This is an article I wrote for the newsletter "He Epistole" which can be
found at this
website.
Pinakes are tablets made of wood, terracotta or stone that were placed in
temples as votive offerings. The wooden tablets now appear to be “blank” but in
ancient times these would have had beautifully painted scenes on them. Over
time, the paint from the tablets has worn off. Terracotta and stone tablets were
of course carved. Some pinakes use a combination of carving and painting; most
votive reliefs from the 4th century have a carved architectural “frame” around
the outer edge, with the interior now blank, where the painted image would have
been.
Many of the votive offerings, including these pinakes, were buried just outside
the temples. One might think this was “insulting” to bury the gifts to the gods,
but for the ancients, this was a perfectly acceptable practice. Gifts to the
gods were usually destroyed in some way; the burning of food sacrifices is
another example. As Burkert explains, the gift becomes a sacrifice by being
destroyed.[1] However, this also had a practical purpose. Burying the items made
room in the sanctuaries for new offerings to be brought in. Also, burying them
kept them safe from thieves. We are fortunate that the buried items have
survived as archaeological evidence, as most of the temples, cult statues,
furniture, and decorations have been destroyed.
The pinakes had various scenes on them. Some showed worshippers offering
libations or other ritual scenes in the temples. Others depicted mythological
scenes. Still others showed scenes from daily life, such as farming or household
duties. Never have any been found to represent sacrifices or dancing.[2]
Most of the pinakes dedicated at the temples of the healing gods have images of
body parts. For example, if one was suffering from some pain in the foot, a
pinax with an image of a foot would be brought to the Temple of Asklepios. The
worshipper would say a prayer to the god, asking for the foot to be healed, and
offer the pinax as a gift. It is interesting to note that a similar practice
still exists today among Greek Orthodox Christians. The images of body parts are
made out of metal and called tama or tamata. They are dedicated to the saints in
exchange for healing.
A large number of clay pinakes have been found at the Temple of Poseidon at
Penteskouphia (near Corinth), dating from the mid-6th century. These were
painted on both sides, suggesting that they would have been hung from tree
branches, or otherwise suspended so that both sides of the pinax would be
visible.[3] One-sided pinakes were hung on a wall, or set up on a pedestal.
There have also been found large deposits of pinakes at Locri (in modern-day
Italy) from the 6th to 4th centuries. Most of the pinakes from this site are
from the Sanctuary of Persephone, and naturally depict scenes from the
mythological stories of the goddess’ abduction. Others show scenes of human
marriages or family life. It has been suggested that Persephone is seen as a
protectoress of marriages at Locri,[4] and that young brides-to-be would dedicate
these pinakes to Persephone in hopes of a fruitful marriage. However, this
location is also reputed to be the center of the Orphic cult in which Persephone
plays a prominent role. This may very well be the case, as evidenced by her
sanctuary there, but the scenes on the pinakes quite often feature Haides, who
is not part of Orphic mythology.
The pinakes from various locations also show individual worshippers approaching
the deities or the cult statues in the shrines. The ones dedicated by women
almost all show them accompanied by their families in the image, contrasted to
the ones dedicated by men, in which the man might appear alone in the image.[5]
This is not surprising, however, as a man in ancient times could be independent,
whereas a woman could not.
This tradition of offering pinakes is one of faith and beauty. It is quite
unfortunate that this practice has become extinct. Perhaps as our Hellenic
religions grow, worshippers will once again dedicate these tablets in the
sanctuaries of the gods.
Pinax of Persephone and Haides from Locri (480 B.C.)
Endnotes:
1. Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1985,
p.66.
2. Folkert Van Straten, “Votives and Votaries in Greek Sanctuaries” in Oxford
Readings in Greek Religion, ed. Richard Buxton, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
2000, p.223.
3. Van Straten, p. 195.
4. Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood, “Persephone and Aphrodite at Locri: A Model for
Personality Definitions in Greek Religions,” Journal of Hellenic Studies 98,
1978.
5. Van Straten, p.217
Pinakes: Ancient Votive Tablets 