Religion and Politics
How religion was experienced in Athens
The religion in Athens was uniquely different from other parts of Greece because ’Athens was a centrally administered “monocentric” city, the main urban sanctuary of which was the home of the principal cult of the whole polis, a situation neatly expressed by Pausanias: “Both the city and the whole of the land are alike sacred to Athena, for even those who in their parishes (demes) have an established worship of other gods nevertheless hold Athena in honour” ‘’[1]
When mentioning Dionysos and his Bacchants or followers we often refer to female followers, but we have to remember that he also had male followers. These men were called satyrs. It is easy to think of the cult of Dionysos as wild and free, with no constraint be that as it may it is also full of communality. It is a time for the citizens of Athens to fill relief and relax and enjoy the ecstasy of wine.
Communality
Jennifer Larson argues that Dionysos 'is not a major civic or federalgod but through his festivals can become essential to civic identity’ and that ‘in practise the worship of Dionysos was not truly subversive; instead,it offered outlets of physical and emotional self-expression within socially acceptable conditions. Furthemore, Dionysiac cult was smoothly integrated into civic relams of worship, with ecstatic and private companents balanced by state- sponsored festivals and conventional sacrifices.’
City Dionysia – image of the god wasbrought towards the theatre
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