Hiereia

Ancient Greece had a number of different offices in charge of worship of gods and goddesses, and both women and men functioned as priests.

Regardless of method, a religious official was normally chosen from among the elite class and aristocracy, as such an office had great prestige.

A priestess was counted among the public officials of the city, and her office was considered an honor and commemorated with pride by her family.

For this reason, the education necessary for performing was often customarily given to all daughters of aristocratic families with the right position and status for being appointed to the office.

While the duties of a priest or priestess differed between the local temples in which they served, there were some common similarities.

After this, the flesh was divided between the god (by being burned at the altar) and the humans, which was followed by a holy public feast in which the people present dined in the presence of the divinity.

[1] She could for example be asked to found a new temple in a colony of the mother city, or give advice to a political power holder.

Priestesses required to be unmarried virgins during their tenure served for a limited time prior to marriage, often only a year, after which their successor was appointed.

All priestess offices were banned when religious freedom was abolished during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire, specifically by the Emperor's Edict in 393.