How Did The Greek Gods Influence Society

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.

“Mythos”- a Greek word meaning “tale” and the origin of the word mythology; according to the dictionary mythology means, a traditional story aiming to explain the meaning of things concerning deities and demigods.

Zeus controlled many people during the Greek religion phase. He ruled the sky and thunder. He ruled as king of the gods of Mount Olympus. Zeus came from a very popular group of leaders in his family. One being his father Cronus. Cronus led the titans and become the youngest of the first generation of the titans. Cronus overthrew his father and become the leader during the Golden Age. Then, Zeus’s mother Rhea, which came from the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus. Cronus descended from the same line of family. Rhea is considered as “mother of gods. Zeus being the youngest of all siblings become the one with the most weight on their shoulders having to perform like all of his other siblings. He fathered many children where they would

Through history, religion has shaped civilizations in several aspects. In ancient Indian and Egyptian civilizations it was very strong shaping force in political structures, but both the religious beliefs and the resulting political system were different, just like pharaohs were different from rajas.

Aztecs, also called Mexica, is a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished around 1350. Tenochtitlan is the capital of the Aztec empire built on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Aztecs were believed to be nomads who came from the Toltec tribe. They wandered into the valley of Mexico around 1325 and started to form villages. They dug canals, drained lakes and converted them into fertile fields. They also built the beautiful city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were known for human sacrifice, which was associated to religious rituals. They believed that their gods sacrificed their own lives to sustain the earth. In return, human blood must be sacrificed to the sun, moon, earth, and vegetation gods to provide them nourishment to keep the nature and cosmos in balance (Benton & DiYanni, pg. 325-326). The Aztecs arose as the leading force in central Mexico taking the region’s city-states under their power by the 15th century. They developed a sophisticated political, social, commercial and religious organization. However, the Spaniards, led by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes defeated and conquered the Aztecs in 1521.

The selfless act the gods committed led to one of the major reasons for human sacrifices which was that since the gods gave up their own life for the creation of the new world, that the Aztecs had to somehow respect and honor their action. They did this by creating an eighteen month calendar, which dedicated each month to a certain god. The Aztecs used scared and solar calendars to tell time and when all the possible combinations had been used, usually every fifty-two years, the Aztecs would go through a twelve-day period before the cycle started again (Benson 506).

Religion- Aztecs worshipped Tlaloc(god of rain). He had the control over nature. He can cause floods and drought. The Aztecs were afraid of him because he controlled their living. Human sacrifice was the strongest offering they gave to their gods. They heartily

The Aztecs worshipped many gods.Two of the gods were huitzilopochtli and quetzalcoatl.The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice

Aztec practice religions of many gods. They had sun gods. Two of the sun gods were Ehecatl and Huitzilopochtli. The Aztec believed that if you added his or her blood they would come back to life. Also, they repaid people by sacrificing. The two things they feared most was natural and the world ending. For example, they thought that the world was going to in 52 years. They thought there was 13 layers in heavens and 9 layers in the underworld.

The Aztec empire is best known for its math system of algebra, an irrigation system, the pyramids and temples used to conduct human sacrifices, and the refinement of a Mayan calendar. Aztecs held the polytheistic belief in their religion. They conducted human sacrifices as they believed that it was crucial to thank their gods for the functions of life. They also believed that it would bring good luck to war victories and future crop harvests. Advances in astronomical techniques allowed farmers to know when to plant crops.

Their religion was dominated by three gods: Huitzilopochtli (God of War and Sun), Tezcatlipoca (God), and Quetzalcoatl (God of Civilization, Priesthood, and Learning). A major component in the religious beliefs of the Aztecs was human sacrifice. Human sacrifice was very important, honored, and common. Their beliefs were highly focused on keeping nature in balance. One false step could lead to natural disaster.

Ancient Romans came up with a mythology so rich, we still remember and learn about it today. Although the idea was taken from other cultures, like the Greeks, they changed it so that it would exhibit their way of life better. The Greeks worshiped many gods and goddesses, so many that we do not know exactly how many they believed in. Then, the Roman society took those gods and changed them. According to Donald L. Wasson, a publisher on Ancient History Encyclopedia and past history professor at Lincoln College, how they did this was they gave the gods different names.

The aztec had many gods they believed in. Some known as the god of corn, sun, water, fire, sky, and rain. They sacrificed two thousand three hundred men. After they sacrificed them they rolled them down the temple and let their blood bathe the temple stairways.

These are pieces are used in worship and for remembrance. In architecture, temples built to worship gods and goddesses, like the Parthenon, are famous and still used today. Festivals held in Ancient Greece to honor the gods have turned to tradition; and are still held to this day. These influences made up life in Ancient Greece and they make up life in the modern world everyday ("Influence of Religion in Greece and

The Greek gods and goddesses “shaped the destinies of men.” And still hold imaginations today. They were very important figures in Greek religion. They, and their great impact, have pushed the Greek civilization to the point of a greater lifestyle. The Greeks believed with all of their hearts that the gods were real and helped them in their day to day lives. They supposedly helped immensely in the Trojan war. The Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, were all brothers that split territories three ways: Zeus, god of the skies, Poseidon, god of the seas, and Hades, god of the underworld.