Editing Altar (section)

==Altars in antiquity==
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In antiquity, altars were used for making [[Sacrifice|sacrifices]] to deities; this could include both [[Libation|libations]] and [[animal sacrifice]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Animal Sacrifice in the Ancient Greek World – Bryn Mawr Classical Review |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2018/2018.08.07/#:~:text=Overall,%20Animal%20Sacrifice%20in%20the,reference%20to%20its%20practical%20execution. |access-date=2025-01-03 |language=en-US}}</ref> 

In [[Religion in ancient Rome|Ancient Roman religion]], altars were often inscribed with the donor's name and the deity to whom the altar was dedicated. One of the most important surviving Roman altars is the [[Ara Pacis]], dedicated by [[Augustus|Augustus Caesar]] at the beginning of the [[Pax Romana]] to the goddess of peace, [[Pax (goddess)|Pax]].<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow="5" caption="Altars in antiquity">
File:Tel Be'er Sheva Altar 2007041.JPG|Reconstruction of a horned altar at [[Tel Be'er Sheva]], [[Israel]].
File:3217 - Athens - Sto… of Attalus Museum - Kylix - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, Nov 9 2009.jpg|[[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] [[Kylix (drinking cup)|kylix]] showing a [[hoplite]] offering a sacrifice before an altar, around 480 BC. Ancient Agora Museum of Athens in the [[Stoa of Attalus]]
File:Berlin - Pergamonmuseum - Altar 02.jpg|The ancient [[Pergamon Altar|Altar of Pergamon]], reconstructed at the Pergamon museum, Berlin.
File:Opferstein Maria Taferl.jpg|The ''Opferstein'' or Sacrifice Rock at [[Maria Taferl]], [[Austria]]. It was used by the ancient [[Celts]] to make sacrifices upon and is now located in the plaza of the [[basilica]] there.
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