Greek Culture And The Pantheon

The Greek society believed in polytheism. They believed that their were many gods and that each god has the power to control different aspects of nature. In this paper I will be explaining why this has come to be. I will also tell you about the fact that no matter what the Greek Gods do it will affect the Greek Society, and no matter what the Greek Society does it will affect themselves or the Greek Gods.

on our history and mythology helped shed light to it’s culture, religion, and government of ancient Greece. The Mediterranean has served as a vessel for the early civilizations., Greek mythology has influenced the life style and religion of the Greeks, especially because Greek mythology served as the primary basis of Greek belief, it became the nearest thing the Greeks had to a holy bible.1 These mythologies served as the center of Greek life and these mythologies served as their basis for their life and in turn the mythologies shaped the foundation of the Greek life style, culture, religion that we know today.

The religion of Greece in early times was polytheistic. The religion was incorporated into every aspect of the culture including art, and literature. This was the religion that was practiced during the "Golden Age" of Greece. The gods of Hellenistic Greece existed in every form and fashion. There were gods for everything in life like government, sex, month of birth, trade, and human traits (i.e. wisdom, love, war, birth, rain, etc.)

Greek culture is the source from which many of the characteristic elements of Western culture derive. Their explorations and innovations in art have both fascinated and inspired other civilizations for centuries. For this assignment I chose two Greek sculptures viewed at the Getty Museum. The first is Kouros circa 530 B.C. made of Dolomitic marble from Thasos and is approximately 200 cm (80 in) in height. The second is Cult Statue of a Goddess, (most likely Aphrodite) South Italy, 425 - 400 B.C. made of Limestone and marble. It stands at a height of 220 cm (86 5/8 in). There is some dispute to the authenticity of the Getty Kouros

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.

As Hephaestus is notified of Thetis’ arrival, he explores what their relationship has meant to him. Hephaestus recalls that “Thetis saved my life when the mortal pain came on me after my great fall…” (P. 480) After Hephaestus falls out of Zeus’ good graces, Thetis is able to lend her helping hand, displaying the hierarchical dynamic between the gods. The gods are indebted to each other, the likely reason that Hephaestus felt as though he needed to make Thetis the ornate shield. The duty and obligation to each other fuels the mutualistic relationships between the gods. Thetis’ motivation to help Hephaestus was not solely out of kindness; rather Thetis saw the opportunity to make a strategic move and put Hephaestus in her debt, knowing that she very well could use his services in her future. Hephaestus describes the pain that he felt as “mortal pain” signifying a distinction between the discomforts and vulnerability of mortals and gods.

Towering mountains. Bright blue seas. Glittering white temples dedicated to the gods. Though Ancient Greece was made up of many different regions and colonies, these 3 things were almost always in view. The ancient Greeks worshiped many different gods and goddesses that each controlled something in the mortal world. What was different about their gods and goddesses was that they were very human like. They looked like mortals, had thoughts like mortals, and they even quarreled with each other like we do. Ancient Greek religion is also known as Greek Mythology, Classical Religion, and Classical Mythology. Though whatever people call it, decisions made in Ancient Greece were heavily influenced by their religion.

One of the more inspiring and brilliantly conceived and constructed dome structures in the world is the Pantheon of Rome. This example imposes a magnificent strength of ingenuity and dominance over their surrounding landscape, and the Pantheon deserves to be researched and admired for its architecturally innovative and bold design of its time. The building was accommodated with serious technical impediments that required a thorough and scrutinizing attention to detail in order to overcome. It is because of the prevailed obstacles by the various designers, architects and builders of this building that captures the consideration of those interested in the development of building technology and progress throughout the

First of all, the sculpture will fill our lives with the beauty of art as citizens. For example, “the History of Public Art” article gives a background on ancient greek statues and temples, and it states that the “structures helped unite the citizens of the communities of which they stood by providing a concrete focus for national identity and pride” (The History of Public Art). For

Throughout history, many civilizations have risen and fallen carrying along with them their perspectives and beliefs manifested in works of art. All civilizations have erected monuments to not only prove they existed, but because they believed they would remain permanently. The Ancient Greeks were no different, portraying their ideal standards of beauty and proportion into their sculptures. Their ideal perception of adulation “represented the highest form of perfection, comparable to the infinite impeccability of their gods and goddesses” ( ). Evidently, the Ancient Greeks ideals served as a prerequisite that transcended into the ideals of their successors, the Ancient Romans.

Greek Mythology is one of the hallmark focal points in the existence of the Greek culture. Throughout this paper, you will learn about several of these gods and goddesses and their influence on ancient Grecian peoples and culture of today. As we explore these ancient deities we should admire their ability to withstand the hands of time, and their impact on worldwide art, film, novels, and life even today.

The architecture of both the Christian and Greek religion have deep roots in their respective religions. Greek temples were usually rectangular in shape, and consisted of columns on the exterior sides of the structure. Some noteworthy exception to this rule was the unique Erechtheion of Athens with its somewhat different Caryatid columns and the temples of the Cyclades which only had columns on the front side of the structure. Christian churches were originally based off of a number of features taken from the Ancient Roman period. Early Christian communities used one specific feature for most of their original churches, the Atrium. An atrium is a courtyard surrounded by a large colonnade.

The Panthéon is one of the most popular attractions in Paris. It is famous for a fabulous 19th century church and now a civil temple.

The times when the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome flourished are filled with revolutionary advances in society but most notably in their respective cultures. While a significant amount of time separated the two periods, Rome used many of ancient Grecian works as a foundation for their own way of life with some tweaking here and there. In that respect, the two periods greatly influenced and helped to shape Western culture. This is especially true when it comes to the arts, particularly in architecture which can be seen in two significant structure from each period: ancient Greece’s Parthenon and Rome’s Pantheon.

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.