Sacrifices in Ancient Greece were a major part of every Greek's religion. The Greeks had many reasons for doing sacrifices, but the main reason was to please the gods. If the gods are pleased, the more likely it is that good things will soon happen to the people who pleased them.

The Greeks sacrificed a number of different things. Each god was different in the type of sacrifice he or she preferred, but most gods preferred an animal sacrifice of some sort. The animal sacrificed was generally a domesticated animal like a chicken, goat or cow. Some major festivals such as the Olympics or the Eleusinian Mysteries required the sacrifice of a pig as a way to purify those Greeks who would be directly involved in the ceremonies of the festivals.

When an animal was sacrificed, it was burned on top of an altar, much like a modern barbecue. When the animal was fully cooked, the rule of the gods was that the animal meat must not be taken from the area on which it was sacrificed. Many times this was done in front of a temple, but never inside the temple.

The sacrifice had to be eaten on the spot, and usually before nightfall. These sacrifices were the property of the god, and had to be eaten in his presence. This was especially important because the ancient Greeks believed that the god's spirit was within the animal sacrificed, and by eating the animal, the worshippers consumed his power, and in this way strengthened the connection between man and god. Following this same pattern of thought, the Greeks believed that anyone who eats and drinks together within a group of men, is united with them by a sacred bond.

It was important to eat the flesh of the animal for yet another reason: eating the sacrifice showed power over the animal. In doing this, a kind of class structure was made. By eating the animals, man shows power over them. But the gods show power over man because man is going out of his way to please the gods. Animals do not have power over anything-they are equal to one another.

For more information about specific types of sacrifices, click on specific sacrifices. To return to the religious rituals home page, click here.