thiasoi
Quick Summary
In the Hellenistic period, thiasoi were private religious societies that emerged as old nationalistic and ethnic boundaries dissolved. These groups were often dedicated to the worship of a specific deity and provided a new form of religious organization where people of various backgrounds, including citizens of different countries, freemen, and slaves, could unite through common devotion and shared religious heritage.1
Membership in a thiasos was voluntary and required paying dues, adhering to collective authority, and following strict moral codes. These societies typically held regular meetings for communal meals, which served both as a sacramental participation, believed to convey spiritual benefits, and as a social function fostering fellowship and a shared sense of identity. Some thiasoi were organized by national origin or trade, while others were focused on the worship of a particular god.1
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Greek religionThe Archaic period…were reputed to wander in thiasoi (revel bands) about mountain slopes, such as Cithaeron or Parnassus; the practice persisted into Roman imperial times. They were also supposed, in their ecstasy, to practice the sparagmos, the tearing of living victims to pieces and feasting on their raw flesh (ōmophagia). While such…
Read More…were reputed to wander in thiasoi (revel bands) about mountain slopes, such as Cithaeron or Parnassus; the practice persisted into Roman imperial times. They were also supposed, in their ecstasy, to practice the sparagmos, the tearing of living victims to pieces and feasting on their raw flesh (ōmophagia). While such…
Read More- Hellenistic religionReligious organization
…of private religious societies (thiasoi). Though some were organized according to national origin or trade, the majority were dedicated to the worship of a particular deity. In many instances these groups began as immigrant associations (e.g., an Egyptian association of devotees of Amon was chartered in Athens at the…
Read More…of private religious societies (thiasoi). Though some were organized according to national origin or trade, the majority were dedicated to the worship of a particular deity. In many instances these groups began as immigrant associations (e.g., an Egyptian association of devotees of Amon was chartered in Athens at the…
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