Divinatory Sacrifice (Hiera) and Divine Approval in Xenophon's Anabasis

Abstract

Xenophon's Anabasis is not merely a military expedition narrative but also a unique source that encompasses numerous cultural and religious motifs of ancient Greece. Various rituals, such as oaths, purifications, and banquets, are present within the dramatic structure of the text; yet, it is the sacrificial rituals that hold the utmost prominence. Sacrifice, particularly the offering of sacrifice for divine consultation and approval (divination), played a vital role in religious, political, and cultural life of ancient Greece as well as in its military tradition. This study examines the divinatory sacrifices offered in the Anabasis to obtain the gods' counsel and approval, situating them within the context ofthe Greek military and war tradition. Furthermore, itwill bringto light not only their religious and strategic functions but also their place and significance within the dramatic structure of the text. To this end, the first part of the study will focus on the concepts of thysia and hiera within the broader sacrificial terminology of ancient Greece, and in this context, the place and significance of divinatory sacrifices in the military tradition will be discussed. In the second part, the divinatory sacrifices in the Anabasis will be analyzed in the context of public sacrifices, while in the third part, they will be examined in the context of private sacrifices. The entirety of the seven-book work is studied through the framework of the contexts in which divinatory sacrifices are offered, with particular attention to fundamental questions such as the purpose and timing of the sacrifice, by whom it was performed, and to which god or gods it was dedicated.