Abstract
In Homeric verse, the share of the gods is generically designated by the neuter plural hiera, "sacred shares". Against this background, hiereus, generally translated as "priest", literally designates "the one who makes the hiera", and thus the one who takes charge of the gods' share. As for the verb hiereuein, it should mean "to act as hiereus". But the fact that it is always used transitively, with the accusative of an animal's name, invalidates this interpretation. A careful analysis of the verb's uses should provide a better understanding of the link between the slaughter of an animal, the sacrificial process and food. This analysis is the first part of an investigation into ritual slaughter in the Homeric context.
While a number of occurrences of the verb hiereuein, notably in the IIliad, call for a translation as "to sacrifice", the plot of the Odyssey and the dysfunctional banquets of the suitors that it features allow us to refine this interpretation. For, despite a shared reference to the adjective hieros, the verb hiereuein is not simply synonymous with the generic expression of Homeric sacrifice that is hiera rhezein/erdein, "to make hiera". It is this point that the following lesson will extend.
