Her Colleagues

In Athens, women were not allowed to participate in public life. They were confined to their homes to take care of their husbands and children. It was the women's job to do all the household chores while their husbands went to work, meetings, and from mistresses. However, the one way that Athenian women could contribute to public life themselves was to become a priestess. As Thomas Martin states about the prestige of being a priestess:

"As priestesses, women also fulfilled public duties in various official cults; for example, women officiated as priestesses in more than forty such cults in Athens by the fifth century B.C.. Women holding these posts often enjoyed considerable prestige, practical benefits such as a salary paid by the state, and greater freedom of movement in public" (Thomas Martin 5.28).

Some priestesses are old or young, it is different all over Greece. For example, in Hermion the priestess of Demeter is an old woman and there they sacrifice cows. Then there are priestesses who are young girls, before they reach puberty, such as priestesses of Poseidon at Calauria, of Artemis Triclaria at Patrae, and of Artemis at Aegium (Perseus Encyclopedia). In a town near Mantinea, priestesses were young virgins; it is held by a maid (Perseus Encyclopedia). There are also young virgin priestesss of Artemis at Patrae. A priestess of Earth is required to be chaste during her tenure in the office (Perseus Encyclopedia). She is to only have known one man before she becomes a priestess (Perseus Encyclopedia).

One big question is where does she sit? She sat on a "tripod over the fumes steaming from a fissure in the underground cave at Delphi (said in one account to fill her womb). The Oracle of Delphi was delivered in a cave in the vicinity of the temple, not in the temple itself" (Shepsut 206). At Argos, a priestess drank the blood of a bull in order to get the prophecy from the God at night (Shepsut 206).

A priestess' status in Greek society was more prestigous compared to many women. Once they became a priestess, many privileges took place in the public, for instance, they were "allowed to take the front-row seats at the theater, they also held sacrosanctity during their tenure in office, and they were given a burial at public expense" (Simon 9). The majority of women did not have any privileges at all. They were mostly in their homes doing house chores and taking care of their children. As Turner noted:
"Greek women saw first hand, on a daily basis, the lives of priestly women. If a Greek woman decided to enter a priestly office, she was likely to know well what she was choosing. ...To choose to become a priestess meant a choice for becoming extraordinary. There were possibilities for enhanced social and legal status, a certain independence, and a respect rightfully paid to women who were necessary to the proper functioning of society" (Simon 9). Their job was to perform traditional rites and there were different levels: family rituals, protection for the polis, and religious (Simon 10).

Not every woman can immediately and easily become a priestess. There are rules and qualifications of becoming a priestess in ancient Greece, as listed in an article by Simon:
"A woman had to be of a good family background, a worthey representative of the city-state, a full citizen, and free of any physical defects. Family wealth and prominence played an important role for those sacredotal females who obtained their priestly postition by inheritance. Age was a cnsideration for the priestess of Athena at Athens; she had to be a mature woman who was beyond adesire for conjugal relationships. Also, sexual experience or lack of it were a noteworthy feature for some priestesses. For example, Hera required a married female as her sacerdotal servant; while Artemis demanded a virgin priestess. Lastly, tenure in a sacerdotal post seems to have depended upon how one was chosen for a priesthood. The hereditary priestly positions were usually held for life, while those priestesses elected by lot, as at Athens, appear to have served for only one year or a shorter term" (Simon 10). So, there were many qualifications to becoming a priestess.

There is the question of whether the priestesses were always ambiguous because when seated on a tripod they were surrounded by "fumes steaming from a fissure in the underground cave at Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi was delivered in a cave in the vicinity of the temple, not in the temple itself. With the additional stimulus of chewed laurel leaves, or a drink from the underground fountain called Kassotis, she became possessed of the spirit of prophecy" (Shepsut 206). Priestesses were the "attached instrument of the use of the God, who, after they had taken the necessary preliminary substances, whether gas, herb or treated water, would with their help open their clairvoyance to look into the future. Then, with their own voice and choice of words, they would express the message given non-verbally by Apollo within her being" (Shepsut 208). Priestesses do have a lot of control and power inside the temple. She can say anything she wants when Apollo sends her a message to the people. With the gas, herb and treated water all around her, you never know if she understands what she is telling her clients. She was in a daze when the substances flow around her. Even priests have a difficult time understanding what the priestess is telling them (Shepsut 208).

There was a difference between a priestess and a sub-sacredotal. The sub-sacredotal priesthoods' tenure did not last long. Their only purpose was to help out the priestess, perform a sacrfice, or hold a basket of flowers for a religious procession (Simon 10). The priestess, on the other hand, had a stronger role and responsibilty than the sub-sacredotal.

The major role that priestesses, as well as, priests play was "to oversee and/or perform the sacrifices to the divinities" (Simon 10). They were the leaders in the temples. Not only did the priestess perform the duties mentioned above, they were also "keepers of the temples" (Simon 11) and were allowed to go into the sanctuary. For example, at Elis "there was a temple to the saviour of the city and only the priestess with her head wrapped in a white veil could enter the sanctuary" (Simon 11). Even more shockingly, a sacredotal could appear as a goddess, as Simon mentions: "The Pythian priestesses' commands carried substantial authority" (11).

The priestesses were paid in many forms such as "cash salaries, fees for carrying out certain responsibilities, and payment in kind" (Simon 11). Some were even given housing as was the case in Eleusis and Athens. Because there were statues of priestesses all over Greece, we can assume they were honored.

Priestesses were a strong force in Greek society because religion played a prominent role in the Greek culture. They had an important responsibility that everyone respected. Priestesses had as much power as priests but had more than the sub-sacredotals. Though their legal standing and social standing was strong each city-state had different rules.

To take a look at another colleague, check out Sibyl!



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