Religion in Greece
Polytheistic Greece believed there were many gods and goddesses – which means they were polytheists
Differences? Each god or goddess had a different role and were in charge of different aspects of life. Zeus = god of gods Poseidon = god of the sea Apollo = sun god Aphrodite = goddess of love Athena = goddess of war and wisdom
Mount Olympus Gods and goddesses lived on Mount Olympus, which was their home. They lived like a regular human family – fighting and looking after each other.
Honoring Them… The Greeks honored the gods by: Building them temples (ex. Parthenon) Worshipping in temples Naming cities after them (ex. Athens) Building statues/pottery/art of them Bringing gifts to the temples Sacrifices
Interactions with them The gods are normally invisible to mortals, but can make themselves seen if they want Sometimes the gods would use a disguise to interact
Demi-gods If a god and a mortal had a child together, the child would be a demi-god, meaning half god Zeus and Poseidon were fathers to many demi- gods Demi-gods were faster, braver and stronger than mortals, giving them hero status Examples of demi-gods are Heracles (Hercules is actually the Roman version) Achilles (yes, the same as the term Achilles’ heel – his one spot of weakness)
Gods in movie culture Hercules (Disney) Troy Percy Jackson and the Olympians Clash of the Titans Wrath of the Titans And many more….