smell
The ritual procession in the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Deities was a triumph of contrasting scents that culminated in the second terrace.
In fact, it was here that they lit incense. Its velvety scent intoxicated the air and prepared the setting for the sacrifice to the gods.
In the open air, the smell was very strong when the incense was lit.
At the end of the ceremony, when the incense was extinguished, the wind brought back the scents of nature.
hearing
On the first terrace of the Sanctuary, the worshippers would meet in the reception and meeting halls of the portico and with offerings began their visit to the temples.
As soon as the procession began, the chatter of the people was replaced by singing that accompanied the procession to the second terrace: the rhythm of the march was kept by flute players, who together with the priests and priestesses led the victims to the place of the sacrifice.
The singing continued on the terrace of the Donari, interrupted only by the noise of the stones being poured into the holes to cover the gifts offered to the goddesses.
taste
The sacrificial victims were chosen from cattle, pigs, sheep or smaller animals such as dogs or cockerels.
In Akragas, the most common victims were goats and sheep, whose meat, once the animal was killed, was cut and divided into two portions.
The fatty thigh bones made up the sacrificial portion intended for the deities; the remaining parts, on the other hand, were cooked and distributed between the worshippers, who then ate all together.
