Hiereia

Hiereiai (singular: hiereia) was the title of the female priesthood or priestesses in ancient Greece, being the equivalent of the male title Hierei. Ancient Greece had a number of different offices in charge of worship of gods and goddesses, and both women and men functioned as priests. While there were local variations depending on cult, the Hiereiai had many similarities across ancient Greece.

Appointment

There were mainly three methods in which a priestess was appointed: allotment, appointment, or inheritance. Regardless of method, a religious official was normally chosen from among the elite class and aristocracy, as such an office had great prestige. A priestess was counted among the officials of the city, and her office was considered an honor and commemorated with pride by her family. Some sanctuaries honored their priestesses with inscriptions and portrait statues. For this reason, the education necessary for performing was often customarily given to all daughters of aristocratic families with the right position and status for being appointed to the office.

Requirements

Local variations of cults made different requirements. Normally, goddesses had priestesses and gods priests. The virgin goddess Artemis was, for example, served by young virgins, while Hera, goddess of marriage, was served by adult married women.

Tenure

In most cults a priestess served only for a limited time. This was especially true of virgin priestesses. Priestesses required to be unmarried virgins during their tenure served for a limited time prior to marriage, often only a year. The priestesses serving the cult of Athena Alea of Tegea, Artemis of Aigeira, Artemis Triklaria of Patrai, Artemis of Ephesus and Poseidon of Kalaureia all served only for a short time between that of reaching adulthood until their wedding. In contrast, the priestess of Heraion of Argos, who was a married woman, served for life.

Tasks

The priestess was the custodian of the keys to the temple. She was the caretaker of the cult statue of the temple. She officiated at sacred rituals, presided over and lead rituals of worship, and performed ritual sacrifice.

Types of Hiereiai

References

Joan Breton Connelly, Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece
Stephanie Lynn Budin, Jean Macintosh Turfa, Women in Antiquity: Real Women across the Ancient World
Judy Ann Turner, Hiereiai: acquisition of feminine priesthoods in ancient Greece, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1983
Jennifer Larson, Jennifer Lynn Larson, Ancient Greek Cults: A Guide