Greek Gods Religion

Greek Religion Religion in Ancient Greece was polytheistic with many Gods and spirits which represent different aspects of life or nature. People would worship the Gods they found most useful. Many of their beliefs were childlike and came without moral instruction or their influence. Greek Gods were from one very large extended family and lived on Mt. Olympus. Their behaviours and emotions were very human. (Think Soap Opera)

Interacting with the Gods Each temple was built for a specific god and was meant to make them feel comfortable when they visited Earth. Prayer and worship were a very important part of Greek religion. Families would begin the day with prayer, and who they prayed to depend on what they were doing that day. If one did not pray in the right way or make the wrong sacrifice the Gods could be offended and reject their prayers.

Beliefs Greek gods possessed human characteristics, both virtues and failings The Greeks believed their gods controlled everything from the movements of the stars and planets to the success or failure of the harvest There were gods who ruled the sky, the sea, the earth, the underworld There were gods for marriage and childbirth, for music, hunting, and war and gods for trades such as metalwork

The Olympians of Olympus The Greeks believed that 12 brilliant and strong-willed gods, called Olympians, lived on Mount Olympus in northern Greece The chief Olympian was Zeus, god of the sky The 12 Olympians were: ZEUS: sky god and the chief of the gods HERA: Goddess of marriage and childbirth POSEIDON: God of the sea and the earthquake DEMETER: Earth mother and the goddess of fertility and skills HESTIA: Goddess of the hearth ATHENA: Goddess of wisdom and skills APOLLO: Sun god and the god of music ARTEMIS: Goddess of hunting and the moon HERMES: Messenger of the gods APHRODITE: Goddess of beauty and love HEPHAESTOS: God of metalwork ARES: God of war

Others Gods Outside the Olympian circle, two important gods were Hades, the brother of Zeus and god of the underworld and Dionysus, a late arrival in Greece who became the god of wine and drama. At festivals of Dionysus, people drank wine, dressed in costumes and stages dramatic performances. Other lesser deities included Muses, the Fates and the Furies. The Muses, associated with the god Apollo, inspired artists, writers and musicians. The Fates, three female deities, controlled the destinies of human beings. The Furies, born from the spilled blood of Uranus, enforced family law and avenged those who were killed by family members.

Religious Beliefs and Practices The Greeks tended to practice their religion individually. They would go to one of the many shrines, altars, or temples and say a prayer or leave a small gift if they needed a particular god. People might appeal to a god or goddess because of an illness, a bad harvest, an upcoming battle, or a joyous occasion such as marriage or birth. They usually hoped for a god’s blessing but sometimes were looking to avoid punishment.

Beliefs and Practices cont. The Greeks had no organized church, no powerful class of priests, and no established religious teachings and laws. Some priests in Greece, but they did not have much authority or influence. Some priests presided over special rituals or acted as caretakers to a temple, but their mission was not to persuade others to live better lives. Once they performed a particular ceremonial duty, their responsibility ended.

Oracles Greeks believed in the power of oracles. They believed the gods spoke through certain priests or priestesses at particular shrines. They consulted oracles to find out answers to pressing questions. The most famous oracle was the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, where visitors came seeking the god’s advice on various problems.

Omens, curses, superstitions Often considered a thunderstorm, an earthquake, an eclipse – any rare natural occurrence – as a sign of good or bad luck. When a person experienced misfortune, their first concern was often to find out which god had been offended. Believed profoundly in the significance of dreams and the mystical power of charms.

Honouring the Gods Festivals of all kinds were held frequently across Greece. They involved sacred processions, religious ceremonies, carnivals, dancing and singing, feasting and drinking. Competitions played an important part in festivals as well. Competitions in drama, oratory, music or sports.

The Afterlife Elysian Fields Asphodel Fields Tartarus After death the soul would travel to Hades by boat on the Styx river. The soul would eventually be meet by three judges. Who would decide the finally resting place. Elysian Fields Eternally paradise for the few that lead good and blameless lives Asphodel Fields A boring place where most would drift around aimlessly Tartarus Eternally punishment, pain and misery for the wicked.

Death and Afterlife The Greeks believed that the messenger god, Hermes, led the deceased to the River Styx, the great divide between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Here the boatman Charon waited to ferry the dead across the river into Hades (the underworld). A watchdog, Cerberus, stood at the entrance to the underworld and prevented any who entered from leaving again. Inside sat the judges of the dead, who assigned each ghost to its appropriate place.

Death and the Afterlife cont. Descriptions of the underworld vary. Hades was generally seen as a dreary place where the dead led a shadowy and cheerless existence. Most Greeks tried to greet death with calm courage, but had little hope of future happiness. Most believed that any existence beyond the grave would offer few joys and could never compare with the rich life of this world.

Burial Relatives still ensured proper burial rites so that their souls could enter the afterlife. Women were the ones that often washed the body, anointed it with oil, and wrapped it in a shroud. They placed a coin in the mouth of the corpse to pay the fare demanded by Charon at the River Styx. They set a crown or wreath upon the deceased’s head. Body laid out on a couch for a day so that relatives could grieve. The next day, the body was carried to the tomb, transported by pallbearers or a cart. Some families used the funeral as an occasion to display wealth. They had lavish funerals and might hire professional mourners to fill out their ranks.