Greco-Roman Religion By:Sarah Perry, Karen Rodriguez, Jo-Ann Smith, Daniel Bondi, and Russell Megenity

Different gods were worshiped is different Greek city-states. ● for example, Athens worshiped Athena, Sparta believed in Artemis, and Corinth worshiped Aphrodite The gods were believed... ● to be immune to disease and sickness ● to become invisible ● to travel long distances almost instantly ● to be able to speak through humans with or without their knowledge There were 12 major Greek gods who lived on Mnt. Olympus. ● Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus Most Greek gods have Roman counterparts because the Roman Empire adopted many of the spiritual beliefs of ancient Greeks who preceded them. ● Poseidon - Neptune ● Zeus - Jupiter ● Hades - Plato Gods

● Athena ●goodness of wisdom, the arts, law, justice, and warfare ●daughter of Zeus and sister of Ares ●symbol of female independence because of her defeat of Poseidon and escape from Hephaestus’s attempted rape ● Poseidon ●god of the sea ●became an Olympian god in the Bronze Age of Greece ●brother of Zeus and Hades ● Zeus ●god of the sky and thunder ●represented by a lightning bolt, an eagle, a bull and an oak tree Gods Cont.

● the earth was flat floating on the Ocean ● believed in monstrous creatures ( o EX. Keres- evil female spirits o centaurs- wild half man half horse creatures full of knowledge o medusa- winged female creature with snake hair) ● Hades was the destination of the dead separated from earth by the Styx River (cannot enter without a proper burial) ● Elysium was a place of paradise for the good ● did not believe in reincarnation even though it was often discussed in Greek philosophy Basic Beliefs

● The relationship between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange: gods and goddesses were expected to give gifts ● Votive offerings, which have been excavated from sanctuaries by the thousands, were a physical expression of thanks on the part of individual worshippers. Practice

● The major form of worship for both Greeks and Roman was sacrifice and prayer ● The Greeks felt it was important for humans to show their reverence or respect for the gods through their actions ● They made daily sacrifices to the gods and goddesses o These sacrifices were generally food or drink; Greeks and Romans would simply share part of each meal with the gods o Animals such as goats, sheep, and birds might also be sacrificed to the gods and the blood served in goblets. Rituals/Holidays

● Children outside of religion ● Most significant roles were found in cults -Cults and Festivals involving Fortuna (Goddess of fortune) were the most important. EX: Fortuna Virgo (Goddess of Virginity) protected young girls who ceremonially gave their small togas to her when they came of age and wore a stola while moving to the protection of Fortuna Primigenia (Goddess of fate and luck whose worship was centered around the city of Praeneste- modern day Palestrina). ● Most important role was a Vestal Virgin -6 priestesses representing the daughters of the royal house who tended to the cult Vesta (goddess of the hearth). - Virgins were chosen at the ages of 6-10 by a pontifex maximus “a chief priest” -Requirements include: Ages 6-10, born free, both parents alive, free of mental and physical defects. Role of Women in the Religion

Roles of Vestal Virgins: ● Tending to the fire in the Vesta Temple ● Keeping vow of chastity ● Getting water from sacred spring ● Preparing ritual food ● Caring for the object’s in the temples sanctuary ● Officiating at the Vestalia (a period of public worship for Vesta) * Beaten if they didn’t do their duties and buried alive for breaking their vow of chastity Benefits: ● Ability to own their own land ● Emancipate from father’s rule Role of Women continued

Homeric Hymns: -Hymns written anonymously celebrating 34 different gods -NOT written by Homer -Homeric because they share the same epic meter of writing as Homer’s -Contains major hymns to Demeter, Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite -Contains minor hymns to Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, Hephaestus, and Ares ● Sacred writings have also survived in the form of oracles, inscriptions, and instructions to the dead. Texts and Books

- Mainly greek religion -slowly conformed more and more with the roman religion -The religion spread all the way from Dodana to Rhodes -It was mostly greek centered until the end and more of the roman religion was infused Origin and Diffusion

● before christianity Greco-Roman polytheism ruled Rome and Greece ● spans a period from Minoan and Mycenaean periods where it appears to evolve from the Hellenistic Bronze Age ● Herodotus (Ancient Greek historian) traced many practices back to ancient Egypt ● by the 1st century BCE, there were other religions that worshipped Ba’al and Astarte, a jewish synagogue, and romans who followed original roman gods such as Apollo and Neptune. Contact with other religions

Similarities and Differences Differences ●for the most part polytheistic as opposed to monotheistic Judeo-Christian religions ●Greco Romans believed their gods were human men, while most other religions thought of their gods as perfect in every way ●Greco Roman gods were seen as approachable as if they were more understood ●Females were respected in this religion very much while in other parts of the world they were rejected as equals Similarities ●similar to many religions around the world the Greco Romans used human sacrifice ●erected great houses and structures for the gods such as temples and monuments ●The Greco Romans had a preceding religion from Persia know as Mithraism similar to Judeo-Christianity and many other religions in the world

"Greco-Roman Gods and Goddesses." Greek Gods and Goddesses. Web. 15 Sept "Ancient Greek and Roman Religion." Ancient Greek Religion and Philosophy. Web. 15 Sept "Overview of Ancient Greek Religion." Overview of Greek Religion. Web. 15 Sept "Greco-Roman Religion and Philosophy." Gale Student Resources. Web. 15 Sept "Women in Roman Religious Life." GraecoMuse. 25 Dec Web. 13 Sept The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Homeric Hymns." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Apr Web. 15 Sept "Ancient Greek and Roman Religion." Ancient Greek Religion and Philosophy. Web. 15 Sept The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Vestal Virgins (Roman Religion)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 15 Sept Sources

Greco-Roman Edition Jeopardy

SarahKarenJo-AnnDanielRussell $100 $200 $300 $400 $500

Who was Poseidon? Sarah $100

God of the sea

Name one of 12 major Greek Gods whose name starts with an “H”. Sarah $200

Hephaestus, Hera, or Hermes

What did Athena represent? Sarah $300

Female independence, wisdom, and justice

Who was the Roman counterpart of Zeus? Sarah $400

Jupiter

What was the place of paradise called? Sarah $500

Elysium

True or False? Gods and Goddesses were expected to give gifts. Karen $100

True

What types of animals were usually sacrificed to the Gods and Goddesses? Karen $200

Goats, Sheep, and Birds

What concept was the relationship between humans and deities based off of? Karen $300

Exchange

What were the major forms of worship for the Greeks and Romans? Karen $400

Sacrifice and Prayer

What are votive offerings? Karen $500

Physical expression of thanks from individual worshippers to a God/Goddesses

True or False? Homeric Hymns were written by Homer. Jo-Ann $100

False. It is unknown who wrote them.

What are the forms that sacred writings can be found in? Jo-Ann $200

Oracles, Inscriptions, Instructions to the Dead, and Hymns

What are the Homeric Hymns? Jo-Ann $300

Hymns written anonymously celebrating 34 different Gods

What does a Vestal Virgin represent? Jo-Ann $400

Daughters of the royal house who tended to the Cult of Vesta.

What is a “Pontifex Maximus”? Jo-Ann $500

Chief Priest

What is a practice that sets the Greco- Roman religion apart from others? Daniel $100

Polytheistic

Females were _____and______. Daniel $200

Respected and Equal

Gods were seen as _______ by humans. Daniel $300

Approachable

What is the age in which Greco-Roman Gods evolved? Daniel $400

Hellenistic Bronze Age

What was the proceeding religion for Greco-Romans? Daniel $500

Mithraism

Who was the “mightiest” of Gods? Russell $100

Zeus

Was the Greek Religion polytheistic or monotheistic? Russell $200

Polytheistic

How did the people worship their Gods and Goddesses? Russell $300

Through sacrifice

What was fate? Russell $400

A predetermined way of things happening. There is no way to change what is going to happen.

In what civilization did Greek religion begin in? Russell $500

The Mycenaeans