Greek Religion And Public Life In Ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks with their brilliant and imaginative spirit created a complete order of things that functioned harmoniously in the infinite world that contained them. Although its exact origins are lost in time, Greek religion is thought to date from about the 2d millenium B.C., when the culture of Aryan invaders fused with those of the Aegean and Minoan peoples who had inhabited the region of Greece from Neolithic times [1]. The beginning and the genesis of this world occupied the ancient Greeks in much the same way it did the early people of every civilization. Greek religion was at the beginning a blend of Minoan, Egyptian, Asian, and other elements, but it subsequently evolved along with Greek thought.

Ancient Greece has been a religion- centered culture since the earliest period of habitation in Greece, the Pre-Mycenaean/Mycenaean period. Also through to the Dark Ages to the Classical period. It is a religiously centered civilization, and did have significant changes in the how it was incorporated into people’s daily lives. Religion is important to know about the Ancient Greeks because through it we are able to understand how they lived their lives.

“ The religion of Greek people is an important aspect of the Greek culture.”(Religion in Greece Source:www.greeka.com) Greek religion was a form of polytheism, which meant that they believed in many deities. Because religion was not built around a book, they expressed it in many forms. Greek theatre was performed on many different occasions, including special occasions. Greek religion was both private and

In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in its citizens’ daily lives. During this time, they participated in animal sacrifices and offerings, created myths to explain the beginning of the human race and gave reverence to their gods by building temples which controlled the urban landscape. They also participated in local festivals and sporting and artistic competitions. Religion was never out of the presence of ancient Greece’s citizens. While they may have made up their own mind on the terms of their religious beliefs, some may have been completely confused if these gods actually existed. There were certain fundamental beliefs that must have been sufficiently widespread, in order for the Greek government to function. In ancient Greece, gods existed, they influenced human concerns, and they welcomed and responded to acts of godliness and worship.

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.

The religious beliefs of ancient Greece civilizations may have been why ancient Greek women were allowed more freedom and privileges in their roles in their society. The religion of Ancient Greece was Mythology. Unlike other religions of ancient times in which the leaders or gods were typically men, in Greek Mythology there were gods but goddesses as well.

In ancient Greece, around 500 B.C.E, the culture was revolving around gods and goddesses. The lifestyles and actions of the people of Greece had an interdependence with the common belief of Hellenism. By understanding that many Greeks looked to their gods and goddesses in most aspects of their life, we can better understand how Greek culture worked as a whole. This can be seen specifically in Athens Greece. In Athens they looked to the Goddess Athena in particular because she was their patron Goddess. During this time a sculptor, named Phidias, sculpted a grand statue called the Athena Parthenos. The Athena Parthenos was viewed as an actual incarnation of the Goddess Athena, and symbolize victory in wars that ultimately create peace and harmony.

Greeks went to temples to present sacrifices to please the gods or to ask for the judgment of the gods on a problem. Greeks thought the gods had control over a aspect of there life and to get help they had to please the gods. They thought that if the gods were happy good things would happen to them. the Greeks believed that the gods controlled all parts of society.

Greek Cultural religion is the Ancient Greeks having faith in to be tremendously authoritative with control over features of wildlife or human civilization, but not all-powerful. The gods had human immoralities. Myths often labeled them accomplishment in human like ways, including protectiveness, vengeance and competitiveness. The gods were frequently exposed advancing their courtesy to certain humans, whether it was to use them in a disagreement against another god, or because that human was measured as virtuous. The gods could reward or punish humans at hand. Thus, complete compliance to the gods was an significant value to the Greeks, for the sake of self-protection and the defense of those around them.

In Ancient Greece the people honored and believe in the deities. Myths, poems, and epics

While our class has been covering different aspects of Greek civilization, I was assigned to read the literature from that time period. Some examples of the literature I read was The Iliad, The Odyssey, Medea, and Oedipus The King. These readings show direct relations to the concepts and ideas that occurred in Greek civilization during this time in history. Some of the recurring themes throughout these stories are religion, philosophy, and hospitality. Polytheism, fate, and hospitality towards others are some of the important concepts that were held by the Greeks.

Greek Mythology played a monumental role in the structural development of ancient Greece, not only as a society, but as individuals. Surprisingly, their religion was not exactly one of originality. In fact, their religion was loosely based on earlier cultures’ religions. It bears many strikingly similar resemblances to some of the oldest recorded religions in history. Ancient Greek religion is a type of polytheism called “Monarchial Polytheism.” That is, they believe in several different gods and deities but there is a supreme ruler above all of them. In order to fully understand how similar the mythological systems of religions have been throughout the years, you must look back towards the earliest of recorded civilizations. Polytheism

Several aspects of Greek culture prior and at the time of the Socrates and Plato primarily related towards communication and theology. Information was communicated orally. Individuals literally believed in the gods. People believed the key to a good life was accepting fate and following the gods. Greeks passed their values through tales of the gods without critical analysis.

Religion was a big thing in ancient Greece. It was personal but also present everywhere in Greece. The Greeks were polytheistic which means a belief in many gods. Each god that the Greeks believed in was in charge of an emotion or some piece of nature. The main gods lived in Mount Olympus. The main gods and goddesses were Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hestia, Demeter, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaestus. Athens was named after the goddess Athena who is the goddess of war, arts, crafts, and wisdom. During this time goddesses were dominant so Greek woman had a big influence on religion. Since women were more soft spoken and had a higher voice than men they would whisper to the gods or sing softly to them. Women in ancient Greece were seen as oracles because of this.

The religion of the Greeks was polytheistic, which means they revered numerous divine beings. We realize that the divine beings were an essential piece of Greek thought and religious life on the grounds that their divine beings are available in their writing. For instance, in Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the principle battle is between Oedipus' through and through freedom and the prescience made by Apollo, a Greek god. The Greeks trusted that the divine beings meddled with regular day to day existence of man. Dissimilar to the perspective of God in Judaism or Christianity, the Greek divine beings spoke to turmoil and