''Gerarai'' (), also known by the
latinized form ''Gerarae'', were priestesses (
Hiereiai) of
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...
in
ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
religion.
They presided over sacrifices and participated in the festivals of
Theoinia and
Iobaccheia that took place during the month of
Anthesteria, among other duties. Fourteen in all, they were either sworn in by the Athenian ''
basilinna'' or her husband, the ''
archon basileus
''Archon basileus'' (, ') was a Greek title, meaning "king magistrate"; the term is derived from the words ''archon'' "magistrate" and ''basileus'' "king" or "sovereign".
Background.
Most modern scholars claim that in Classical Athens, the ''a ...
''. One of their primary duties during the Anthesteria was to assist in performing the
sacred marriage rites of the queen to Dionysus, and thus held to secrecy. According to a folk etymology, they were called ''Gerarai'', from the Greek word γηράσκω, ''gerasko'', "I grow old". Older women were chosen for the role.
See also
*
Anthesteria (Choes)
*
Bacchae
''The Bacchae'' (; , ''Bakkhai''; also known as ''The Bacchantes'' ) is an ancient Greek tragedy, written by the Athenian playwright Euripides during his final years in Macedonia, at the court of Archelaus I of Macedon. It premiered posthum ...
*
Dionysia
*
Maenad
References
*Otto, Walter F. ''Dionysus, Myth and Cult.'' Spring Publications (1989).
*Parke, H. W. "Festivals Of The Athenians" Cornell University Press (1990).
External links
Bacchanalia
– Bibliotheca Arcana (1997)
The Anthesteria
– The Hellenic World (2002)
– The Advent of Dionysus (1997)
{{authority control
Cult of Dionysus
Ancient Athenian religious titles
Ancient Greek priestesses