Hecatomb
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In ancient Greece, a hecatomb (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx hekatómbē) was a sacrifice of one hundred cattle (hekaton "one hundred", bous "bull") to the Greek gods. In practice, as few as twelve could make up a hecatomb.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Although originally the sacrifice of a hundred oxen in the religious ceremonies of the Greeks and Romans, later "hecatomb" came to describe a large number of any kind of animals devoted to sacrifice. Figuratively, "hecatomb" is used to describe the sacrifice or destruction by fire, tempest, disease, or the sword of any large number of persons or animals; and also of the wholesale destruction of inanimate objects, and even of mental and moral attributes.<ref>{{#if: |
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Ancient Greece
Hecatombs were offered to Greek gods Hera, Athena, and Apollo during special religious ceremonies.<ref>Template:In lang Le Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines de Daremberg et Saglio (consultation de l'ensemble du corpus) Template:Webarchive</ref> At the end of the Olympic Games, a hecatomb was also offered to Zeus at Olympia.
In the Iliad, hecatombs are described formulaically. The following is one instance, from Samuel Butler's translation: