Living with gods

Around the Gallo-Roman sanctuary of the Gué-de-Sciaux

To sacrifice in front of the temple

A writing about Bordeaux/Burdigala demonstrates that in Gaul and elsewhere, the heart of the religious activity was constituted by the act of sacrifice:

“To Jupiter August, Martialis offered an altar with the temple and the victims”.

Martialis offered the building of a temple he equipped with an altar and for which he sacrificed animals (most probably for the altar inauguration). Celebrations have been regularly organized in the burg. Community sacrifices were celebrated in front of the temples. Gods received their part, maybe in the form of exit as indicated a graffito engraved on a vase: in Rome, the exit were the vital parts of the animal (entrails), prepared as meatballs burnt on the altar. Once the donation has been conceded to the god, the meat became desecrated and could be consumed and distributed or sold to the party’s participants. That explains the discovery of so many animal bones in and around the sanctuary. The party continued in the theatre for all the community. These celebrations could also lead to private ceremonies. Indeed, the opened and decorated sanctuary received many private individuals who came to formulate wishes or to thank gods. Some sacrifices were celebrated in private title for the salvation of the family; in this occasion presents were offered to the gods.

*rituals: the whole of rules and rituals (words, gestures, presents) of a religion.

*liturgy : a ruled system of ceremonies and prayers composing a god’s cult.