Hierodules
Hierodules ( Greek "holy servants") were in the antiquity in broader meaning as much as priests in general, more precisely the assistants of the priests of both sexes, of their own free will or through a foreign foundation.
The voluntary hierarchy among the Greeks probably arose through oriental influence. In the Orient , the hierarchs were servants, servants of the priests, who tilled the holy ground around a temple in order to receive priests and the sanctuary from the produce. Furthermore they had to perform the lower services of the temple and the cult and to take care of the music and the singing of the victims.
The female hierarchs gave themselves to the temple visitors in certain places in exchange for a gift offered to the deity ( temple prostitution ). Strabo mentions a hierodul state in Komana , which was formed by more than 6,000 hierodules working for the priest of a temple equipped with large lands. The sanctuary of Venus Erycina in Sicily (→ Erice ) had female hierarchies from ancient times and was administered by virgins .
In Hellas, dancers and prostitutes were generally not allowed to function as hierarchs; especially in Corinth, however, the Hierodules were also hetaires and paid a tax to the goddess on their trade.
Donations from Hierodules, preferably after Delphi , are mentioned frequently. Prisoners of war, who fell under the protection of the gods as hierarchs, had nothing to complain about. An ancient hierarchical state, which was considered inviolable even by the enemy, was on Delos ; other similar institutes were found at Delphi, Dodona , Eleusis , Ephesus, and other places.
