batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l6161-l6180
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l6161-l6180
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: PUBLIC WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS AND ROMANS. / TEMPLES. / STATUES. /
ALTARS.; lines 6161-6180
start: '6161'
end: '6180'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage describes Greek temple altars: their placement, circular stone
form, inscriptions, sacred asylum function, horn adornment, additional locations
outside temples, and the absence of altars for gods of the lower world, for whom
trenches received sacrificial blood.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A Greek temple altar stood in the centre of the building and in front of the
statue of the presiding deity.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The altar was generally circular and made of stone.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The name or distinguishing symbol of the divinity to whom the altar was dedicated
was customarily engraved on it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: If a malefactor fled to the altar, his life was safe from pursuers.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Forcing a person from this asylum was considered a major sacrilege.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The most ancient altars were adorned with horns.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Horns were formerly emblems of power and dignity in the account.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Altars were also raised in groves, on highways, and in city market-places.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The gods of the lower world had no altars.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: Ditches or trenches were dug to receive the blood of sacrifices offered to
the gods of the lower world.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: presiding deity
description: The deity whose statue stood behind the temple altar and to whom the
altar could be dedicated.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: malefactor seeking asylum
description: A wrongdoer who flees to the altar and is protected from pursuers.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: pursuers
description: Those from whom the malefactor is safe after fleeing to the altar.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: gods of the lower world
description: Deities who had no altars and received sacrifices through ditches or
trenches for blood.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: recipient deity of dedication
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The altar bears the name or symbol of the divinity to whom it is dedicated.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: protected asylum-seeker
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The malefactor’s life is safe when he flees to the altar.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: blocked pursuers
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The pursuers cannot take the malefactor from the altar without sacrilege.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: chthonic sacrifice recipients
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods of the lower world receive sacrificial blood through ditches or
trenches rather than altars.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: altar
literal_form: Circular stone structure in a Greek temple, placed before the deity
statue, inscribed with the deity's name or symbol, and treated as sacred asylum.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: horns
literal_form: Horn adornments on the most ancient altars, described as emblems of
power and dignity.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: grove altar location
literal_form: Groves where altars were raised outside public worship places.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: highway altar location
literal_form: Highways where altars were raised outside public worship places.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: market-place altar location
literal_form: City market-places where altars were raised outside public worship
places.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: ditch or trench for sacrificial blood
literal_form: Ditch or trench dug to receive the blood of sacrifices offered to
lower-world gods.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Temple altar and dedication
summary: A circular stone altar stands centrally in a Greek temple before the statue
of the presiding deity and is engraved with the deity's name or symbol.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Asylum at the altar
summary: A malefactor who flees to the altar is protected from pursuers, and removal
from the altar is sacrilege.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Ancient horn-adorned altars
summary: The oldest altars are described as adorned with horns, which are explained
as emblems of power and dignity.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Altars outside temples
summary: Altars are raised not only in public worship places but also in groves,
on highways, and in city market-places.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Lower-world sacrifice without altars
summary: The gods of the lower world have no altars; instead, ditches or trenches
are dug to receive sacrificial blood offered to them.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacred asylum at altar
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The altar functions as a protected asylum for a fugitive, and removing him
is sacrilege.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy list does not include a specific asylum motif.
- id: motif:2
label: sacrificial offering site
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The passage describes altars as dedicated cult structures and contrasts them
with trenches for receiving sacrificial blood offered to lower-world gods.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage focuses on altar forms and locations rather than narrating
a full sacrificial act.
- id: motif:3
label: chthonic blood trench instead of altar
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: Lower-world gods have no altars; ditches or trenches are dug to receive the
blood of sacrifices offered to them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: This is a ritual-pattern observation rather than a mythic narrative episode.
- id: motif:4
label: horns as emblems of power and dignity
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ancient altars are adorned with horns, which are explained as emblems of
power and dignity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No matching symbol taxonomy reference is supplied for horns.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 6161-6165
quote_or_summary: The altar in a Greek temple stood in the centre, in front of the
presiding deity's statue, and was generally circular and made of stone.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 6165-6167
quote_or_summary: The altar was customarily engraved with the name or distinguishing
symbol of the divinity to whom it was dedicated.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 6167-6170
quote_or_summary: The altar was so sacred that a malefactor fleeing to it was safe
from pursuers, and forcing him from this asylum was considered a great sacrilege.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 6171-6174
quote_or_summary: The most ancient altars were adorned with horns, described as
former emblems of power and dignity connected with flocks and herds as wealth.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 6176-6177
quote_or_summary: Altars were also raised in groves, on highways, and in city market-places.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 6179-6180
quote_or_summary: The gods of the lower world had no altars; ditches or trenches
were dug to receive sacrificial blood offered to them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is descriptive and supports ritual-symbolic extraction, especially
altar asylum and sacrifice-related patterns. No passage-supported comparative
claims are present.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only provided passage and metadata; no external comparisons added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l6161-l6180
passage_sha256=0c7855426b17f8285863d63355ff2491a12e4300dbb85745980b3617230d5b1f