Hecatomb (ancient Greek - Èkatóußn, from EKĂTóV BóES "hundred bulls") in Ancient Greece - a solemn sacrifice of "one hundred bulls" in Homer's poems (for example, in the Iliad) - from 12 to 100 heads of cattle. Subsequently - any great solemn sacrifice, this word denoted any number of sacrificial animals, even if it did not reach a hundred.
We, surrounding the spring, on the holy altars brought
I
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To the eternal gods hecatombs are selected near the plane tree,
From under which a light stream of water flowed. Now the black ship on the sacred sea
let's let go
We will choose strong rowers, we will put a hecatomb on the ship.
According to the legend described by Diogenes Laertes, with reference to Apollodorus, on the day when Pythagoras discovered his theorem, he sacrificed 100 bulls to the gods
The process of sacrifice was as follows: after the ritual killing of animals, a small part of their carcasses was burned so that the heavenly gods could “taste” the smoke; the remaining meat was roasted and a feast was held.
Text wikkipedia
