Ancient Greece : An Amazing Place With Culture And A Thriving Population

The battle ended well for the gods, but not so well for the titans, all but three were sent to down to tartarus. Atlas, the general sentenced to hold the world on his shoulders for eternity, Prometheus, as he had given Zeus advice during the war, and Epimetheus who had never participated in war. The choices of the battle were made and sides were chosen, but the gods came out on top leading to the fall of Kronos and reign of

The Greeks believed that the importance of where you go depends on the manner of your death, the behavior you had while still alive and how you were buried could affect where or what happens to you. This is similar to reincarnation because ideas are that the way you act while you are alive, conclude what type of person you are in the future. The way you are buried affect what type of person you become in your future life, such as rather you are buried or cremated. The differences between the Greeks thoughts and mine are that when you die in the Greeks thought, you go to the Underworld if you were judged to be “bad” and if you were “good” you went to Elysium. In reincarnation, some people can go to different places or you can be reincarnated. Another difference is that the Greeks believed in the underworld, if you traveled there your loved ones would be there and available to talk to. With reincarnation you are reborn into a completely different life and are unaware of who your past family was or any relation to your past life

Erudition, innovation, sophistication, every word and thousands more are associated with the name Greece. Steeped in complex lore, mythology, and history, it stands as a turning point in European culture. Its ideas and inventions are responsible for shaping many future events and turning the tide in science, art, and philosophy. At one time a group of city states, Greece was dominated by two centers a cultural one, Athens, and a military one, Sparta. Athens is probably best known for its playwrights, its philosophers, and the Acropolis. Sparta on the other hand is remembered as a military marvel where courage was the highest virtue. Legend tells that it had no walls for its best and only defense was its citizens’ valor

When people wonder about Ancient Greece the first thing that comes to their minds is Greek mythology; gods and goddesses that have helped shape many historical events. “In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life.” (“Greek Mythology.”) The civilization showed that numerous characters and stories helped shape Greeks. The beliefs the Greeks had with mythologies was they understood the meaning behind all the characters that are known today. However, to the Greeks, they were not just characters, these were their gods and goddesses who gave them meaning and understanding of the world around them. Worshiping the gods and goddesses helped them with their religious rituals and the temperament of the weather. A famous wine-jar that was made during this time period was “Achilles killing the Amazon Queen Penthesilea, 540-530 BCE, black-figured amphora”. (Khan Academy) The civilization that they lived in grew around their worship and achievements.

Hades is the Greek God and ruler of the Underworld. He is often associated with wealth and agriculture. He is also the son of Cronus and Rhea and the third most powerful Greek god. Unlike his two brothers, his realm cannot be seen by anyone living. The Greeks believe that his name, Hades, means “The Unseen One.” He is the only god that does not live on Mount Olympus; he has his own glittering palace made of pure gold and gems in the Underworld. The Greeks believe that when mortals

Throughout the ancient world, there were many civilizations that had many things in common, but as well many differences. The ancient civilization of Greece and the ancient civilization of India are not truly connected in a specific or direct way, yet there are many similar aspects within each culture. For example, Greece centered their culture around philosophy and politics. Greece also believed in the upanishads and mysticism. While India focused “more on the specifics of ritual and sacrifice” for priests and gods, and India also had the Caste system (Document 2).

The underworld in Greek mythology was not a lively place, for it was where all the dead souls went. When a person died, the soul would be sent to Hades, a more formal name for the underworld. "The dead would go to Hades because there was no annihilation in the Greek mythology. The dead are dead because they have a flavorless and unhappy existence".

In ancient Egypt, food offerings were made to the dead. In ancient Greece, pictures of feasts and their favorite things along with food were offered. The overall funeral between the two cultures was very similar in the way things were conducted, however grievers were different. In ancient Greece, people wore black robes and women cut their cheeks and hair to show their grief. In ancient Egypt, people showed their grief through the floral collars they wore . While the beliefs of the afterlife and funerals don’t differ tremendously between the two places, the way they handled the actual body did. In ancient Greece, they buried the dead so the dead who had good hearts would be ensured to make it to the good parts of the afterlife. In ancient Egypt, they used their advanced technologies to preserve bodies through mummification, so the dead could come out of the dead to accept offerings and essentially live forever. Sometimes, afterlife religious practices involved sacrifices which were found in different parts of life leading to the next idea.

In Greek mythology Hades is the god of the Underworld. He is part of the first olympians. He was in his father Cronus stomach until Zeus tricked him and freed his brothers and sisters. Once they were free they needed to wage war on Cronus, but they needed the backing and support from some other creatures to help fight the war. So the went to Tartarus the Greek equivalent of hell. When they were the set the Cyclopes free, in return the Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all got magical items. Hades got a magical helmet that made him turn invisible. This would help in the war with Cronus and the Titans. Cronus was finally defeated when Hades got the jump on Cronus with his magic helmet and poseidon pinned him down with his trident. The Zeus gave the final blow with his lightning bolt to end it. (Parada)

Hades lives in The Palace of the Underworld; this is because he was forbidden to visit Olympus, where the rest of the gods reside. The Underworld is a deep, dark place under the sea.

The afterlife is described in many cultures, dating back thousands of years. It is no different in Greek culture. As with the other cultures, the ancient Greek perspective on the afterlife shares similarities with the other views of life after death, but also contains its differences. The traditions, values, beliefs and culture of different people across the world shaped multiple views on the afterlife. The conception of the Greek underworld can be traced to the culture of the people at the time and shifts in perspective can be explained by shifts in beliefs and values.

Tartarus consisted of the pit of Tartarus, which was a dungeon for those who lived a wicked life and were being punished for their deeds (Joe). The Islands of the Blessed or Elysian Islands, located in Erebus, were where the great heroes of myth resided after death (Wikipedia). Also situated in Erebus, the Elysian Fields were where the virtuous dead were sent to dwell (Wikipedia). These souls where favored by the gods and were blessed. The souls that resided here were permitted to retain their memories of past lives (Joe). They could also experience the pleasures they did while they were alive. The environment was joyous and peaceful, and the souls could reside in eternal bliss (Joe).

Souls that were forgotten were believed to wander eternally in the bleakness of Hades. Hades was used to refer to both the god of the underworld and the afterlife itself. Hades was believed to have different planes of existence and the souls were scattered according to the lives they led on earth. Therefore, the belief in Hades was also important as it stressed the significance of leading a good life on earth as this determined where one’s soul was sent in the

The Odyssey emphasizes the barren and sad nature of the Underworld, showing that the Greeks believe that death is the end of life's happiness. Odysseus' mother explains to Odysseus why he cannot embrace her: “The sinews no longer hold the flesh and bones together;/ these perish in the fierceness of consuming fire as soon as life has/left the body, and the soul flits away as though it were a dream” (Homer 6). From this statement, it can be inferred that the Greeks think that death is a great equalizer. The bad have it worse in Hell but they die like the good, feeling rather sad in not being able to live again. Virgil, however, describes the Underworld in greater detail through its sequences and in much more glorified details (Leach 120). In The Aeneid, every seat in the Underworld is a product of judgment on people's lives (121). Virgil depicts Pluto's dome, which has the roman vestibulum where official and honorable guests congregate (121). Virgil also describes the differences between the people of honor and people of sin in the Underworld. Sinners suffer in the cliff guarded by Tisiphone, where vultures eat their livers and experience numerous other forms of suffering. The Underworld also holds heroes who continually fight their legendary battles: “Here found they Tsucer's old heroic race,/ Born better times and happier years to grace./ Assaracus and Ilus here enjoy/ Perpetual fame, with him who founded Troy” (Virgil 6). Virgil is saying that

Throughout the course of time, different civilizations across the world hold one thing in common by which a society or culture can be based upon or help influence the structure. The one common thing that has help a civilization grow throughout the period of time would be the formation of a religion. Religion is a center point for many societies throughout history. As the center for the different civilizations, it helped form their different traditions and customs. The same could be said about the people of ancient Greece, where religion or mythology played an important role in their lives as it was the pedestal of their culture and how they base their lives upon. The formation of a religion across the large number of regions of Greece, help the different locations mold themselves by the customs that were created from the adaptation. During what was known as Ancient Greece, the people would hear tales of the twelve Olympians and how their actions influence the world around them. Within this period of time for the people of Greece was that of growth, as they sought to bring new ideas into light as they exited from a dark period within their own history.