Carl Burgers. ATHENIAN RELIGION. A HISTORY. Chapter 5

Archaic Priesthood: The Problem of the Gene

Words

Greek words from the reading:

genos (pl. gene)

gennetai

phratries

oikos

Eupatridai (Eupatrids)

Oschophoria (Oskophoria)

What we (sort of) know

History

Originally hereditary groups based on descent on the father's side, the gene later changed into a "false" kinship in the sense that the supposed common ancestor was always fictitious (i.e. of myth). When Solon changed the qualification for office from birth to wealth the gene lost their political monopoly.

At some point prior the archaic period, according to a fragment of the Constitution of the Athenians the entire citizen-body had been "divided into 360 gene (of 30 men each), one for every day of the year" (page 59). The theory goes that only the wealthiest groups survived. This leads to the proposition that of the 60 possible gene existing in the archaic period wuld have made up only 20% of the Athenian citizenry.

Names

Mythical heroes names suffixed with -idai (e.g. Eumolpidai from Eumolpus)

exceptions: names that evoke rites, names of gods (Kynnidai, from Apollo Kynneios) and names that don't end in -idai at all (Kerykes or Heralds and Heudanemoi or Wind-Calmers)

The Salaminians (Salaminoi)

appointed officials, kept records and owned property

most of the revenue spent on sacrificial victims

served community (as priests): involved with Oschophoria

also served themselves: performed their own rites and sacrifices

Other famous gene

Eumolpidai (hierophant of the Eleusinian Mysteries)

Eteoboutad (priestess of Athena Polias)

The Problem

We don't really know what they did, or how they did. Or whether or not they really existed after a certain time. This is because accounts can be acceptably interpreted in many ways. Some see the gene as archaic aristocrats, that the genetai were in fact the same as the Eupatridai, others assert that the concept of genos has been confused with that of oikos. Many scholars argue that fluid history has been truncated and solidified to make for easier reading by historians then and now, making proper study incredibly hard. Many ancient sources use genetai and Eupatridai as synonyms, whereas others separate them.

In Conlusion

Perhaps the gene are not as they have been portrayed traditionally - but they definitely played some important role in the religious life of Attica. Their methods might be hidden, but their roles are documented. They provided a priesthood and they organized festivals. Everything else about these elite/possibly non elite (we don't know) groups is up to speculation.

Return to Main Page: CLST 4003H. Honors Colloquium on Greek Religion. Spring, 2002.