The Age of Pericles | Panathenaea - The Festivals of Athena (Lecture 7)

Lecture 7: In this lecture, we examine closely the great religious procession that dominated Athenian religious life every four years: the Panathenaea. We will look at the question of Athena’s position as guardian of the city and discuss the importance of celebrating the goddess’s role by assembling the entire community to process across the center of Athens. We will look at the organization of the procession, the roles played by the young, the old, those in the army, and the position of priests and priestesses. The procession is, in fact, a significant event that dramatically brings to life the social relations that bind the community together. We will examine the route of the Sacred Way across the city and up to the Acropolis. In the 5th century, as Athens became an imperial city, each of the allies was ordered to send a suit of armor and a cow for sacrifice. These joined the parade, as a stately procession of cattle wound its way to the Acropolis, where it was slaughtered and distributed to the populace. The procession also figured on the frieze on the Parthenon, emphasizing the importance once again of this majestic building to the entire community.

Suggested Reading:
Burkert, W. Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Neils, J., ed. Worshipping Athena. Panathenaia and Parthenon. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1996.
Parke, H. W. Festivals of the Athenians. London: Thames and Hudson, 1977.

Lecture 8: https://rumble.com/v5eeqdf-the-age-of-pericles-paideia-education-in-ancient-athens-lecture-8.html