Hecatomb
conceptA mass sacrifice of one hundred cattle to the gods, the most expensive religious offering in ancient Greece, performed at the greatest festivals and moments of crisis.
The Myth
A hecatomb — literally "a hundred oxen" — was the supreme act of public piety in Greece. The Iliad opens with a hecatomb offered to Apollo to end the plague he sent against the Greeks. Agamemnon had offended Apollo's priest Chryses by refusing to return his daughter Chryseis. Only after Agamemnon relented and a hecatomb was sacrificed did Apollo withdraw the plague. At the Great Panathenaea in Athens, the procession culminated in a mass sacrifice at the great altar of Athena on the Acropolis, with the meat distributed to the entire citizen body. Hecatombs marked the greatest occasions: military victories, the founding of colonies, and the opening of Panhellenic Games. The cost was staggering — a hundred prime cattle represented an enormous investment, ensuring that only wealthy individuals or entire cities could perform them.
Parents
Offered to various gods
Symbols
Fun Fact
A hecatomb of 100 cattle at ancient prices represented roughly the equivalent of several million dollars in modern terms — making it the most expensive single religious act in the Greek world. The word survived into English meaning any large-scale slaughter or sacrifice. During World War I, British officers used "hecatomb" to describe the mass casualties of trench warfare, connecting Bronze Age ritual killing to industrial-age carnage with a single Greek word.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Panathenaea
conceptThe most important festival of Athens, held annually in honour of Athena with a grand procession,...
Agamemnon
heroAgamemnon led the Greek coalition against Troy but was murdered upon return by his wife...
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Apollo (Light)
godApollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and...
Apollo Loxias
godAn epithet of Apollo meaning "the Oblique One," referring to the deliberately ambiguous nature of...
Athena
godGoddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, born fully armored from the head of Zeus. Patron deity of...
Athena (Warrior)
godAthena was the goddess of wisdom, strategic war, and craftsmanship — born fully armoured from...
Athena Promachos
godAn epithet of Athena meaning "the Champion" or "who fights in front," represented by a colossal...
Athens
placeAthens was the city sacred to Athena, birthplace of democracy, philosophy, drama, and Western...
Pan
godThe goat-legged god of wilderness, shepherds, and rustic music. Pan's sudden appearance caused...
Pan (God)
godPan was the goat-legged god of the wild, shepherds, and mountain meadows whose sudden appearance...
Chryseis
heroChryseis was the priest's daughter whose captivity by Agamemnon and forced return sparked the...