shrines. Places at which gods or heroes were venerated; less elaborate than temples. A typical small shrine consisted of a simple enclosure and an altar. In addition, there might be a statue of the god, goddess or hero to whom the shrine was sacred. Sacrifices were placed within the sanctuary or burned on the altar. Blood offerings consisted of the meat of an animal, which was burned while wine was poured into the flames. Bloodless offerings included vegetables and fruits.