1. Ch11. Cultural Contributions 11.1 Religious Practices

2. 1. Religion -polytheistic -each city-state worshiped own god -officials in each polis were in charge of public feasts & sacrifices -priest/priestess served as oracles -gave prophecy -person decided meaning

3. 2. gods and goddess -worshiped gods of Mt.Olympus -12 major gods w/specific duties chart p.181 -built temples -statues of god inside -altar in front -gods home, did not enter out of respect

4. -festivals -Olympic games -Theater -placed great importance on individual worth and value -self respect -approached gods w/dignity

5. 3. Olympics -1 st 776BC -held every 4 yrs. (middle of summer) -held in Olympia (group of temples & fields) -honor Zeus -most sporting events -wars stopped -Spartans fined for not competing & calling a truce during Peloponnesian War

6. -only men could participate -swear to uphold rules -fined if rules were broken -games -chariot race in Hippodrome -boxing -pancratium -pentathlon -5events

7. -winners crowned w/wreath of olives -some city states gave athletes free food for a year -heroes -parades -Herodotus “Father of History” -read accounts of Persian Wars at Olympics

8. 4. Theater -festivals to honor Dionysus -1 st talk and dance -soliloquy -talk in which personal thoughts & feeling are expressed to the audience -heroes and gods

9. -Aeschylus -father of Greek tragedy -created 1 st play -tragedies -stories about suffering -dealt w/relationships between gods & people

10. -3 great writers -Aeschylus-power and its effects on people -Sophocles-people suffered b/c of sins -Euripides-suffered b/c they did bad things

11. -comedy-play with a happy ending -about present time -1 st made fun of politicians and political leaders -eventually made fun of the type of person -Aristophanes

12. -performed at community festivals -tragedies-morning -comedies-afternoon -men performed all parts -women could watch -open air theaters -support of theater was a public responsibility -official in each polis chose play to be performed and assigned play to a wealthy citizen to stage -citizens judged the plays at each festival