offering to the gods

Patera: Sacrificial Offering Bowl in Ancient Rituals

A **patera** is a shallow sacrificial offering bowl used in ancient Greco-Roman ritual, especially for libations of wine, oil, water, or milk presented to gods and ancestors. Appearing in art, archaeology, and literature, it became a lasting symbol of sacrifice, priesthood, and sacred exchange—yet its exact meanings and cultural variants reveal a more complex history.