DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.803#0086
80 THE BRITISH MUSEUM. '
sprinkled also those who were present, taking a torch
from the altar, or a branch of laurel *.
This done, the crier proclaimed with a loud voice,
T/s rijUe, Who is here ? To which the people re-
plied^ no^xol icnyadot, Many and good. After this
they prayed, the priest having first exhorted them to
join with him, saying, EvxaipeOa, Let us pray. Aris-
tophanes, in his Eirene, has given a kind of parody
of the usual ceremonies accompanying a sacrifice.
The requests of the worshippers were, generally,
that the gods would vouchsafe to accept, their obla-
tions, and send them health and happiness; and they
added, at their petitionary sacrifice, a request for
whatever particular favour they then desired. - Potter
says, they seem to have had a general form of prayer,
used on all such occasions, though sometimes varied
as to the words.
Prayer being ended, the priest having before ex-
amined the exterior of the victim, to see if it had any
blemish or other defect, proceeded now to examine if
it were sound within. To. this end meat was set be-
fore it, as barley-meal before bulls, vetches before
goats; which, if the victims refused to eat, they were
judged to be unsound. They sometimes besprinkled
the victim with cold water, which if it endured without
shrinking, it was thought to be in some way indis-
posed: thus says Plutarch. This being done, they made
trial whether the victim was willing to be sacrificed
to the gods, by drawing a knife from its forehead to
the tail, at which, if the victim struggled, it was re-
jected, as not acceptable to the gods ; but if it stood
quiet at the altar, then they thought the gods were
pleased with it: yet a bare non-resistance was not
thought sufficient, except it also gave its consent by
* The vessels used in the sacrifice were likewise purified with
onions, water, brimstpne, eggs, &c.
sprinkled also those who were present, taking a torch
from the altar, or a branch of laurel *.
This done, the crier proclaimed with a loud voice,
T/s rijUe, Who is here ? To which the people re-
plied^ no^xol icnyadot, Many and good. After this
they prayed, the priest having first exhorted them to
join with him, saying, EvxaipeOa, Let us pray. Aris-
tophanes, in his Eirene, has given a kind of parody
of the usual ceremonies accompanying a sacrifice.
The requests of the worshippers were, generally,
that the gods would vouchsafe to accept, their obla-
tions, and send them health and happiness; and they
added, at their petitionary sacrifice, a request for
whatever particular favour they then desired. - Potter
says, they seem to have had a general form of prayer,
used on all such occasions, though sometimes varied
as to the words.
Prayer being ended, the priest having before ex-
amined the exterior of the victim, to see if it had any
blemish or other defect, proceeded now to examine if
it were sound within. To. this end meat was set be-
fore it, as barley-meal before bulls, vetches before
goats; which, if the victims refused to eat, they were
judged to be unsound. They sometimes besprinkled
the victim with cold water, which if it endured without
shrinking, it was thought to be in some way indis-
posed: thus says Plutarch. This being done, they made
trial whether the victim was willing to be sacrificed
to the gods, by drawing a knife from its forehead to
the tail, at which, if the victim struggled, it was re-
jected, as not acceptable to the gods ; but if it stood
quiet at the altar, then they thought the gods were
pleased with it: yet a bare non-resistance was not
thought sufficient, except it also gave its consent by
* The vessels used in the sacrifice were likewise purified with
onions, water, brimstpne, eggs, &c.