Greek Mythology: Polytheistic Religion In Ancient Greece

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

To notify the city of defeat or victory a runner, Phaedippas was sent to Athens and when he arrived he was able to get the word “victory” out and then collapsed and died. The Greek word for victory is Nike and this is where the shoe company got its name.

As soon as we are exposed to Achilles in battle, it is obvious why he is the hero of the Achaeans. He is very devoted, and even the heat of battle does not faze him, as he mows down rows and rows of his opponents. His devotion in battle is suitably shown when he is talking of battle:

Ares was the Greek god of war and the most unpopular god because of his aggressiveness, quick temper and his unquenchable thirst for conflict. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera and is from Thrace, home of a fierce people in the northeast of Greece. Ares was noted for his beauty and courage, which helped him win the affections of Aphrodite (which at the time was married to Hephaistos). When he was caught, the punishment was temporary banishment from Mount Olympus. Ares represented the more brutal and bloody side of war, which was in contrast to Athena who represented the strategic side of war. Ares was usually accompanied by his children with Aphrodite, Phobos, and Deimos. Although Ares embodied the physical aggression for success in war the Greeks thought of him as dangerous and an overwhelming instable force in battle. The "Roman Counterpart" (Roman equivalents) to Ares was Mars, who was also known as "The Father to The Roman People." Ares' worship was largely in the northern areas of Greece, and, although devoid of the social, moral, and theological associations usual with major deities, his cult had many interesting local features. At Sparta, in early times, at least, human sacrifices were made to him from among the prisoners of war. Ares' special powers were those of strength and physicality. As the god of war, he was a superior fighter in battle and caused great bloodshed and destruction wherever he went. Ares was usually pictured as a warrior carrying a spear and a shield. No one really liked his activities because, wherever he went, he left traces of misfortune and aberration behind. In Sparta, Ares was viewed as a model soldier: his resilience, physical strength, and military intelligence were unrivaled. An ancient statue, representing the god in chains, suggests that the martial spirit and victory were to be kept in the city of Sparta. That the Spartans admired him is indicative of the cultural divisions that existed between themselves and other Greeks

Leuzinger 1 The Greek Gods Throughout history it is easy to see that religion has a big deal to do with culture, but what if religion played such a big part in our society that we were constantly afraid of being zapped by lightning, or losing the entire sun? From the beginning of written history gods have dictated the ideas of peoples and cultures, shaping the majority of our world as we know it today. Such effects can be seen even in our federal law system in America. For example the Ten Commandments had a lot to do with the writing of the constitution.

PAPER #1 The six dimensions of religion include ethical, ritual, emotional, institutional, cognitive and aesthetic. The six dimensions can be applied to any and all religions that exist or did exist at some point. A good example of a religion from the past that the dimensions can be applied too is the Ancient Greek religion. Being polytheistic religion in which many gods ruled many different domains of the earth, the six dimensions can be applied to the Ancient Greek religion but some dimensions are more influential than others because of the way the Ancient Greek religion is structured.

Greek mythology is a different and unearthly world full of gods, heroes, villains, creatures and women and men fighting for the overall good. Greek mythology is the centre of all ancient Greeks, it influenced a lot of their religious believes, cult practises and spiritual believes. Greek mythology provides an insight into the life in Ancient Greek and some of the habits, ritual and customs practised. Greek mythology is show in many different ways such as stories, paintings, pottery and dramas. Greeks believed that there were extensive gods; there were 12 famous gods of mount Olympus and numerous deities and semi gods that played supporting roles to the original gods.

Who is Nike? Nike was a greek goddess that symbolized victory. She was known to be a very fast runner, swift flyer and charioteer. Nike was given a golden chariot to lead Zeus's troops into battle. She was also to be known as Victoria in symbolism as Victory. Nike was half-Titan by her father Pallas. During the time of war between the titans and olympians, she fought against the Titans on the side of the Olympians.

Achilles then asks his mother to convince Zeus to honor him at the cost of the Greeks. He wants the Greeks to be defeated in battle so that they realize how important Achilles was to them and so that they will honor and respect him as their greatest warrior and most important leader. Zeus grants the wish of Thetis and the battle begins to change dramatically.

Ares is the Greek god of war and military. The Greeks prayed to him whenever they were going into battle. They also would've prayed to Nike, the goddess of Victory. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera and one of the 12 Olympians to have a throne on Olympus.

Achilles, the strongest and fastest of the Greeks, does not help them as much either. During the discussion about the issue of Chryseis, Nestor, the advisor to both, tells Agamemnon and Achilles to cease arguing and return the prize to soothe Apollo’s temper. When Chryseis safely returns to her father, Agamemnon cheekily demands another prize. “As compensation for his lost war prize, Agamemnon abducts Achilles’ Briseis. Dishonored, Achilles swears that never again will he join the Achaeans in fighting against the Trojans,” (Homer 373). As a result, the swift runner asks his godly mother, Thetis, to speak with Zeus to help the Trojans instead of the Greeks out of rage. This causes the Achaeans to go into a period of fear because of Achilles’

In Homer’s tale, Achilles is the greatest fighter in the Greek army which also means he has the most glory because he was winning the war for the Greeks. Agamemnon is the king of all the Greeks and because he has to give up his prize, Chryseis, he takes Achilles’ prize, Briseis. When Agamemnon and Achilles are fighting Achilles almost draws his sword to kill Agamemnon but Athena stops him.

The battlefield is the primary place where Achilles gains kleos, an honorable reputation increased through bravery and sole glory, and demonstrates his power. When Priam sees him coming as Hector waits outside the gates prepared to fight, Homer describes Achilles’s armor as “Orion’s Dog…brightest / Of all, but an evil portent” (22.35-36). This epic simile is comparing Achilles and the armor that represents his country and status to the Dog Star, which is a bad omen. His reputation as one of the greatest Greek fighters precedes him, shining brighter than all the rest, which attests to the fact that how he performs on the battlefield is how he is perceived as a person. Achilles settles threats to his reputation on the battlefield as well. He would not appear brave if he did not avenge the death of his dear friend, Patroclus. Near the end of the battle between Achilles and Hector, Achilles tells him, “But

Greek mythology is a very valued body of literature, and had inspired, taught, and grounded many people who has either read or listened to these great tales. These stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes reflect the unexplained beginning of many ways of nature, moral stands, and entertaining legends. The book, “Gods, Heroes, and Men of Ancient Greece”, is a bible of the relations and narratives of ancient Greece. Many stories of Zeus, Athena, Demeter, Hermes, and many more gods and goddesses have entertained people for centuries. The legends of Pandora, Persephone, and Cronos have directed, justified, and amused communities will continue to do so for years to come.

You may have heard of Greek gods, but have you ever wondered what they are and how they originated? Greek gods are myths and teachings of Ancient Greek people. It originated from ancient Greece mythology, heroes, nature, and ritual practices. Today it is believed that Greek gods are there to make your life better while you are alive, and they would take care of you when you died. Greek gods can be classified in four groups or elements, and then be further explained in their origin and background.