The Role Of Religion In Greek Culture

The Greek Society believes in many Gods. The first one that I will talk about is Zeus. Zeus is The God of The Sky, Thunder, Lightning, and Justice. Zeus made sure that justice was always served. So he made sure that there was justice everywhere. And if someone was doing wrong he would punish them deeply.

The Greek and Roman religions were the two major religions that were established in the ancient world. Greek religion was the first to be recognized and instituted, followed by the Roman religion. Many people believed that the Romans mimicked the Greek religion; however this was a common misconception, even though they appeared to be the same there are many distinctions between the Romans and the Greeks. Even the similarities between the two religions had slight distinctions, like their gods, they had similar functions but some of their gods were completely unique to one culture (Ferguson 154). Roman religion also had different concepts like religio, ideas about afterlife and gods that emphasis on household religion. The Romans integrated certain aspects of Greek religion into their own practices, they also maintained their own ideas which made it unique and separated the Romans from the Greeks.

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.

The Greek gods were thought of as the most powerful forces to ever exist in ancient times. In turn, they played a pivotal role in the Greek people’s lives. Their power and influence over the Greek people is evident in many of the stories in Greek literature. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the most powerful Greek gods, each played a part in the story of Antigone by Sophocles.

Greeks thought about their gods more often than most people do nowadays. Over the course of the day the Greeks would think about the gods often. if they wanted something such as death of an enemy or a good harvest he would give a offering to a temple of the of the gods domain in which he wanted help in.

The ancient Greeks thought the gods affected everything. They believed that Mount Olympus was where the gods lived, earthquakes were a message from the gods, and their first olive tree was a gift from Athena. Mount Olympus was assumed to be home to the gods because the mountain rises 9,570 feet in the air. The entrance to Olympus was a “...great gate of clouds, kept by the Seasons.” (Document 2) Another important geographic feature the Greeks made into a religious belief was the landscape and environment. Greece is “...smack-dab in the middle of a very active volcanic zone,” (Document 3) so the Greeks formed a religion called oracles, and the belief was “Oracles are the gods speaking to people, often in the form of minor earthquakes,” (Document

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.

Greek Mythology is a collection of myths and teachings that originated from the ancient Greeks. Tales of Greek Mythology are usually related to gods or heroes, the nature of the world, and the significance and origin of the Greek culture and ritual practices. Greek Mythology was part of the polytheistic religion in ancient Greece. Many scholars study the myths in an attempt to understand the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and its civilization. The scholars also wanted to gain knowledge of the nature of myth-making itself. The earliest Greek myths were part of an oral tradition that began in the Bronze Age. Greek mythology is made up of several different gods and goddesses. Greek myths attempt to explain the origins

The purpose of the work is to inform the audience of Greek religion and all that it entitles. In the article Cartwright describes the deities as well as the rituals for worship and celebrations. It also describes how people made a living out of the beliefs such as oracles and mystics. The work is written for anyone interested in learning more about ancient Greece. It has great significance to my topic because it depicts the important aspects of the religion. The strengths are how descriptive it is and how it touches on the most important topics. It's weaknesses are how short each section is.

Although Greek religion is no longer popular because of it 's diversity compared to religion today, it had a great standing back in Ancient Greece; Many aspects played a role in creating it 's foundation such as the deities, worship and rituals, and mystics and oracles.

There is not one god, but rather a plethora that all have their own territories and powers which they use to manipulate humans to bend to their wills, and the myths teach the people very strange skepticisms and mannerisms which they must follow in order to avoid angering any of these gods. Their myth of creation, called Theogony, tells the story of the creation of the earth through love and light, showing that they are two connected beings and are important to life, and death was created first, showing that before light there was only chaos, which may symbolize that without structure, chaos is all that can exist. The many gods in the story give the perception that the Greeks believe that everyone has a job to do and has different influences, just like how Poseidon controls the sea and Aphrodite is the god of lust, and in their culture they have scribes, gladiators, and blacksmiths, people from every skill tree. There isn't a very strong impact due to water, but many of the Greeks live on islands. The one thing there is; Poseidon, God of the sea, whose anger caused storms and, the Greeks believed, could summon sea monsters to destroy ships.

Have you ever wondered what causes things to happen? Ask the ancient greeks and they will tell you about the hundreds of gods that control our world. Ancient greeks believed that there are gods for everything in the world. Take Poseidon for example, the god of sea, earthquakes, and storms. Poseidon is the god that causes storms, waves, and even hurricanes.

One reason the people of Ancient Greece worshiped the gods is that they believed they were powerful controllers of the world. For example, in the video about women, the gods

and never leaning to one over the other. Specific gods/goddesses, such as Artemis with supporting Sparta remained strong to the end.

One of the difficulties shared crosswise over cultures and beliefs is the impalpable, inexpressible nature of the divine power. For the Greeks, the need to experience god was not bound to limits. Greek divine beings were wherever on coins, jewels, drinking vessels, domestic wall paintings. Notwithstanding when they were not there, their energy could be felt in the portrayal of the individuals who had felt their energy before in a process of inspiration. They were as inescapable as they were all observing. The Greeks perceived not one otherworldly power, but rather numerous heavenly forces, numerous divine beings and different creatures ready to exercise some kind of extraordinary impact. Recognizing this impact means communing with these creatures, and to do that, the Greeks needed to realize what they resembled, and where to discover them. Envisioning extraordinary powers and making spaces for them is both precondition and result of religious considering (Keeble, 2009:63).