The ἱέρειαι (priestesses) of the god Dionysus: an approach

Abstract

This paper intends to be a first attempt to reconstruct the female priestly figure of the Greek god Dionysus in civic cults, since there is no monograph or specific articles that study the priestess of this god. Through epigraphic sources -supported by relevant literary sources-, I will trace a review of various aspects associated with the object of analysis: virginity, physical and mental requirements, the type of offerings to Dionysus, the roles or tasks in the ceremonies, among other things. It should be noted that the study examines the Greek term ἱέρεια and derivatives (the generic name of “priestess” in ancient Greece given to women who exercised the priesthood in civic cults) because the scarce data we have deserves special attention to further understanding this phenomenon. Only one case is presented with different terminology, geraira, to show the existence of different mentions referring to these women officials. It is necessary to emphasize the importance of epigraphic sources because they provide data on real figures or historically verifiable personages who took part in the cult of the divinities, as opposed to literary sources, which often focus on anecdotal aspects, probably closer to the fantasy of the story than to reality.