Greek religious ceremonies and weaponry

[Hoplitesmores]

Did the ancient Greeks bear arms in religious rituals? Swords or Spears and anything other than an armour and helmet.

[Paullus Scipio]

Well, quickly off the top of my head, there cannot have been an absolute taboo against arms at religious rituals...the Spartans scrificed a goat literally just before going into battle..... and their festival Gymnopaediae, which was semi-religious, and a commemoration of the glorious dead of the battle of Thyrea ('the battle of the champions') was performed 'unarmed' , not, as many think from the name, naked, implying other religious festivals were performed under arms.........

[hoplite14gr]

Armed and armored men in religious ocassions:

Atheneous 12 525E
Plutarch Alekbiades 34
Aeneas Tactica 317

Kind regards

[Dan Diffendale]

There's also a description of a procession to the temple of Artemis in Ephesus that included armed men, in Xenophon of Ephesus' Ephesiaca...