ,

Qna est Gr
.

P a rth en 8 ,

31

1.

q uo t d in F a rn el l ,

cit

I,

3 84 , 5 a

P l ut

17, 1

9
7

S ch ol Ca ll im La vacr P a ll
.

P a us I V,

2 7 , 10

5
.

23 ,
1 1,

3
3

cf

H esy ch

s r
.

dp xr os

dp xr e la

a nd

cf
18

C ra wl ey Mystic Rose pp
,

1
0
88
5 ,

89

9
.

P aus

VI I I

F arn ell

48, 5

op . cit

V p
,

4 05

28

ESTESS

GRE E K P RI

A S TU DY OF TH E

s y mpa thetic magic but from that of Hellenic ritual All tha t was male
was more pleasin g to a god and the female to a goddess
Thus far worshipers in general have been con sidered B u t often a
sanctuary which was closed to all others was open to the priest or priestess
as in the cu lt of E ileithyia at H erm ione of H era at Aegiu m of Sosip ol is
at O lympia } of Athen a at Tegea 4 and of Artemis at P ell en e 5 Thi s
shows tha t the bond betw een the priest and the god was more intima te
than that between the ordinary worshiper and the god Therefore dis
tinc tion s of sex age a n d co n dition were more likely to grow up among
priests and priestesses There were so m etimes maiden priestesses for
9

7
Artemi s a n d Athen a C h ild Zeus had a child priest immature boys
served Apo ll o at Thebes9 and served Athena at Teg ea and E la tea
Again Heracles the Wo m a n hater was served in P hocis by a man who
was compel led to rem ain absolutely con tinen t during his entire term of
E nno dia had a priestess sk illed in d rugs Ar da l u s priest of
servic e
the Muses was a musicia n and in fact any poet might be ca l led
their priest P hryne the beautiful hetaira was call ed a ministrant
9
of Aphrodite
A scholiast upon E uripides P hoen issae remarks that

ma idens pray to a m ai den goddess S ince they especially understand

this
P riestess and goddess stood in a very intima te relation when the
p riestess could be called by th e div i ne na me as were the Leucippides in
B u t thi s r elation is shown even more clearly by the frequent
confusion of priestess and goddess This seems to ha ve happened some
times when the goddess of a n ea rlier time was brought into con n ection
with a later goddess by being ma de a priestess of the latter Aglauros

9
was a goddess but was also accoun ted a p r iestess of Athena
S o it was
.

"

P a us I I , 3 5 ,

11

I bid
3 I bid

VI I ,

VI ,

9
7
3
9
9

23 ,

2 0,

Aeg ira , ibid

Tritia , i bid

I bid

P aus

II , 3 ,

H esy ch

s e
.

47, 5

2 7,

VI I I
9 P ol a en VI I I
y

2 2,

Stra b o

2o.
.

VI I I

A yh a vp os

Ath en
1060

X 3
XI I I
,

P a us I II ,

5 3 ; S uida s

'

s o
.

11

II I ,

1 8,

Th eoc

5 90e

16. 1

10

S pa rt a , ibid

Convio

43

H dt

P l ut S ept S a p

Or ac

5 ; Orch om en us , ibid

1 3 69 ;
'

2 6,

P l ut De B y th

IG

VI I I 4 7
X 34 8

VI I ,

24 ,

VI I

1 0,

P a us

VI I ,

P a us I X ,

I bid VII I
5 I bid
VI I I
4

17, 115

I N TERPR ET AT I O N

OF TH E

CUS T O M

29

with I p hig en ia I o a n d p rob ab ly I o da m a 3 H e ra w a s so m etim e s

r ep r e se n ted a s a begging p rie ste ss4 an d D e m ete r l ike n ed he r self t o

S t raig htwa y sh e took on the l ike n e ss o f N ic ip p e wh om the

Nic ip p e :
I n he r ha n d we r e g ra sp ed
s ta te ha d e sta b l is hed a s he r p u b l ic p rie s te ss
5
l let s a n d p o pp ie s a n d sh e held upon he r sh o u lde r the ke y
B u t this g e n e ra l r e se m b l a nc e b etwee n the a tte n da n t a n d the div in ity
T he
wa s so m etim e s su p p le m e n ted b y a c t ua l im p e r sona t ion o f the deity
g e n e ra l co u rse o f H elle n ic dev el o p m e n t t ow a r d the d ra m a tic w a s r ee c ted
in te m p le w or sh ip
While the w orship o f D ion ysu s m ay hav e b ee n the
dir ec t so u r c e o f Gr eek dra ma the sa m e m im etic ele m e n t w hi c h w a s
in he r e n t in D ion ysia c w or sh ip w a s a l so p r e se n t in a c a l m e r st rain in
o the r c u lts whic h we r e s c a tte r ed fa r a n d wide ov e r the Greek w o rld
T his m iin etic te n de nc y u sually sh ow ed it self in t wo f orm s ( 1 ) in
im p e rson a tion o f the g o d b y the p rie st ( 2 ) in the p e rf orm a nc e o f sug
T he r st f orm is the on e whi c h
g estiv e rite s b y b a n d s or c h oru se s
6
e sp e c ially sh o u ld hav e a p l a c e in this disc u ssion
I n mo st c a se s the
c e r e mon y p erf orm ed b y the p riest a s a n im p e r son a tion o f the g o d is l o st
t o u s b ein g hidde n b y the sa nc tity o f the m yste ries a n d the de str u c t iv e
w ork o f tim e B u t still the sa c er d o ta l gu r e r e m a in s with un m ista k ab le
tr a c e s o f his p a r t in im ita tiv e r it ua l Whil e thi s mim etic te n de n c y ma y
hav e com e fro m p rim itiv e r ites o f sy mp a thetic m agic yet the a n throp o
m orp hic a n d p e r son a l c ha r a c te rist ic s a r e so m a rked tha t they s ta m p
the se c u st om s a s distinc tly the p ro d u c t o f the Greek s wh o m hi st ory
k no ws ra ther th a n o f so m e d ista n t p erio d conj e c t ur ed b y a n throp o l o gy
H el io do rus st ory o f Ch a ricl ea ta ke s rs t p l a c e in this r ev iew no t
b ec au se it is o f m u c h v a l u e a s a n exa c t r e cor d o f c u lt p ra c tic e b u t b e ca u se
it giv e s a deta iled a cco u n t o f a c a se o f sa c e r d o ta l im p e r son a t ion
C ha r i
c lea th o ug h b u t a CdKOpW r e se mb led he r m istr e ss Ar te m is in v ir g in ity
in b eau ty o f f orm a n d in l o v e f or the h u n t
Up o n the morn in g o f the
p roc ession the b eau tif u l m a ide n p roc eeded f ro m the te m p le o f Ar te m is
d re ssed in a p u rp le ro b e whic h w a s e m b ro ider ed with g o ld I n he r left
ha n d w a s a gilded b ow in he r rig ht a l ig hted t orc h 7 S he w a s we a rin g

E ur ip I p h To ur 3 4 , 1 2 3
F ar nell , op cit , I I , p 44 1
.

cf

Aesch S uppl
.

29 1

f ; S uida s
.

P aus I X , 3 4 ,

P lato Repub I I , 3 8 1 0

1 2 ;

P aus V I I , 2 6, 5 ; H esy ch

1 1 1 4 , 1 399 ;

E tym
.

'

s v
.

Ma g

'
.

I r wy l s

C a llim H y mn to Dem 4 2 if
.

Vid a B ack , De Graccor u m Ca erimo niis in qu ibus H om inc s Deor um vice f un g eba tur ,

pp

8
7

H eliod Aethzop I I I , 4

30

S TU DY OF

GRE E K PR IE S TE SS

THE

this co st u m e whe n the E gyp t ia n s f o u n d he r u p o n the de sol a te sh or e a n d

in a m a z e m e n t they q u e st ion ed whethe r it w a s the g o dde ss or th e p rie st
e ss
T he p ic t u r e w hi c h Xe nop h on h a s left o f An theia wh o led the
E p he sia n p ro c e ssion is m u c h the sa m e
Again a t P ell en e the p rie ste ss o f Athe n a c ha nc ed a s the c u st o m
w a s t o b e wea rin g f ul l a rmor in c l u d in g a hel m et
S he the fair e st
an d ta l le s t o f the ma ide n s l oo ked o u t u on the a sse m b led h o s t
Ju st
p
the n the Aet o lia n s wh o wer e comin g u p sa w he r a n d th o ug ht sh e w a s
Athe n a wh o ha d co m e th a t da y t o h elp P ell en e 3 T he p rie stess o f
Ar temis L ap hr ia a t P a t ra e ro de in a c h ar io t d ra w n b y st ag s a n d p ro b ab ly
r ep re se n ted the g o dde ss he r self 4
Th e p rie ste ss o f Athe n a P o l ia s a t
Athe n s v isited the h o m e s o f th e n ewl y w ed wea rin g Athe n a s a eg is s
At An da n ia p ro v ision w a s m a de f or co st u m e s f or the sa cr ed w o m e n wh o
6
r ep r e se n ted the div in itie s
At Ar g o s the p rie st o f Ap o ll o w a s air /mic

lea de r o f the h o st l ike h is m a ste r Ap o ll o Ay nn is I n Cos the p rie st

o f H e ra c le s w a s sa id t o p er f orm sa cric e dr e ssed in wo ma n s c l o thin g a n d
with his ha ir b o u n d u p T his c u st o m w a s sup p o sed t o r ee c t a tim e
8
Th e p rie st o f
whe n the g o d h im self h a d w orn the d r e ss o f a w o m a n
D e m ete r a t P h e n eu s p u t on a m a sk w he n he s mo te the U n de rg r o u n d
On e s w ith rod s 9 H e im ita ted e ithe r a fe m ale min ist r a n t or the g o dde ss
h erself
At Ol ymp ia the p rie ste ss o f D e m ete r sa t u p on the a lta r to

w a t ch the ga m es p r o b ab ly e mb o dyin g the d iv in ity Th e r a m b e a rin g

y o u th in th efe st iv a l o f H erm e s a t Ta n ag r a w a s a mi m ic H erm e s K rio
3 a n d a t Pla ta e a the g o dde ss
h
r
O
os
I
n
the
a
cr
ed
m
a
r
r
ag
e
a
t
r
g
o
A
s
i
s
p
w a s r ep r e se n ted b y a n im ag e b u t the p rie ste ss t oo k the e sse n tia lly

fe m in in e p a r t o f W u 15r p ba
ma id o f h o n or
S om et im e s the tra c es
o f ea rly m ag ic we r e no t e n tir ely con ce aled At T eg ea the p rie stess o f
Ar te mis p u r su ed a m a n p r ete n din g tha t sh e w a s Ar te mis a n d he Lim on 5
So the p rie ste ss o f Ar te m is B rau ronia wa s a b e a r a mon g the l ittle b ea r
,

'

Io

"

m a iden s

I bid

I,

X en E p h I ,

P ol y a en V III , 5 9 ;

P aus V I I ,

5
5
7

18, 1 2 ;

32

H esy ch

24

'

P lut

Ay m s

'

My stic Rose pp
,

P aus VI ,

2 0,

P aus I X ,

22, 1

P a la ep h De I u none
.

20 7

43 1

pp

II,

L en t sch S chn e ide w in , Corp u s P a r aem Gr I ,

Vid e Crawley ,
1

cf P lut Vit Ar a t
cf F arn ell op cit
'

I
S G , 65 3 ,

3 39 f

Q ua est Gr

P aus VI I I ,
.

15 ,

2 1 , n ot crit .
.

58

P aus I X , 3 , 6
.

I bid

H esy ch

VI I I , 5 3 , 3
.

dp xr os

a nd

I N TE R P RE T AT I ON

OF

TH E

CU ST O M

31

few c a se s c h o se n fro m a g r e a t n u mb e r o f ill u str a tion s sh o w

the c l o se conn e c tion whi c h w a s felt t o e x is t b et w ee n the d iv in ity a n d the
So n ea r w a s th e r el a tion ship tha t the m a n tle o f the g o d s p e rson
p rie st
a l ity so m etim e s desc e n ded up on the p riest I t w a s no t sa c r ileg io u s f or
the p riest t o imp er son a te the g o d b e c au se the b on d b et w ee n the m w a s
so in tim a te
T he se

let u s r ev iew b riey this wh o le disc u ssion Th e

a
t
r
a
rc
h
a
l
l
or
d
wh
o
m
i
n
i
te
r
ed
i
n p e r son t o the g o d s m a le a n d fe m a le
s
i
p
a like dev el op ed in t o the m ag istr a te w h o su p e rv ised the sta te w or ship a n d
i
i
i

B
u
e
r
f
orm
ed
a
few
u
l
c
acr
c
e
the
feel
n g tha t a w o m a n sh o u ld
b
s
s
t
p
p
s er v e a g o dde ss l a y no t in the p a t ria rc ha l sys te m b u t in te m p le w or s hip
F a r b a c k ev e n in v e ry o ld c u lt s the r e w e r e p r ie ste sse s t o se rv e fe m a le
d iv in itie s This w a s no t a h a r d a n d fa st rul e x ed b y a n y sin gle p e rson
or b y a n e cc le siastic a l b o dy I t w a s simp ly a n in stin c tiv e feel in g a n d
w a s the r ef or e su b j e c t t o m a n y v a ria t ion s
B ac k o f t hi s c u st o m l ay the
idea o fte n r ev e a led in Gr eek r el ig ion th a t the div in ity w a s b e st p le a sed
w ith tha t whic h w a s m o st l ike it self
I n conc l u sion ,

A P P E ND I X
LI ST OF P RI E STE SSE S AND P RI E STS

Mark s th e cul t of c onwp o 0601

1Not included in th e to ta l b eca use already counted
Excluded b e cause o f p oo r ev idence
t

ATH ENA
Ach arna e , Ath en a

Hi pp i a

I G , I I , 5 8 7 ; oide
2 , 2 8 93 , ll 5 3

Ancyr a , R osch e r , Lex I I ,

.

Ath en a P ol ias , Sterre tt ,

Asso s ,

0883

P au s

I , 3 1, 6

P a pers

Am

S chool

at

Athen s,

p 33 3
As typal a ea I G X I I 3 1 84
Ath e ns :
( 1 ) Ath en a P olias Th e n ames of a t l east tw enty eigh t priest
esses a re k nown f rom th e myt hical Agla u ro s ( P h o t s o Ka m
ipw ) down
t o th e sec ond c en tury A D A partial l ist is giv en b y C ool ey A] A I I I
3 7 6 if an d b y M a r th a L es S acer doces Ath n iens pp 1 4 7 f
1 1
2
h
na
N
i
k
E
h
A
r
h
1
p
l
B
1
1
10
8
A
t
e
e
c
1
A
2
( )
p
97
77
5
Fr ag in set ]
Ath ena Oena n th e I O III 1 3 53
Att al ia BCH X p 1 5 9 ( ref erred to in P W I I 1 3 63 ll 2 0
[Cl az o m en ae P lu t Vit N ic 1 3 ; cf P lu t De P y th Or ac
Co ronea Ath en a I to n ia I G VI I 3 4 2 6 ; P a u s I X 3 4 2
C yzicu s Athen a P ol ias Ath Mittlz VI
p 55
No

14 ,

II,

1 5 24

D a ul is, S GDI

E retria , E ph Ar ch , 1 9 1 1 , p 3 6, No 2 8
[E ry th rae , P lu t D e P y th Ora c 1 9 ; cf P lu t Vit N6
.

ll

2 9,

13

; SI

600 ,

31

I dal iu m , S GDI

I , 60 ,

20

Ho rn I I VI 3 00 ;
s e II a M aiStov
K al y n oren Z eu s Hera
I l iu m ,

Su idas

Kilik ien ,

B a cch y l D ith

a nd

;
.

Michel

20 2 1

Wilh elm Reise n in

(Wien) 1 8 96 p 1 5 7 No 2 64

Wiss

p rob ab ly a l so a p riest h ere

Nicom edia Ath Mitth XI I
p 1 7 3 No 6
[P aro s I G XI I 5 1 0 2 9 Fr ag inscr ]
P ed asu s H dt I 1 7 5 ;
VI I I 104 ; Strab o XI I I
De An im Hist 5 1 80 l 3 5
P ell ene P ol y a en VI I I 5 9 ; cf P lu t Vit Ar a t 3 2

14 , 1

Ath ena , H eb erdey

in D en k sch r K a is A k ad d

Th ere w as

Arist o t

32

1,

59

cf

A S TU D Y

34

G REEK P RIE S TESS

TH E

OF

D elo s :

( 1 ) Z e us
p

Reo Ar ch

1 0- 1 1 ;

No

22

K y nth io s

BCH XXXI I
No 5 ; p 1 1 1 N o 1 5 ; p

Ath e n a K yn thia ,

an d

XX VI

1 10,

p
( 2 ) Z eu s So ter and Ath en a Soteir a BCH XXVI
XXXI I
p
1 2 1 3 ; cf BCH XXVI
p
(3 ) Z eu s P ol ieu s a n d Ath en a P ol ias BCH XXXI I
p
1 1 2 1 4 ; cf BCH XXVI
1 3
E l a tea Ath en a K ra n a ia I G I X 1 1 3 9 ; P au s X 3 4 7 8

12 ,

1 13 ,

52 1,

1 3

11

E ry t h ra e :

Ath ena P h em ia , S I G, 600 , 11

( ) Z u
( 2 ) Z eu s Ap otrop a io s a n d Ath ena Ap o trop a ia
1

115

ff

P h em ios

an d

26

68

SI

600 11 2 9 ff
(3) Ath e n a Nik e S I
600 ll
h
I
A
t
e
na
S
G
(4)
3 1 ff
Heraclea R eo d P hil ol XXI I I
p 2 8 1 No 2 B
I alysu s Ath en a I a l y sia P ol ias a n d Z e u s P olieu s I G XI I
,

11 5_6

7 86 ,

1,

[I l ium D ionys Hal VI 6 9 1 Wh e n t his writer t r ac ed b ack th e

a nc estry of t h e R oma n Na u tii t o N a u tiu s a comp a n ion of Aen e a s an d a priest
of Ath ena P olias it is p rob ab l e th a t h e w as simply rep ea tin g a attering
genea logy Th ere is exc ell en t ev iden c e for a p riestess in th e cult early a n d
lat e ]
Lin du s At h en a L india a n d Z eu s P ol iu s I G XI I , 1 7 6 1 , 11 4 8 49 ;
,

7 68 ;

No
I

809- 8 1 8 ;

8 2 03 2
,

21

Miletu s

Ath en a Soteira , S itab K gl

.

Ma g a rsu s ( Cilicia) Ath en a Ma g arsia

.

H eb erdey

P r euss

Wilh elm op
,

Ak ad d
.

cit

9,

Wiss (B erlin)
.

90 5, D 5 4 7
o

10
A
h
n
a
P
ol
i
a
I
G
2
1
1
t
e
s
C
I
I
I
,
,
,
, 433
,
7
A th Mitth , V
p 3 39, No 1 0A

Ph aselis
P rien e ,

Rh o des, Ath ena P olia s a n d

1 187

Z eu s

Polieu s, I

XI I ,

1,

Mich el

6 1 6 2 ;

Spart a , Ath en a Ch al kioik o s

No

24,

6 , 11
.

1 31 6 ;

and

Ath e n a P oliou ch os, E ph

cf P au s III
.

Arch

BCH XI I I
p 2 8 1 l 1 ; XVI I
p 2 1 ; Mich el 1 8 9 1 9 1 ; P au s VI I I 4 7 3 Th ere is some ev iden ce for a priest
e ss in th e c ul t b u t it is v ery m eager a n d u n tr u st wort h y as compar e d with th at
Ath Mitth I V
fo r a p rie st Al cida m a s I 1 8 5 (B ek k e r 0r Att V p
p 1 3 7 As a priest is m en tio n ed in a f th c e ntury in scrip tion an d a s
t h e p riest w a s e po n ymou s in sev e ral la t er ins c rip tion s it is l ik ely th a t h e w as
a t th e h ea d of th e c u l t
( 2 ) Ath en a P ol ia tis P au s VI I I 4 7 5
Th era Ath en a P ol ia s I G XI I 3 4 9 5
Th u ria Mich el 6 1 2
( 1)

Athena Al ea ,

17,

A P PE NDIX

35

HERA
P riestess:
Aeg ium , P a u s VI I ,

23,

An deda , B S A , XVI , p 1 2 2 ,
An timac h ia , BCH , XVI I

No

Aph ro disia s , CI G , I I ,
Argo s, Th uc

II,

I V,

pp

2 8 20 ,

16

1 33

2 08

No

10 ,

11 7 8
-

Miil

I pp

F H G,

l er ,

1
5

52 ,

Fra gg

pp 633 3 5 ; Aesch S uppl 2 9 1 f ; P ol y b XI I 1 1 1 ; P au s I I 1 7

3 7 ; P l u t Fr a g 1 0 ; CI G I I I 5 984 G 6 I 2 6B 1 1 6 ; Wal dstein Arg ioe H eraeum
pp 1 4 1 ff ; Ha roa rd S tudies X I I opp p 33 5 To th is list of referenc es many
l ess impo rtant ones m igh t b e a dded
Astypalae a I G XI I 3 1 96

h
n
I
I
I
1
6
1
1
1
1
1 2 ; P l u t F r og 9 2
At e s G
1
3

[C o r cyra R ie ma nn R ech erch es Ar cho logiques su r l es I l es I o nie n

I p 4 7 No 2 2 ; oide ibid
Fra n d Ath et Rome
nes in B ibl E col
p 44 B rack e ted b ecau se th ere is some doub t a s to th e div inity serv e d ]
C yrene CI G I I I 5 1 43
p 398 11 34 ; XXI X ( I 90 5) P 44 9
D elo s B CH XI V
ll 2 1 f
f Ka l y noren Ze u s Ath en a an d Hera H eb e rdey Wilhelm op cit
p 1 5 7 N o 2 64
L a risa Jul ia Her a Seb a ste I G I X 2 3 33
Messe ne P a u s I V 1 2 6
Metropolis (P h rygia) Ro sch er Lex I 2 2 086 refers to Mov e m i
E a yy Exo is 2 pp 90 100
Eur
Ol b asa Z eu s K a p itolio s a n d H er a K a p itolia R am say Cities a nd
Bishopr ics of P h ryg ia I p 3 09 No 1 2 2
P ergam u m Her a B asil e a and Z e u s Meg isto s Ath Mitth XXXI I I
p 4 02 No 2 8
Pogla Hera B a sil is CI G I I I 4 3 6 7 f
S amo s Athen XV 6 7 2 a d ; cf S GDI I I I 2 5 7 0 2 l 2 2 an d no te
Th eira (I o n ia) BCH X V III
p 5 40
Th er a H era D ro m a ia I G XI I 3 5 1 3

44 5 3 ; I V ,
-

'

P riest:
TAeg a eae Zeu s Hera a n d Ath en a I GRR I I I 9 2 5
Aegial e Zeu s Her a a n d P o seidon I G X I I 7 4 3 8
p 3 5 1 ff B rack eted b e cause th e na m e
[Am a th u s BCH XX
of th e div inity is o nly conj ectu ral ]
H ero do tu s r e co u nt s that wh e n Cl eom en es
Argo s H dt V I 8 1
wish ed to sacric e upo n th e al tar of Hera th e p riest forb ade him I n v iew o f
th e mass of ev iden c e fo r a p riest ess a t th e h e a d of th e cul t it is l ik ely th at t h e
word tap es; w a s u sed h er e in stea d of v ewx dp o s Ma S o o e o r so m e o th er
sub o rdina te of th e sac r ed p re c inc t s ]
,

A S TUDY

36

GREEK PR IES TESS

on TH E

Her a Arg eia H el eia B asil eia P aton Hick s 3 8 11 5 7

E ry th rae Hera Tel eia S I
600 11 1 2 7 1 3 3 E
Gorty n Z eu s Olymp ic s a n d H er a Olymp ia S GDI II I 2
Mylasa Z eu s Stra teios a n d Her a Ath Mitth XV
Cos,

11 56

5 14 5

2 68 ,

P o ntoreia (Rh o des) ,

Ze us and H er a

P riest a nd P r iestess:
Leb a dea Z eu s B asil eu s
P a nam a ra ,

pp

Gr iech F este,
.

D E METE R

pp

AND

and

10

I
V
I
0
6
,
, 3
9 97
p
XII
,

20

28

ll

7 86 ,

1,

Hera B asilis I G
Z eu s P a n a m a ro s an d Her a BCH

XXVI I I

I G , XI I ,

ti

3 54 ;
.

CI G, I I ,

2 7 19,

11

;
.

Nilsso n ,

oide

1 3- 1 4 ;

2 53

K 0111:

P riestess:

I
G
S
,

Aeg il a ,

3 1 ; P a us I V ,
Hick s, 3 86

An timachia ,

P a ton
Rev l it Gr X VI

Ar cesine ,

17, I

1 66

Athe n s :

C h lo e BCH XI I I
p 1 6 7 No 4 ; cf 10 I I
F o r a g en er al ref erenc e to a p riest oide P a u s I 2 2 3
I I I 1 349
( 2 ) D emeter Th esm op h oro s Lu c ian D ial Mer etr VI I 4 an d
D em et er

( 1)

16 ;

1,

Timon

17

I G, X I I , 5 ,

108 88 9

Cic I n Verr I V, 4 5
S GDI , III , 1 , 3 5 2 2

C a rt h aea ,

C a t an a
C n idu s

S chol ;

Newt on

E ssa y s

Art a nd Archa eol og y ,

on

C orin th , B io d Sic X VI , 66 ; P lu t Vit Timol 8

C oron ea , D em eter Th esm op h oro s, I G , VI I , 2 8 7 6
.

C umae P lu t Mnl Virl 2 6 2 d

C yren e D emeter Th esm op h oro s Aelia n F r a g 44
C yzic us Ath Mitth VI I
p 1 56 ll 1 3 f
.

D elo s :

( 1)
(2)

D e m eter ,
K o re , ib id

BCH XXXI V

Op p

17 2,

23

Hymn to D em 4 2
E l a iu ssa Se b aste ( Cilicia) H eb erdey Wilh e lm op cit p 5 6 No 1 2 8
E ry t h r a e D em eter Th es m op h oro s F a rn ell op cit I I I p 33 0 No 9 7
u
o
f
om
BCH
p
1 5 7 N o 1 60 t o which th e w rit er d id no t h av e a cc ess
I
V
r
t
es
q
H ermione D em eter Ch th onia I G I V 7 43 ; P au s I I 3 5 7 8 ; Ael ian
D otiu m , C allim ,

D e An im X I , 4
L arisa :
.

24

( 1)
( 2)

No

D em eter P h y l ak a a n d D io n ysu s K a rp io s, I G, I X , 2 , 5 7 3
D em et er , K ore , a n d D espo tes , E ph Ar ch , 1 9 10 , p 3 7 7 ,
.

A PP E NDIX
[Mt

c ult

37

Lycaeu s, D em ete r 642 in n oSp cip qt, S I

6 53 ,

31

cert ain ]
p 3 9 1 No 3 6
Mylasa BCH XX I I
Olymp ia D em e t er C h amyn e Arch Z tg XXXVI
XXXVI I
pp 1 3 8 f No 2 7 4 ; p 2 10 N o 33 0 ; P au s
th e

Location

of

no t

P an ticapa eu m

S GDI

2 63 7

III

P at ara , JE S , V I

5 56 2

VI ,

2 0,

149 ;

No

3 54 ,

p 94 , No

2,

P al a e0p ap h o s, CI G , I I ,

1 13

p 4 7 5 No 6 2
Mitth XXXV
P h era e D em et er Meg a l a rto s I G I X 2 4 1 8
P h ig al ia D em e t er M el a in a P a u s VI I I 4 2 1 2
P ira eu s D em et er Th esm op h oros I G I I 1 5 7 3 b ( pp 4 2 1

P ergamum

Ath

III,

5 584
Mise K o re , Ath

S am ur l u (Ly dia) ,

2,

P rien e , S GDI

Mitth XXXV

2 8,

Th eb es , I G, VI I ,

2676

2 93 7

g iv es an in sc rip tio n

Th esp ias , D em et er Ach aia , I G , VI I ,

Tr all es , CI G, I I ,

P au s X

4 44

5f

Tege a ,
cit I I I , p 3 7 0 , s o
Foucart , Mga r ide cl P el op , No 33 7 i

Th aso s ,

f rom LeB a s

S myr n a , D em e t er Th esm op h oros, CI G , I I , 3 2 1 1

Sy ll ium ( P amph yl ia) , I GRR I I I , 80 12

Syro s , I G, X I I , 5 ,
Tegea , F a rn e ll , op

1 86 7

(D e meter)

ibid

2 14 8

Ac ra e , K a ll ig en eia , CI G ,

III

54 3 2
a nd S ab az io s , S terret t ,

P a pers Am
( Ph rygia) D em eter
S chool a t Athen s I I pp 3 7 f No 3 7
Ancyra ( Gala t ia ) CI G I I I 4 0 2 6
Argo s I G I V 60 6 (hieroph an t) ; P au s I 1 4 2
Athena :
Ge K ou ro trop h o s an d D emeter Chl o e P aus I 2 2 3
B rack eted b e cau se th e ev ide nc e for a p riestess in th e cu lt is good whil e th e

word priests is u sed h ere in a general sen se ]

D eme t e r Om p na ea I G III 1 2 6
B rack eted b ecause th e
nam e of th e div in ity is co nj e c tu r al ]
(3 ) D e meter a nd P h erepha tta I G I I I I 2 93
(4) Th e go d and th e go ddess I G I I I 1
p 7 9 l 3 5 ; ( th e g o d th e go ddess and E ub o ul eus) I G I I 3 1 6 2 0c (p
cf
I Su ppl p 3 C 11 4 04 1
B ain dir (Lydia) Rev E t Gr V
p 34 1
C el ea e P a u s I I 1 4 1 (hieroph an t)

p
i
os
P
a
t
on
H
c
k
s
1
1
C
60 6 2 ; cf ibid 5 6 ; Arch Ana
37 (
XVI
pp 1 3 5 f
Agh lan

A S TUDY

38

C yz icu s
XI V

K o re So t eira , Ath

53 7

G REEK PR IES T ESS

THE

or

Mitth

VI

No

1 30,

15;

BCH

an d

S ch ol

E ry th r ae :

( 1)
(2)
(3 )
( 4)

D e m e ter

an d

K o re , S I

K or e So teira , ibid
D e m eter

11 8 2
.

ll

600 ,

71

y K oxwva is ibid , 11 4 7 f , 63 f
D e m et er a nd K o re Py t h o ch r es to s , ibid , 11 89 f
H dt VI I , 1 5 354 (h ieroph an t) ; cf P in d Ol 6 , 1 5 8

Gela ,

'

Lerna , I G, I I I ,

(hieroph ant) ;

7 18

1,

A nthol Gr I I ,
.

241,

N o 6 88
.

(Jacob s) ; cf I G III 1 1 7 2
Mega lopolis E ph Arch 1 8 96 pp 1 2 1 f l 1 8 (hieroph ant) ; c f
B S A XII pp 1 2 8 ; P a u s VI I I 3 1 7
P h en eus D em et er Kida ria P au s VI I I 1 5 3
S par ta :
2 1
r
1
D
e
m
e
t
e
a
n
d
K
o
re
E
h
A
r
h
1
8
2
p
2
N
o
1
20
c
4
( )
9
3
p
( 2 ) D em eter c v Ana M y i bid 11 1 3 2 5 2 6
S yr ac u se P in d OZ 6 1 5 8 ii an d S c h ol
Tomi P l ut o D e m eter an d K o re I GRR I 603
Tr all es P luto an d K o r e S trab o X I V 1 44
.

P riest a nd P r iestess:
An da nia , S I G ,
E l eu sis

t o determ in e th e

2,

al th ou gh
( St e n g e l

xac t numb er a n d po sition of each

Griech K ul tusal t p 1 5 9
F oucart (Les Gra nds M ysteres d El eu sis
pp 1 99) h as discu ssed th e per son n el of th e E leu sini an cu lt in det ail A
catalog ue of th e R oman pe rio d names a score of m inis tran ts of b o th sexes an d of
1 900 pp 7 9
v a rio u s r ank s (E p h Ar ch
Onl y th o se of r st r ank sh oul d
b e con sidered h ere
Of t h ese th e dad ouchos a n d th e h ierocery x may b e di s
r e gar d ed b e cau se th ey w ere ministr a n t s w ith sp e c ial du ties a s sign ied b y
th e nam e of eac h
Th e h ier oph an t s tood a t th e h ead of th e cu l t ( F oucart
pp 2 4 2
op cit
C lo sely a ssociat ed with h im w ere th e tw o h ierop h a n tids
it is

n ot e

a sy

Th ere

8 2 , 88 , 9 6 f ; cf P au s I V ,
w er e b oth p riest s a n d p riestesses in th is cu lt ,
28

5, 7 ,
e

5 5 , NO 3 2 ;
63 - 66) a n d t h e

3 5 ; B CH ,

XI X

P 1 13 0 ;
(E ph Arch ,
.

F o u cart op cit pp
priestess of D em eter a n d K o r e
1 8 9 7 pp 5 2
N os 2 3 3 1 ; BCH X I I I
p 4 3 5 ll 5 7 f ; XI X
p 1 1 3 ; S I G
1 5 ; D em o sth 5 9 1 1 6
E p h esu s : ( P r iest) S trab o XI V 1 3 ; (633 ) S GDI I I I 2 5 60 5 ; F a r

6
n ell op cit I I I p 33 6 s o E ph esu s
P
r
i
e
t
ess
I
G
s
S
(
)
5 5 11 4 8 ; P W
I V 2 74 5 l 5 E
I t is impo ssib l e to t ell wh e th er th e se scan ty r eferen c es deal
w ith o n e o r with sev eral c ul ts of D em eter
E p id au ru s : (Hieroph a n t) E ph Arch
1 88 3
p 2 5 No I ; p 1 4 7
No 3 7 ; cf ibid 1 8 84 p 2 1 No 6 2 (P ries tess) D iod Sic XXXI I
cf
C av v adias Les F ou ill es d Ep ida u re p 1 1 4
I co nium Tet ra k o re a n d D ionysu s K aib el E p ig Gr 4 06
.

,
.

PP E N D IX

( Ph rygia) Sterr ett P apers Am S ch ool

Kal dj ik

No
No

81

10 7 -

1 28,

10 1,

No

No 3 ;

(P riest)

No

1 10 ,

( P riest

1 8 96 ,

1 13 ,

,
,

Ma n tine a Mich el 99 2 11 7 8 1 3 2 3 4 2 ;
Spa rt a K o re an d Tem enios in H elos E ph Arch
6
p 2 5 No
1 61 7 ; i b id
5

1 1,

Athens , I I ,

p 1 1 1 No 8 ; p 1 1 4
p 3 1 6 ( Priestes s) E ph Arch
a nd p riestess) E ph Arch 1 896

E ph Ar ch

Rev E t Gr I V

16 ;

ll

at

11;

8 96 ,

pp

Ly co su ra , D es po ina :
.

39

1 89 2 ,

No

20 ,

2,

ARTEMI S
'

Ac tiu m , H 05 69 iv K cAKaiug,

BCH XV

P aus VI I 2 6 5
Ag iaz B ure n (Lydia) Art e mis Anaitis R o sch er
Ancyra ( Gal atia) i bid p 2 8 93
An ticy ra Art em is D ic tyn n a I G I X 1 5
[Ap erl a e CI G I I I 4 3 00 t F rag in scr ]
Ap h ro disia s Reo Et Gr X I X p 1 1 7 No 3 8
Aeg ira ,

II

2,

2 86 7

[Ap o dot e I G I X 1 4 2 1
Apoll o n ia ( Pisidia) BCH XV I I
pp 2 5 6 f No 3 6
Ath ens :
( 1) Arte mis B r au ronia D in a r ch 2 1 2 (B ekk er 0r Att I I I
cf I G I I 2 7 7 8A 1 5
( 2 ) L eto a n d Ar tem is I G I I I 1 3 7 6
Att alia Art em is Asy l os P W I I 1 3 63 ll 2 0
Au l is I G VI I 5 6 5
B erh o ea Ar te m is Ag ro t er a Reo E t Gr XV
p 1 4 2 11 9 1 0
,

Lex

663

B ra u ron , E u rip

dp x r os

I ph

To u r

f ; D e m o sth 5 4 ,
to t h a t in Ath en s

1 46 2

may refer t o th e cul t in B ra u ro n o r

C arystu s Ar te mis an d Apollo A] A VI I I
C ast ab a l a Ar tem is P e ra sia Str ab o X I I 2
,

25

H esy ch

so

2 68

I a m b l De My st

C h aer o n ea I G VI I 3 43 0
C yr ene I GRR I 1 03 7 ; cf K a ib el E pig Gr 8 7 3

1
1
1
C yz ic us Ar temis Munych ia Mich e l 5 3 7 53 8
3 14
D ok z a t (Mac edo nia) Ar temis Gaz oria BCH XXI I
H alicarnassus Ar t em is P erg a ia CI G I I 2 6 5 6
,

2, 1 12 2

I sin da (P isidia) , JH S ,

Kalyv ia

(Attica) I G
Gal en XI I

Lemno s,

[Leros
.

CI G , I I ,

VIII

Massilia

p
,

XV

I I , 5,
1 69

2 261b

1 2 05b

1 2 5,

346

; Apoll Rh o d I , 3 1 2
.

I olcu s , I G, I X ,

Reo

3: 4

No

19

Origin al

p rov enance uncert ain ; cf Class

.

Ar tem is E p h esia , S trab o I V ,

1,

A S TU DY

40

GREEK PRIES TESS

OF TH E

Megar a :
( 1 ) Ar temis So teir a I G VI I 1 1 2 ; cf ibid 1 09
( 2 ) Art e mis Ort h osia ibid 1 1 3
Metropolis ( Ph rygia) Ar temis Taur opolos JH S IV
,

64 ,

Miletus :
( 1 ) Art e mis B oul aia S itz b K gl P r euss Ak ad d Wiss (Berlin)
1 90 1 p 9 1 1 l 9
F arnel l op cit I I p 3 8 1 No 8 1 b
CI G I I 2 8 7 9 2 88 5 86 ;
( 2 ) Ar te m is Py th ia Farn e ll l oc
Reo d P h il ol XXI I I
p 3 1 5 N o 3 2 ; p 3 1 8 N o 3 4 ; p 3 1 9 No 3 6 ;
XXVI
p 1 3 3 B 11 10 f
Mylas a Arte mis K y ria P W I I 1 3 9 1 ll 2 3 ff
[Oresth a siu m Ar t emis P riestess P au s VI I I 44 2 B r ack e ted
b ecau se th ere is doub t a s to t h e ex ac t m eaning of th e ep ith et of th e go ddess ]
P ana m ara BCH X I I
p 2 6 7 11 3 13 2
P atmos K aib el E pig Gr p 8 7 2
P atr ae :
( 1 ) Ar tem is Tricl aria P au s VI I 1 9 1
( 2 ) Art em is L ap h ria P au s VI I 1 8 1 2
P h acium E uo d ia BCH XV
p 4 1 2 No 2 5
Pir ib eyli ( Gal atia) JHS XI X
p 3 06 No 2 4 6
Rh o des Arte mis P e rg a ia I G X I I 1 66 ; E ph Arch 19 1 1 p 5 5
No 2 3
Sa rdis Ar t em is Sa r dia na CI G I I 34 59
Spart a :
( 1 ) Art emis Or th ia (Orth osia) C] G I 1444 ll 3 6 ; 1 46 5 ;
P au s I I I 1 6 10 ; Sch ol P lato Leg 633 B
( 2 ) Art emis Kh agia P au s I I I 1 8 4
1 4 5 5b
[Ta u roi E u rip I ph Ta n r 3 4 6 5 f 1 1 14 1 399 ; Aristo t
ll 5 ; B io d Sic I V 44 7 ; An n dell I nst 1 86 2 pp 1 1 6 ff ]
p 13 7
Tegea P a us VI II 5 3 3 ; Ath Mitth I V
[Th eb es K aib ol E pig Gr 86 9 (m om m y)
Th er a I G XI I 3 4 94
Th yatira CI G II 3 50 7 8
Tr alles P W I I 1 4 1 1 ll 3 f
[Zacynth us Art emis Op ita is I G I X 1 600 (oeo xn a a a a m
.

2 13

[Al oriu m Art em is H el eia Strab o VI I I 3 2 5

th e p h raseology is t oo ge neral ]
Ath e ns :
( 1) Art e mis R alliste I O I I 5 6 1 8 b l 1 3 ;
44 ; cf H esy ch s o Ka W o m
9; p
( 2 ) Arte mis Soteira I G I I 5 63 0b l 2 4 ; cf
,

b ec au se

B r ack e te d

E ph Arch

K l io , VI I

1 90 5 ,

A S T U DY

42

GR EE K P RIE S TESS

OF TH E

(Lou troph o ro s) BCH XI I I

B argy lia , Art emis Kin dy a s :

3 8,

23 f
W II
E ph esu s : ( P rieste ss) CI G I I 2 98 2 2 986 3 00 1 3 ; Woo d D iscoveries
a t E ph esu s I ns cr f r om th e A u g u steu m
No s 67 ; I u ser fr om the Grea t Th ea tr e
p 2 1 ; S terrett P a p er s Am S chool a t Athens I I p 33 0 No 3 84 ; Hogart h
E phesus p 1 7 2 ; P lu t A n sen i R espu b 2 4 ; Hist Apol l on R eg Tyr 2 7 4 8 ;
p 2 9 No 1 ; Xen Ana b
Ael ian Fra g 5 0
( Meg ab y zo s) Hermes VI I
V 3 6 ; B iog L aert I I 6 7
Str ab o X I V 1 2 3
Appian B ella
1 73
Cio V 9 ; Hogart h E phesu s
(E ssenes) S GDI III 2 5 593 ; P aus
VI I I 1 3 1 (Al l ) Mich el 490 11 67
[Ly co sur a E ph Arch 1 8 96 pp 10 7 f No 6 I t is unc ertain wh eth er
t his is simply a d edica tion t o D espo ina an d Art em is b y th e p ries t a n d th e
p riestess of th e for m er o r th ese min istr ants act ually serv ed b o th div inities ]
M agnesia a d Maea nd ru m Ar tem is Leu cop h ry en e CI G I I 2 9 1 4 ;

No 5 (P riest) P

16

S I G , 5 53 , 11

15

2 2,

32

Messe ne Arte mis

pp 3 5 1 f
,

XVI

33

Limnatis, S GDI

I II ,

cf

4 64 9, 4 6 56 ;

2,

Ath

Sidy m a , Ar tem is
49

Apoll o , I GRR ,

an d

III

23

No

ibid

8
8
5 3 4;

II,

13 52 ,

E ph Arch

1 444 ;

1 892 ,

( Ka neph oro s) CI G
XV
p 27

Term essu s :

cf

Spar t a , Arte m is P a t riotis in P l eiae , CI G ,

pp

Or ch om en u s, Art e mis H y mn ia , P au s VI II , 5 , 1 1 1 2 ; 1 3 , 1 , 5
Perge, Artemis P erg aia , I GRR, 7 967 ; H esy ch s o ay oo,

ll

Mitth

4 2 4 ; JE S ,

I I I , 43 62

( Priest)

I GRR,

III

4 51 ;

APH RODITE

P an d em o s

Ath en s, Ap h ro di te

D em etria s , Aph ro d ite N el eia ,

I d al iu m , Rev Arch
.

VI
P andemos
.

I G , I I , 5 , 3 1 4 e,
I G, I X , 2 , 1 1 2 5

3 58,

ll

1, 1 7

1 53 1 b

I G IX 2 5 7 2
Frag in scr ]
[La risa Aphr odite
[Megalopolis K a ib el E pig Gr 1044
P h a l ara I G I X 2 1 3 59 o n p v ii
Piraeu s :
( 1 ) Ap h ro dite I G I I I 1 1 2 800 b) l 3 7
( 2 ) D ea S yr ia I G I I 1 6 2 7 ; I I I I 1 2 80a b) l 4 0
Segest a Ap h r o dite Oura n ia I G XI V 2 8 7
Ses tu s M u sae u s Her o a nd Lea nd er ll 3 1 68 1 4 1
P au san ias mak es a no te of th e fac t
S icyon P au s I I 1 0 4
o i cia l p riestess w as h er e call ed l ou tr ophor os
S myr n a Ap h ro di te Ourania CI G I I 3 1 5 7
S part a Aph ro dite E nop lios CI G I 1 444 ll 3 9
,

th a t th e

PPE N DI X

Al op ece , CI G, 1. 39 5
As typal ae a , At arg a tis , I G , XI I , 3 ,
Ath e ns :

43

Aph r o dite

( 1)

Frag

CI G, I , 50 8
B u th rotu m , CI G , I I ,
.

C amirus
C no ssus

I G, XI I ,

Ares

a nd

C h ar ites

the

a nd

1823

pp

2 1 92 1

I G, I I , 5 ,

1 r61b

1 6, 2 5

1,

BCH XXX I V

Ap h ro d ite,

2,

11 1 4 1 5
98 5 , p 4 3 4 0 , 1 1 2 ; E p 4 3 6 ,
33 5 , No 1 ; cf K l io , VI I

in scr ]

D e lo s, Ap h ro dit e H a g ne , I G, I I ,
2 ; BCH , XXX I
ll 8 , 5 5 ; p
.

178

33 1 ,

E ry t h rae :

( )
(2)
(3 )

Aph ro dite P an demo s, S I

ll

600 ,

11 3 9
ibid , 11 4

Aph ro dite in E m b a tos, ibid

Ap h ro dite P y t h och res tos,

pp 3 7 07 2 ,
Gol g us, Rev Ar ch , XXI I
La p e th u s, Aph ro dite P a p hia , S GDI I , 1
.

57

74 f

ff

1 50

P late XXI I I

Lin dus, I G , XI I ,

7 86 , 11

1,

2-

Mylasa :
( 1 ) Aph ro dite Str a teia CI G I I 2 693 f l 7
p
( 2 ) Ap h ro dite Syria Ath Mitth XV
(3 ) Aph ro dite E up l oia ibid p 2 6 1 NO 1 5 11
p
(4) Aph ro dite P an demo s BCH XI I
,

59, No
1 5 1 6
2

12

No

3 2,

N eop ap h o s, S GD I , I , 3 3
0
D
a
l
h
os
G
I
I
8
P ae0p a p
S
4 ; JE S , I X
,
, 3
,
P in d P y t h 2 , 3 1

12

No

2 51,

1 09 ;

Ph il ippopol is

D ea Syr ia , Rev

Et

Gr

S part a , Ap h ro dite Ou ran ia , E p h Arch

.

XV

1 89 2 ,

Syr ac u se , D ea Sy ria , I G , XI V , 9
Th ea ng el a , Ja hr esh Oest Arch I n st XI

No

2 4,

32

1 3 , 2 2- 2 3

P r iest

a nd

1 1- 1 5, 1 8

11
.

1 90 8

) p

63 , 11 4 5
-

pr iestess :

Aph ro disias :
2 7 7 8, 2 7 82 ,

(An th ep h oros)
Rev

1 5- 1 6 ;

Et

CI G , I I ,

Gr X I X ,
.

1 2 8,

2 8 2 1 2 2

No

54 ;

(P riest ) CI G

NO

1 48 ,

80 ,

II ,

ll

L a risa , Ay m;
K e il P rem erstein , B er b er ein e R eise in Lydie n

stid Aiol is ,
pp 929 3 , No 1 99 , in D en k schr K a is Ak ad d Wiss (Wien) ,
'

6,

1 910

MOTH E R o r THE GOD S

Pr iestess:
Cyz icus M oth er P l ak i a n e Mich el 5 3 7 ll 1 1 f ; 53 8 l 1 3
E dessa ( M ac edonia) Ath Mitth XVI I I
p 4 1 6 No
M agn esia ad Ma eand ru rn P lu t Vit Th em 3 0 ; Str ab o XI V
,

1c
I

40

A S TUDY

G REEK PR IE S TESS

OF TH E

Ma m u rt K aleh (Mysia) C o nze Sch azm ann E rg an z Ja hrb Arch

I n st I X pp 6 f
2 8 6
M
i
noa
I
G
X
I
I
0
2
I t is unc ert ain to wh at div inity
[
7
4
t h is p ries t e ss b el onged ]
Nica ea (B ith ynia) Cyb ele a nd Apollo Rev Ar ch XI I ( 1 86 p 2 1 6
F o r co rre c tion in location oide Ro sch er Lex I I 2 2 8 55 ll 3 2 ff
p 2 66
Olb ia JE S XXI I
Orch o m en u s I G VI I 3 2 1 6 ; cf E ph Arch 1 896 pp 3 9 f No 2 7 b
P ant icapae um P h ryg ian Mo th er I H S XX I I
p 2 66
P ergamum M eter B a sil eia R o sch er Lex I I 2 2 8 5 2 l l 4 1
[Smyrna CI G I I 3 1 93 Mu tilated in scrip tio n ]
Th yatira CI G II 3 508
Tom i R ev Arch XXVI I I
p 1 7 NO 4

Argo s, I G , I V , 6 5 9,
Ath en s , I G, I I I , 1 ,

5
10 6 2 , 1
1 91 0 ; E ph Arch
Adr as to s , Ro sch e r , Lex , I I ,

M o th er

At tu da ,

p 1 7 NO
2 84 9 ll 10

1 9 1 0,

2,

BCH XX I X
p 3 58 No 1 4
Coman a ( C appadocia) S t rab o XI I 2 3
J ou r of
3 32
P hil ol XI
p 1 4 7 No 5 Th ere may h av e b een a p riestess associated
with th e p riest a s a t C oma n a in P o n tu s a s th ere w a s a general rese mb lanc e
C a r th a ea ,

b etween th e t wo

shr in es ,

i b id

3, 32

P aton Hick s

Co s , Rh e a ,

1
8
1
, 3
,
3 4

F ou il l es d Epid a u r e,
.

NO 64 D iogenes th e
[E p idau ru s C av v a dia s
priest m en tioned in th is in scrip tion is so w ell k nown a s a priest of Asclepius
t h a t it seem s mo st r e a sona b l e th at this is a de dic ation t o th e Grea t Mo th er b y
th e priest of Ascl ep iu s ]
E ry th ra e S I G 600 ll 8 3 ff
A K or t e E r an a Ja h r b Ar ch I n st V pp 2 1
m
K
r
r
u
G
o
t
e
Go di
g
3 f
Om er K eu i ( Ph rygia) Ram say op cit I p 2 4 6 No 8 8
pp 2 9
P ro co nn esu s JH S XXVI
[Saghir ( P isidia) S terrett P a pers Am S chool a t A thens III p 2 6 5
Frag in scr ]
NO 3 80 (a rchigal l us)
p 1 5 5 No 4
Sa rdes JH S XXI X
p 2 80 No 1 63 (a rchiga ll us)
S av a tra ( Gala tia) JH S XI X
Ze la An aitis Str ab o XI I 3 3 7
,

St rab o X 11, 3 . 3 2
34
S trab o XI I , 5 , 3 ; P ol y b XXI I ,
.

Ma r 1 7 ; D io d Sic XXXVI 1 3 ; Ath Mitth XXI I

2 3 ll 5 ; Mic h el 4 5 ; (p riest ess) Jul ian 3 8 9A ( ep
P ira eu s I G I I 1
2 9 ff ; III
1 6 2 1 fi
XXXI V
p 2 7 No 3 ; pp 3 0 No s 89
.

(p riest)

P essinu s

P riest a nd pr iestess:
C oman a ( Pontu s)

8 . 9 ( s7 5)
1 8 , 5 ; P lut

pp

38 f

Vit

No s

2 2,

1,

94 ; Ann del l I nst

A PPE N D I X
GR OUP S

45

GODD ESSES

OE

O DD ESSES

AZ E S I A N G

Priest:

E p idau

u
s
r

Maleates

Apo llo

C a v v a dias , F ouil l es d E pida u re,

NO

4 6,

51

the

a nd

Azesia n

Go ddesses ,

CHARI TES

P riest:
Ath en s :
D emo s

( 1)

NO

4 0 98 ,

66 1 ; E ph Ar ch , 1 8 59 ,
a n d R om e) I G, I I I , 1 , 2 6 5
1,

(D em o s th e C h arites
T( 2 ) Aph ro dite and th e C h arites I G I I 5 1 1 6 1 b
1 ( 3 ) Th e C h ar ites a nd Ar tem is (He cat e) E p ip y rg id ia
cf P au s II 3 0 2
Naxos I G X11 5 55

2 06 5 ,

III

C h arites , I G,

an d

6;

I G,

2 68 ;

III

1,

Orch o m en u s , I G , VI I , 3 2 0 7
[P aro s, CI G , I I , 2 3 2 5 P rov enan ce
.

u n cert ain ]

E U MENID ES

P riestess: Cery nea P au s V I I 2 5 7

P riest a nd pr iestess: [Ath ens Sc h ol Sop h Oed Col 4 89 ; H esy ch s v
From th ese poo r sou rces it is impo ss ib l e to b e sur e Of either th e se x
Ay r a p m
o r th e rank of th e H esy ch idae w h o serv e d t h e E um e nide s h er e ]
.

M O IR AE
P r iestess :
E l eu sis , E ph Arch , 1 900 , pp 7 9 f , l 2 7
Spart a , Mo irae L ac h eses , CI G, I , 1 444 , ll 3 , 8
.

MU SES

Pr iestess: P aro s

I G, X I I , 5 ,

Ath en s, I G, I I I ,

1 , 2 86

2 91

Ter m essu s, I GRR , I I I , 4 2 4

Th era , I G , X I I , 3 , 33 0 , 11 5 7 5 9
Th esp iae , I G, VI I I , 1 7 60 , 11 2 4 ;
.

P lu t

Tro ezen ,

S ept S a p
.

on v io

Mich el 89 1 10 1 2
4 ; cf P au s II 3 1

11

2-

4 5

NE RE ID S

Pr iest:
76

E ry t h ra e , Ac h ille s, Th e tis

Nereids

th e

and

S I G , 600 ,

Ny

Ant iph el lu s ,

mP H s

BCH XVI I I
B a rgy lia BCH XI I I
[P a tar a BCH XVI I I
,

p
p

P riest: Apollon ia , Ath

M itth

3 9,

IV

3 23,

33 0 ,

1,

No
p

No

22

2 33

F rag

in sc r

ll

51 f

46

A S TUDY

OF TH E

GREEK P RI ES TESS

P E RSO NI EI ED AB STRA CT I D EAS

AD RA S TEI A

P riest:

C o s,

Nemesis

Adr as teia , P a ton

an d

Hick s

2 9,

10

AID OS

P riestess:

At h en s , I G, I I I ,

367

1,

AR E TE

P riest: P ergam u m

Ath

Mitth XXXI I

312

D I KAI OSYNE

BCH XXI I

P riest: Ol y m us,

3 94 , No 4 2 ,
.

E IRENE
P riestess: [Ath ens Mich el 6 7 3 l 6 Frag inset ]
P ries t: E ry thrae S I G 600 11 1 4 0 f
,

E LE U TH E RIA

Priest:

Aph ro disia s, Rev

Et

Gr

XI X

No

12 7,

54

ENY O
Ath en s , Ares E ny al ios, E nyo a n d Ze u s Gel eo n , I G , I I I ,
E ry t h ra e, E nyo a n d E ny alio s, S I G , 600 , ll 3 4

1, 2,

E UCLEI A

P r iest:

Ath en s , E u cl eia

E u n omia , I G, I I I ,

and

1,

27 7,

1 31 4 ,

6 2 3 , 11
.

E U N O MIA

Priest: TAth en s

ibid

H OMON OI A

P riestess: C h aerone a I G VI I 3 4 2 6 ll 1 56
P riest: Perge I GRR I I I 7 96
P riest a nd pr iestess: D orylaeum I GRR I V 5 2 2 l
,

11

IE IA
P riestess: [COS Asclepiu s Hygieia E p ion e Arch Ana XVI I I
p 1 0 ; cf P aton Hick s 3 0 (fragmentary)
Th is case h as b ee n b rac k ete d
b e cau se th ere w as prob ab ly al so a priest of Ascl ep ius a n d H ygieia j ust as th ere
w as ce rt ain ly a p riest of A pollo D alio s a s w ell as a p riestess ( P a ton Hick s 1 2 5 ;
Ar ch An z XVI I I
p
From lack of direct e v iden c e u pon this
poin t h owev er thi s case h a s b een exclu ded b oth a s a p riestess of Hygieia an d
a s a p ries t ess Of Ascl e p iu s ]
P r iest:
*
Ath en s Ascl epiu s a n d Hygieia I G I I 1 4 8 9b l 9 ; III 1 1 020
1 0 2 b ; cf Ath Mitth
X
pp 2 5 6 f
Gy t h ium Asclepiu s a n d Hygieia CI G I 1 3 9 2
H YG

AP P E NDIX

47

Hygieia P ato n Hick s 3 4 5 11 1 4 1 6

Melo s As clepius a n d Hygieia I G X II 3 1 08 5
P ir ae us Asclep ius a n d Hygieia I G I I 3 1 504
R h o dio p o l is Ascle p iu s a n d Hygieia I GRR I I I 7 3 2 3 3
Ascl ep iu s a n d Hygieia BCH XI I
Stra tonicea
H al eis, Asclep iu s

a nd

NO

11,

Hygieia a n d Sop h rosyne BCH XVI I

p 2 84 No
*
Asclep iu s a n d Hygieia Musee B el g e XI
pp 1 5 f NO
1 6 3 2 3 4 4 2 ; VI I I
pp 8 9 f No 2 1 11 1 2 1 6
Sy nna da ,

11 7 9,

87,

86

30,

MAS SI LIA
P r iest:

Ph oca ea

P riestess:

CI G , 3 4 1 3

Mylasa Cl a ss
,

Rev

NE MESI S
III

Nem ese s

Nemesis

Ath ens , Ou ran ia

Cory cus , Th e

III,

1 , 2 89

E S , XI I
, J

TCos,

pp

Aph ro dis ia s, CI G , I I ,
Ath en s, Olymp ia

Attalia ,

Nik e

Nik e

I G, I I I ,

13 7 ,

NO

10

1 7- 1 8

2 3

11

f , No

2 56

2 9,

2 8 1 0,

Nemesis a n d Adra steia P a ton Hick s

[I mb ro s I G X I I 8 7 9 F rag in scr ]
,

No

13 7 ,

1, 245

S eb ast e , I GRR , I I I , 7 7 8

P E I TH O
P riest:

Mylasa Cl ass
,

R ev

III

RH OD OS
[Amo rgo s I G XI I 7 4 93 F rag inscr ]
[Minoa i bid 2 4 5 Fr ag in scr ]
Naxo s Mich el 8 7 2 11 8 9 1 5 1 6 2 2
,

P r iest: TSy nn a da
No

86

SOPH R OSYNE
Hygieia a n d Soph ro syn e BCH XVI I

2 84 ,

TH E MI S
P riest: Ath ens, I

G III
,

1,

3 29

T Y CH E

Ath en s, S I G , 3 9 7
K al y n Oren , H eb er dey
.

[Th ya tira

K eil P re m erst ein ,

-

[Tra p ezo p o l is

cit

1 5 9,

NO

2 65

B er b er eine Zweite R eise In Ly dien ,

Wiss (Wie n) 1 9 1 1 pp 2 5 f No
F rag in ser ]
CI G I I I 3 9 53 d

Den k schr K a is A k ad d
.

Wilh ehn

48

Frag

inscr

48

S TU

DY

OF TH E

GR EE K PRI E S TE S S

E ry t h ra e , Agath e Tych e , S I G, 600 ,

88

Mylas a Zeu s Hyp sistos a n d Tych e Aga th e CI G I I

P ogla Zeu s Eg a in eto s a n d Tych e I GR
40 7
Rh o des I G X I I 1 6 7
Sparta :
13 1 8
( 1) E ph Arch 1 89 2 pp 2 3 f No
,

(2)

I bid

11

13 , 23

2 693 e,

P a l a e0p a p h o s, JE S , I X

S el g e , I GRR, 3 8 2 , 3 83

Troez en , Tych e S eb a ste , I G, I V , 7 99

P riest a nd priestess:

MI SCE LLA NE OUS

23 7 ,

NO

40

GODD E SS E S

A GLAUR OS

P riestess:

Ath ens, I G, I I , 3 ,

P riestess:

1 3 69

A LC MENE
Heb e a n d Alcmene I G

Aexo n e ,

II,

5 8 1 , 11

1,

2 4- 2 5

AMPHI TRI TE
S yro s,

I G , XI I , 5 , 6 7 2
a n d Am ph it rit e , I G, X I I , 5 , 9 2 5 ;

P o seidon a n d Amphitrite

Te no s, P o seidon

cf

ibid

94 8

AP HAE A

P riest:

Aegina , Ar ch Ana
.

X VI

E LE LA
P iraeu s I G I I I 1

1 29

P r iest a nd pr iestess:

1 2 8oa

1 01 2 ,

11
.

ll

b) ,

ENDI S
P r iest and pr iestess: P ira eu s P ro tt Zieh en Leg S acr 1 1 No 4 2 l 2 1 ;
cf i bid 4 1 l 8 Name of th e div inity co nje c tu ral
D I O NE
*
P riest: Term essus Z eus a nd D ione CI G I I I 4 3 66m
P riest a nd pr iestess: D o do n a Ho rn I l XVI 2 34 f ; H dt I I 5 5 ; Soph
f ragg 1 2 ; I X 2 4
Tr ach 1 7 2 1 1 66 f ; S tr ab o VI I 7 1 01 2 (3 2 8
P au s X 1 2 1 0 ; BCH XI V
pp 1 596 1 ; vide Jeb b Trac h App en d
pp 2 01 ii
B

P r iestess:
Ath en s

II 3 1 5 86 1 5 90 ; I I I 1 9 2 6
D elphi BCH XXI I I
pp 3 86 3 88
Herm io n e P au s I I 3 5 1 1
Olymp ia P au s VI 2 0 2
P aro s I G XI I 5 1 86 l 4
P riest: Teno s I G X11 5 944
,

I G,

A S TU DY

50

R EE K P RI E S TESS

OF THE

OR AIA

P riestess: Pir aeu s

I G,

III

b) ,

1 , 1 2 80a ,

32

P NI S TI A

P riestess: Myt il ene

P r iest:

I G, XI I ,

2 , 136

SE LENE
Zeu s B ou la io s Hel io s

Gy thiu m ,

a nd

Sel e n e , CI G ,

1 392

TH ETI S
1 E ry th rae , Ac h ill es , Th etis ,

P riest:

Nereids

th e

an d

S I G , 600 ,

ll

51 f

75 f

Al th ou gh th ere

were numerou s cults of I sis in Gree c e sh e w a s n o t of te n

iden tied w ith a n at iv e div in ity I sis w as fo reign an d re ma in ed foreign On e
migh t a t rst glan ce at trib u te th e large nu mb er of priests in t h e wor sh ip to its
fo reign o rigin B u t on th e o th er h an d th e cult w a s not th at of I sis b u t of
S er ap is a nd I sis with Anub is a n d Har po c ra tes j o in ed t o t h e gr eater pair
Th e p riest a t t h e h ea d of t h e c ul t w a s f requ ently call ed th e p riest of S erap is
of te n th e p riest of Serap is a nd I sis a n d occasionally t h e priest Of I sis 3 Some
t im es t h e re w a s a p riest ess also in t h e c u l t w h o w a s u suall y call ed th e p riestess
of I sis 4 B u t p ries tesses in t h e stric t sen se Of th e wo rd ip a a were r are Th e
cul t is o m itted h e re b e cau se of it s fo r eign ch ar acter an d b ecau se b o th t h e g od
a n d th e go ddess w ere so p rom in en t in th e c u l t
I n con siderin g th e cul t s of mal e div inities it is no t n e c essary to e num er at e
t h eir p riests sin c e it is e asie r t o n d a s co r e of p r ie sts t h an o ne p riestess wh o
Th e following m e ager l ist sh ow s t h a t pub lic sent im en t w as
se rv ed a g o d
c ert ainl y in fav o r of p riests for go ds
,

It

'

AP O LLO

[Am ycla e CI G I 51 5 3 5 5 F ou rm o n t s fo r ged in scrip tio n P au

1 6 2 ) sp eak s only of c e r tain wom e n w h o wo v e a t un ic for Apollo ]
sa mia s (I I I
An da n ia S I G 6 5 3 l 9 7
Argo s :
( 1 ) Apollo D ira dio t es P au s II 2 4 1 (proph etess)
( 2 ) Apollo Ly k eio s P lu t Vit P yr rh 3 1 (proph etess)
L uc ia n w h o th o u gh t t h at
[C oloph o n Lucian B is A ccu s 1
t h er e w as a p rop h et ess a t t h is sh rin e w a s pr ob ab ly m isl ed b y a fal se a n alogy

E e ( D elo s)
2 . 9 8 5 . p 4 3 4 0, 1 I I . E , 1 7 ; 1
1 4 3 6, 1 5 7 ; 9
(Orch om en u s) I G, VI I , 3 2 2 0 ; (D em e trias) I G, I X , 2 , 1 1 3 3

47 ;

E g ( M y lasa )
M ich el 4 13 , 11 5 7
3

E g
.

11
.

; (H y a m p o lis) I G, I X ,

86 , 11 67 ;
.

1,

(Ana ph e)

( Sam os) S I G 666 ; (H alicarnassus) B CH X I V

(Th espiae) I G VI I 1 8 69 ; (Sinop e) CI G I I I

E g
VI I , 3 4 2 6
4

M ich el 4 7 5

4 157 ;

1 1 1,

NO

12.

(Ch aeronea )

I G,

APP E N D I X

51

p eak in g a t th e sam e time of sev eral o r acles Of Apollo a t which th ere

C f B u re sch K l a ros pp 3 6 f Th ere is goo d ev idenc e
re ally w e re p roph e tesses
p 2 1 6 NO 3 a )
for a p riest a n d a p roph et in t h e cul t BCH XVI I I

b
1
1
11 3 4 )
5 9 1 0 ; Ta c An n I I 5 4 ; I a m b l D e My st 3
D e lo s CI G I I z 3 o 8e ; I a m b l D e M y st 3 1 1 ; L uc ia n B is A ccus 1
Vide B ouc h L ecl e rc q His toire de l a D ivination I I I pp 1 3 3 8
Nicaea (B ith ynia ) Cyb el e a n d Apollo Rev Ar ch X I I ( 1 86
pp 2 1 5 f B
as

h e w as

,
,

Priest

pr iestess:
CI G, I , 1 1 5 2

a nd

Argo s,

C h alc e don , CI G ,

II

(prop h e t

3 7 94 , 1 3 ; 3 7 9 6
.

C os, Apollo D a lios, Arch An z

.

I 25

XVI I I

p roph etess)
p 1 0 ; P aton Hick s

a nd

fu ll l ist of re ferenc es
F a rn ell op cit I V pp 3 8 1

D elp h i

F or

I II ,

pp

2 0

39

7;

vid e

Lec l e rc q ,

cit

B ou ch

p 3 1 4 NO 3 1 ; p 3 1 5 N o 3 2 ;
Miletu s R ev d P hil ol XXI I I
1;
cf B ur es ch Kl a ros p 3 6
I a m b l D e My st 3 1 1 ; L u c ia n B is A ccu s
(p roph et ess proph et a n d priest)
P at ara JH S X
p 7 6 NO 2 8 l 4 ; H dt I 1 8 2 ; Lu cian l oc
Ael ia n De N a t An im X I I I cf F eh rl e D ie K ul tische K euschheit p 8
Spar t a :
( 1) K a m eio s B oik et as E ph Arch 1 892 p 2 5 NO 8 ; pp 1 9 f
,

No

K a m e io s D ro m a ios, ibid ;

( 2)

vid e

Wide

La k on K ul te,
.

pp

84

D I ON Y SUS

Priestess:
Andro s, I G, XI I , 5 , 7 2 6
Ath ens :

D ionysu s Ev A lar m s , D em o sth 5 9 , 7 3 ; Ath en

a n d H esy ch s o y cp a p a t ; cf P lu t F r o g 9 , 2

i
A
n
h
i
6
1
ony
u
G
II
2
D
s
s
t
o
s
P
I
1
1
1
( ),
,
,
,
3 ,
( )
9 10

( 1)

H arp o cr

43 7 d ;

B ry se a , P au s

III

C o s , P ato n H ick s ,
-

2 0,
27

3;

cf

CI G,

1 4 66

L arisa , D em eter P h y l a k a a n d D io nysu s K a rp ios, I G, I X ,

S em achida e , S tep h B y z s v Enaa XLSa c
.

5 73

2,

P r iest a nd pr iestess:

Mil etu s S itz b K gl P r euss A k a d d Wiss (B erl in) 1 90 5 p 54 7 ;

Wiega nd S echster Vor l auf B er in A bh K gl P r euss Ak ad d Wiss (B erlin)
1 90 8 pp 2 2 f
Minoa I G X I I 7 2 4 8
S a trae H d t VI I 1 1 1 (p r op h et ess a n d p rophets)
Te o s CI G I I 3 06 2 3 0 7 2 3 09 2
Th er a I G XI I 3 4 20 468 (y ep a tp ri an d pries t)
.

'

A S TUDY

52

OF

GREEK PR IES T ESS

THE

E US

[Ar y ca nda Ze u s P erp endub rio s CI G I I I 4 3 1 6b Fr ag inscr ]

K al y n Oren Z e us Hera an d Ath ena H eb erdey Wilh elm op cit
No 2 64
Meg iste Ze us Meg isteu s a nd Agath os D aimon S GDI I I I 1 4 33 3
Ol b asa Ze u s K a p itolio s a nd Her a K a p itolia R am say op cit I
,

1 57 ,

P riest

No

a nd

in sc r

Hera B asil ea
28

Z eus Meg is to s

a nd

Ath

Mitth XXXI I I
.

priestess:

P lain (P h rygia) Z eu s Sab azio s

Cill a nian

Frag

40 2 ,

P e rgam u m ,

122

No

3 09 ,

i bid

I p

NO

3 10,

127

a nd H era BCH XI I
p 100
No 1 8 ; p 10 1 No 2 1 ; p 2 50 No 2 4 ; p 2 5 3 NO 3 2 ; pp 2 54 f No 3 5 ;
XV
pp 1 8 2 No s 1 2 4 ; XXVI II
pp 2 0 ff NO S 1 ff ;
pp 2 3 8 n os 4 2
Z eu s

P a n am a ra ,

P a n a m aros

MISCELLANE OUS GO D S

I II

Ares, S el g e (P isidia) , I GRR ,

Ascl ep iu s :

3 83

p 1 0 ; vide s v Hygieia ]
( 1) [C05 Arch A nz XVI I I
( 2 ) P ergam um I GRR I V 5 08
(3 ) Spar ta Asclepiu s Scho en a ta s in Hel o s CI G I 1 444
D espo tes L arisa D em eter K o re a n d D es po t es E ph Arch
.

No

24

Helio s Ath en s I G III I 3 1 3 ; cf

H e racles Th espiae P aus I X 2 7 6
,

H a rp ocr

s v
.

Emp oo

P an :

E p h esu s, Ach Ta t

( 1)
(2)
Lecl erc q ,

cit

Ly co sura , P au s
,

II,

3 85

VI I I

VI I I

6,

37,

14
11

(proph etess) ;

vide

B o u ch

P lu t o : E leu sis, S I G , 6 2 8 ,

21:

P o se idon :

(I )
(2)

C a l au ria , P au s I I , 3 3 ,
Th eb es , I G, VI I , 2 4 6 5
.

a nd

cf P au s X

5, 6

So sip o lis, Olymp ia , P au s VI ,

P r iest

2 0 , 2 3

pr iestess:

C o ryb an tes (mal e a n d fe mal e) , Wil a m ow itz Mo ell endorf,

in Abk K gl P r eu ss A k ad d Wiss (B erlin ) , 1 90 9, pp 3 2

S tein e ,

Nordion

PPE N D IX

D io scu ri, Spar t a , E ph Arch

Her acles, Sparta , E ph Arch

Po se idon

Tem enios,

pp

19

NO

1 89 2 ,

1 89 2 ,

pp
pp

23

19

NO
NO

6 ; CI G,
2

pp 2 5 f NO 8 ; CI G I 1 3 7 4
Spart a K o re and Tem enios in H elo s E ph

E ph Arch

53

2 5,

NO

2 5,

1 44 4

No

Arch

1 89 2 ,

A S TUDY

54

OF THE

G REEK

P RIES T ESS

TAB LE

PRI E STE SSE S

GODD E SSE S

Ne

Ath ena
D em eter

Aph rodite
M o th er o f th e Gods

Total

um b

p.

18

40

23

45

11
11

Wh

10

F-

24

20

23

23

13

IO

is

23

11

1 44

17

13

17 1

22

3
4

17 7

A SI A

Pries t

11

am

23

'

4 8%

her

20

Pries tess

25

M NO
I

T OTAL

Priest

Priest ess

Ma g

a nd

n a M a t er
Ath ena H era

GRE ECE

Aphro dite

29

'

Priestess

E l ded
Esra
xc u

22

P e rsonica tions
M isc ellaneous

ed

xc l u d

5 2%

12

32%

Pries t

68 %

22

3 8%

3 6 64 %

4 7 45%

125

60 %

83 4 0%

25

DC
68 6 5 %

36 35 %

5 7 55%

'

CIRC U I

R ET U R N TO th e

A Tl

C irc ul a t io n

Un iv e rs it y

n L

de s k

of

any

of

C a l if o rn ia L ib ra ry

or

to th e

NO RT H E R N R E GIO NAL LI B R AR Y FACI LITY

B l d g 4 00 R ic h mo n d F ie l d S t a t io n
Un iv e rs it y o f C a l ifo rn ia
R ic h m o n d C A 94 8 04 - 4 698
,

ALL B OO KS
2 mo n t h
-

MAY

B E R E C AL L E D AFT E R 7 DAYS

l o a n s m a y b e re n e w e d b y

a ll in g

(4 15 ) 6 4 2 6 233
-

y e a r l o a n s m a y b e re c h a rg e d b y b rin g in g b o o k s
to NRLF

R e n e w al s

re c h

a nd

a rg e s m a y b e m a d e

p rio r to d ue d a t e
DUE AS S TAMP E D B E L OW

0
1
SEP 13

9
8

4 d ay s