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History Of Sufism

Article could use more information on the early history of Sufism as well as its formation. In addition to that parts of the article may be considered biased as the authors tone indicates opinion rather than neutrality.The article could also use review from a Sufi or Islam historian as well as more sources

Scapegoat article
Scapegoating in Ancient Greece


 * Scrapegoat was usually a person of lower society (criminals, poor people or slaves) who was sacrificed either to avoid a catastrophe or to end one.
 * Was refered to as pharmakos katharma or peripsima
 * Scrapegoat had to be someone valuable if the sacrifice of one individual were to save a city or population from disaster, famine etc.
 * In mythical tales it was stressed that someone of value, either someone with important ancestors or the kings children were sacrificed, however no one in higher society was willing to take the initiative of sacrificing their children or being sacrificed
 * The scrapegoat was thus someone of lower society but was treated as someone of importance before being sacrificed

In Massilia and Athens he was kept by the state and chased out the city in fine clothes. (important service reserved for the rich)

In Abdera he was treated to a very nice dinner before being chased out of the city

Ancient Greeks practiced scapegoating rituals in exceptional times based on the belief that the repudiation of one or two individuals would save the whole community. Scapegoating was practiced with different rituals across ancient Greece for different reasons but was mainly used during extraordinary circumstances such as famine, drought or plague. The scapegoat would usually be an individual of lower society such as a criminal, slave or poor person and was referred to as the "pharmakos", "katharma" or "peripsima". There is a dichotomy however in the the individuals used as scapegoats in mythical tales and the ones used in the actual rituals.In mythical tales it was stressed that someone of high importance had to be sacrificed if the whole society would benefit from the aversion of catastrophe (usually a king or the kings children). However since no king or person of importance would be willing to sacrifice himself or his children, the scapegoat in actual rituals would be someone of lower society who would be given value through special treatment such as fine clothes and dining before the sacrificial ceremony. Sacrificial ceremonies varied across Greece depending on the festival and type of catastrophe. In Abdera for example a poor man was feasted and led around the walls of the city once before being chased out with stones. In Massilia a poor man was feasted for a year and then cast out of the city in order to stop a plague. The scholia refer to the pharmakos being killed, but many scholars reject this, and argue that the earliest evidence (the fragments of the iambic satirist Hipponax) only show the pharmakos being stoned, beaten and driven from the community.