Human transgression : divine retribution : a study of religious transgressions and punishments in Greek cultic regulation and Lydian-Phrygian propitiatory inscriptions ('confession inscriptions')

Human Transgression – Divine Retribution analyses pagan concepts of religious transgressions, how they should be regarded and punished, as expressed in Greek cultic regulations from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD. Also considered are the so-called propitiatory inscriptions (often referred to as 'confession inscriptions') from the 1st to the 3rd century AD Lydia and Phrygia, in light of 'cultic morality', an ideal code of behaviour intended to make places, occasions, and worshippers suitable for ritual. This code is on the one hand associated with 'purity' (hagneia) and removal of pollution (miasma) caused by deaths, births and sexuality, and on the other with the protection of sacred property. This study seeks to explain the emphasis of divine punishments in the Lydian and Phrygian inscriptions, while rare in most Greek cultic regulations, as part of a continuum within pagan religion rather than as a result of an absolute division between Greek and Oriental religion. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Abbreviations Foreword Part 1. Introduction and Aims of the Study Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Aims of the Study General remarks Greek or Oriental religiosity Notes on method The structure of the study Interpretive approach Time, geography and context Sources Concluding remarks Part 2. The Propitiatory Inscriptions Chapter 3. The Propitiatory Inscriptions and their Religious Context I. Propitiatory inscriptions Geography Time Content Structure Curses, judicial prayers and oaths Gods in propitiatory inscriptions Μήν ʼΑπόλλων Ζεύς Μήτηρ II. Religion and cult in Lydia and Phrygia General remarks The Gods of Katakekaumene Katakekaumene outside the territories of the four main cities Maionia Saittai Silandos Tabala Categories of religious inscriptions Ex-voto inscriptions Dedicatory inscriptions Grave inscriptions Honorary inscriptions Analysis III. Conclusions Chapter 4. Earlier Research on the Propitiatory Inscriptions I. Trails in the research on propitiatory inscriptions Confession of sin Oriental religiosity Theocracy and a religious legal system II. Trails in recent research Research following Petzl’s publication The research situation since 2006 III. Conclusions Part 3. Religious Transgressions and Punishments Chapter 5. Greek Cultic Morality I. Cultic morality – definition Introduction Morality, moral philosophy and ethics Cultic morality and cultic legislation Piety II. Boundaries and social control External boundaries Internal boundaries III. Creating sacred space Sacred space Greek terminology of sacred space τέμενος ἱερός σηκός ἄβατον and ἄδυτον ἄλσος IV. Purity and impurity Introduction Purity and impurity as an interpretative tool Greek terms for ritual pollution and purity ἁγνός ἱερός ὅσιος The notion of impurity and purification in ancient Greek religion Miasma and agos Purification Sources of ritual pollution in ancient Greek religion Death Birth Sexuality V. Protection of sacred property VI. Conclusion Chapter 6. Prohibitions and Punishments in Greek Cultic Regulations I. Introduction Defining the genre Publications and classification of cultic regulations Rules for the protection of sacred property. II. Prohibitions in cultic regulations Prohibitions against entry General purity rules Prohibitions against impurity Detailed purity rules Death pollution Birth pollution Sexual pollution Dietary rules Clothes, weapons and jewellery Domestic animals Damage to sacred property Violations of sacred trees and groves Other prohibitions concerning sacred property III. Punishments in cultic regulations Civil punishments Fines Corporal punishment Rituals as punishments Divine punishments Excursion – LSAM 20 IV. Conclusions Historical aspects Authority and punishments Authority Punishments Conclusions Chapter 7. Transgressions in the Propitiatory Inscriptions I. Introduction Classifications of the transgressions in the propitiatory inscriptions Earlier classifications of transgressions Causes of punishment Causes of punishment in BIWK Vocabulary of transgressions in the propitiatory inscriptions II. Category I a: Violations of purity rules Vocabulary of ritual purity and impurity in propitiatory inscriptions ἄναγνος καθαρός καταμολύνω, μολύνω and μολυσμός λούω ῥυπαρός Crossing the border Ritual pollution and purification The notion of ritual impurity in the propitiatory inscriptions III. Category I b: Violations of sacred property Violations of sacred groves and trees The transgression Violation of trees in the propitiatory inscriptions and in Greek cultic regulations Destruction of sacred objects IV. Category I c: Neglect of religious duty Dishonouring the gods Neglect of religious offices Other transgressions Propitiatory inscriptions with uncertain content V. Categories II & III: Judicial prayers and perjury Civil conflicts Judicial prayers Abolishment of curses Recordings of fulfilled judicial prayers and curses Perjury Civil transgressions in the propitiatory inscriptions – concluding remarks VI. Conclusions Part 4. Conclusions Chapter 8. Conclusions Cultic morality in the two genres Introduction Divine punishments and curses Divine punishment in Greek cultic regulations and propitiatory inscriptions Divine punishment in Lydian cultic regulations Literacy and oral tradition The ideology and function of the propitiatory inscriptions The cultic level The ideological level The sociological level The function of propitiatory inscriptions in Lydian and Phrygian cults Concluding remarks – The origin of the propitiatory inscriptions Part 5. Appendices, Bibliography and Index of Citation Appendix A: Cultic Regulations Appendix B. Propitiatory Inscriptions Bibliography Index of Citations General Index "Analyses pagan concepts of religious transgressions, how they should be regarded and punished, as expressed in Greek cultic regulations from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD. Also considered are the so-called propitiatory inscriptions (often referred to as 'confession inscriptions') from the 1st to the 3rd century AD Lydia and Phrygia, in light of 'cultic morality', an ideal code of behaviour intended to make places, occasions, and worshippers suitable for ritual. This code is on the one hand associated with 'purity' (hagneia) and removal of pollution (miasma) caused by deaths, births and sexuality, and on the other with the protection of sacred property. This study seeks to explain the emphasis of divine punishments in the Lydian and Phrygian inscriptions, while rare in most Greek cultic regulations, as part of a continuum within pagan religion rather than as a result of an absolute division between Greek and Oriental religion"-- Back cover This book analyses pagan concepts of religious transgressions as expressed in Greek cultic regulations from the 5th century BC-3rd century AD. Also considered are so-called propitiatory inscriptions from the 1st-3rd century AD Lydia and Phrygia, in light of ‘cultic morality’, intended to make places, occasions, and worshippers suitable for ritual.