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Wall text panel written for the Gifts for the Gods exhibit case of the Greek and Roman Galleries of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art. 

Greek religion was a relationship of exchange between mortals and gods. The common phrase “do ut des,” which means “I give so that you give,” illustrates this reciprocal nature. Worshippers made offerings to the gods and in return, the gods complied with their requests. Offerings were made in the form of prayers, votives (often small, symbolic objects), libations, and animal sacrifices. The nature of an offering was often dependent on the nature of the god. Gods who were conceptualized as being chthonic, or earthly, would most often receive liquid libations, offerings poured into the ground. Gods who were ouranic, associated with the sky, would receive sacrifices of oxen, sheep, and goats. Parts of these animals would be eaten by the Greeks, while the other parts were burned, the smoke rising into the skies for the heavenly gods to receive. Votive offerings were also left in temples or shrines, and prayers and hymns were sung to all the gods. This case contains objects that represented the varied offerings that the Greeks made to their gods.