Greek Burial Rites(Practices)

Greek Burial Rites

The first step is prothesis, preparing of the body for burial.The first step in preparing the body for funeral would be to close the eyes and mouth of the corpse. The women of the household uses seawater to wash the body and all wounds or injuries would be cleaned. The body would be dressed in a plain white or gray ankle length robe, and if the deceased was a solider he would be dressed in a traditional military robe. If the deceased was female they were usually given a necklace and earrings to wear. Most bodies also received a diadem or crown on the head of the deceased- usually these were made of tree branches; but when kings were buried they were buried with gold facemasks and breastplates.

What did Greeks Beilieve in?

The Greeks believed that there was an afterlife. If these rituals weren't done properly, the body was believed to suffer between the worlds. Until they were granted the rite into the underworld. Also, they believed that as soon as a person died their spirit left their body in a little breathe or puff of wind.

The solid gold burial Mask found at Mycenae, attributed to Agamemnon.

How did they put loved ones and heroes to rest?

Compare Ancient Greek Burial Customs with Modern Funerals. How are they same/different?

The Greeks put love ones to rest in a three step process. The steps are prothesis, ekphora, and interment.

There are a few similarities between a greek burial and a modern day funeral. Such as the three steps in a greek burial are very similar to the modern day funeral. All except the family placing two coins over the eyes of the dead and placing a honeycake in the casket. Then there is the family convening after the burial to grieve and reminiscent of the past.

There are a couple of differences between the two. In a greek burial the family prepares the body for the underworld. Placing two coins of the eyes of the dead for the toll on the river Styx and a honeycake for the dog Cereberus. In today's traditional funeral as we know it, the body is dressed in nice clothing, placed in a casket, a funeral would be held, and the casket placed in a grave.

The greek men wore a chiton that would come down to the mid thigh for work and for everyday life. When a man was being prepared for burial, the women would initially dress the man a robe that would reach the ankles.Women also wore a chiton that would reach the ankles and when women were prepared for burial they would also receive a robe. Both men and women wore an upper garment through everyday life and death. These oblong pieces of clothing were called himations.

The second step is ekphora, the transportation of the body from the house to the burial site, which always took place on the third day proceeding the death. Men lead the march and women followed behind. The body would be brought to the grave sight by either horse drawn carriage or pall-bearers. Unlike most modern funeral processions these ancient processions were not silent marches. The funeral party would make many stops along the way to cry out in order to attract attention and while walking women would tear at their hair and clothes as an expression of their grief.

The last step is the interment, the laying of the body inside the grave or the cremation of the body. There were a simple ceremony performed over the grave to sow the earth with the fruits of its bounty. It meant that the deceased had a peaceful rest and allowing them to return to the land of the living. After the actual burial, friends and family would be invited to leave offerings of food and other gifts either in the grave or beside it. It was common practice to have a trench dug near the grave for exactly this purpose. Eventually all the offerings made would be set onto wooden planks and burned. Just as the women were the last in the procession to arrive at the ceremony they were also the first to leave. The women would leave early so that they could return to their homes and begin preparations for a large banquet held in honor of the deceased. The men stayed behind to complete the burial, the final step of which was to place a large slab or rock over the grave.

By:Khalil Ellison, Jacari Conyers,Tremanuel Gooden

Why was it important to have a proper burial in Ancient Greece?

It was an important to have a proper burial because the family did not want their family member to suffer between two worlds and so that they can make it into the Elysian Fields safely. There was a journey that the Greeks believed the dead had to go through.

The first part of this journey required the dead to cross the River Styx. After the messenger god, Hermes, retrieved the psyche (spirit) of the dead, he leaves them on the bank of the River Styx. They had to pay the ferry-man, Charon, to be taken across the River Styx.That is why the family places two coins on the eyes of their deceased family member.

The second part of this journey was the encounter with the

three-headed guard dog Cereberus.

The family equips the dead with a honeycake to appease Cereberus.

The final part of this journey is the judgement. The judgement was given by the god of the underworld, Hades. This part of the journey solely depended on the way the person lived their life. If their life was filled doing good things that pleased others and not only themselves, they were granted the rest of eternity in the Elysian Fields, a sunny and green paradise. But if they lead a bad life they were condemned to an eternity of torture or an eternity in Tartarus.

THANK YOU

http://antigonemythology.wikispaces.com/Ancient+Greek+Burial+Rituals

http://mkatz.web.wesleyan.edu/cciv110x/antigone/luce_funerary/burial.htm

http://greekburial.webs.com/ceremony.html

http://www.bible-researcher.com/headcoverings3.html