Ancient Greek Religion

MPU2313 PRESENTS Religion Of Ancient Greek ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW Written by: Victoria Wun, Gerard Yeap, Ally Yee, Suriya Kanthan

Content Brief Introduction pg 2 Beliefs pg 3 - 4 Figures pg 5 - 6 Element pg 7 - 12 Summary pg 13 Reference pg 14 1

Brief Introduction In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. With formal rituals which included animal sacrifices and libations, myths to explain the origins of mankind and give the gods a human face, temples which dominated the urban landscape, city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. Whilst the individual may have made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely sceptical, certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship. The religious practices of the Greeks extended beyond mainland Greece, to the islands and coasts of Ionia in Asia Minor, to Magna Graecia (Sicily and southern Italy), and to scattered Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean, such as Massalia (Marseille). Early Italian religions such as the Etruscan religion were influenced by Greek religion and subsequently influenced much of the ancient Roman religion. When we think about Greek mythology, we often assume that these are simply “just stories.” Maybe to us they are stories, but to the Ancient Greeks, this was actually their religion. Many of the things that we know of today, such as the Parthenon in Athens, the Archaeological site in Delphi, and even the Ancient Olympic Games all have their roots in the religion of the Ancient Greeks. Here’s more information about the Religion of Ancient Greek. 2

Beliefs Although its origins may be traced to the remotest eras, Greek religion in its developed form lasted more than a thousand years, from the time of Homer (probably 9th or 8th century BCE) to the reign of the emperor Julian (4th century CE). During that period its influence spread as far west as Spain, east to the Indus River, and throughout the Mediterranean world. Its effect was most marked on the Romans, who identified their deities with those of the Greeks. THEOLOGY Ancient Greek theology was polytheistic, based on the assumption that there were many gods and goddesses, as well as a range of lesser supernatural beings of various types. There was a hierarchy of deities, with Zeus, the king of the gods, having a level of control over all the others, although he was not almighty. Some deities had dominion over certain aspects of nature. For instance, Zeus was the sky-god, Poseidon ruled over the sea and earthquakes, Hades projected his remarkable power throughout the realms of death and the Underworld, and Helios controlled the sun. Other deities ruled over abstract concepts; for instance Aphrodite controlled love. AFTERLIFE The Greeks believed in an underworld where the spirits of the dead went after death. One of the most widespread areas of this underworld was ruled over by Hades. Other well known realms are Tartarus, a place of torment for the damned, and Elysium, a place of pleasures for the virtuous. In the early Mycenaean religion all the dead went to Hades, but the rise of mystery cults in the Archaic age led to the development of places such as Tartarus and Elysium. A few Greeks, like Achilles, Alcmene, Amphiaraus Ganymede, and a great number of those who fought in the Trojan and Theban wars, were considered to have been physically immortalized and brought to live forever in either Elysium, the Islands of the Blessed, heaven, the ocean, or beneath the ground. This belief remained strong even into the Christian era. 3

MYTHOLOGY Beliefs Greek religion had an extensive mythology. It 4 consisted largely of stories of the gods and how they interacted with humans. Myths often revolved around heroes and their actions, such as Heracles and his twelve labors, Odysseus and his voyage home, Jason and the quest for the Golden Fleece and Theseus and the Minotaur. Many species existed in Greek mythology. Chief among these were the gods and humans, though the Titans (who predated the Olympian gods) also frequently appeared in Greek myths. Lesser species included the half-man-half- horse centaurs, the nature based nymphs (tree nymphs were dryads, sea nymphs were Nereids) and the half man, half goat satyrs. Some creatures in Greek mythology were monstrous, such as the one-eyed giant Cyclopes, the sea beast Scylla, whirlpool Charybdis, Gorgons, and the half- man, half-bull Minotaur. There was not a set Greek cosmogony, or creation myth. Different religious groups believed that the world had been created in different ways. One Greek creation myth was told in Hesiod's Theogony. It stated that at first there was only a primordial deity called Chaos, who gave birth to various other primordial gods, such as Gaia, Tartarus and Eros, who then gave birth to more gods, the Titans, who then gave birth to the first Olympians. The mythology largely survived and was added to in order to form the later Roman mythology. MORALITY One of the most important moral concepts to the Greeks was the fear of committing hubris. Hubris constituted many things, from rape to desecration of a corpse,] and was a crime in the city-state of Athens. Although pride and vanity were not considered sins themselves, the Greeks emphasized moderation.

STUDY OF Figures RELIGION | MPU 2312 Although there were multiple gods and goddesses that existed in Ancient Greece, these twelve represented the core of what most in Ancient Greece believed in. The Twelve Olympian Gods and Goddesses include Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Haphaestus, Hermes, Hestia, and Dionysius.Although Hades was a major ancient Greek god, and was the brother of the first generation of Olympians, his realm was the underworld, far from Olympus, and thus was not usually considered to be one of the Olympians. Zeus The sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion, who rules as king of the gods of Mount Olympus. His name is cognate with the first element of his Roman equivalent Jupiter. His mythology and powers are similar, though not identical, to those of Indo-European deities such ūas Jupiter, Perk nas, Perun, Indra, Dyaus and Thor. Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, the youngest of his siblings to be born, though sometimes reckoned the eldest as the others required disgorging from Cronus's stomach. In most traditions, he is married to Hera, by whom he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. At the oracle of Dodona, his consort was said to be Dione, by whom the Iliad states that he fathered Aphrodite. Zeus was also infamous for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many divine and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses. 5

Hera The goddess of women, marriage, family and childbirth in ancient Greek religion and mythology, one of the Twelve Olympians and the sister and wife of Zeus. She is the daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Hera rules over Mount Olympus as queen of the gods. A matronly figure, Hera served as both the patroness and protectress of married women, presiding over weddings and blessing marital unions. One of Hera's defining characteristics is her jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus' numerous lovers and illegitimate offspring, as well as the mortals who cross her. Hera is commonly seen with the animals she considers sacred, including the cow, lion and the peacock. Portrayed as majestic and solemn, often enthroned, and crowned with the polos, Hera may hold a pomegranate in her hand, emblem of fertile blood and death and a substitute for the narcotic capsule of the opium poppy. Poseidon One of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses. In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a chief deity at Pylos and Thebes. He also had the cult title \"earth shaker\". In the myths of isolated Arcadia he is related with Demeter and Persephone and he was venerated as a horse, however it seems that he was originally a god of the waters. He is often regarded as the tamer or father of horses, and with a strike of his trident, he created springs which are related with the word horse. His Roman equivalent is Neptune. Poseidon was protector of seafarers, and of many Hellenic cities and colonies. Homer and Hesiod suggest that Poseidon became lord of the sea following the defeat of his father Cronus, when the world was divided by lot among his three sons; Zeus was given the sky, Hades the underworld, and Poseidon the sea, with the Earth and Mount Olympus belonging to all three. 6

ELEMENTS STUDY OF RELIGION | MPU 2313 Healing Temples of Ancient Greece Strabo wrote in “Geographia” (c. A.D. 20): “On the road between the Tralleians and Nysa is a village of the Nysaians, not far from the city Acharaca, where is the Plutonium, with a costly sacred precinct and a shrine of Pluto and Kore, and also the Charonium, a cave that lies above the sacred precinct, by nature wonderful; for they say that those who are diseased and give heed to the cures prescribed by these gods resort there and live in the village near the cave among experienced priests, who on their behalf sleep in the cave and through dreams prescribe the cures. These are also the men who invoke the healing power of the gods. And they often bring the sick into the cave and leave them there, to remain in quiet, like animals in their lurking-holes, without food for many days. And sometimes the sick give heed also to their own dreams, but still they use those other men, as priests, to initiate them into the mysteries and to counsel them. To all others the place is forbidden and deadly. 7

Clothing Clothing in Ancient Greece consisted of lengths of rectangular linen or wool fabric. The Greeks wore light clothes as the climate was hot for most of the year. Their garment usually consisted of two main parts: a tunic (either a peplos or chiton) and a cloak (himation). Clothes were secured with ornamental clasps or pins at the shoulder and belt, sash, or girdle at the waist. Length of clothing differed between men and women. Women clothing was to their ankles while men wore their robe to the knees. Left to Right: Peplos, Himation, Chiton Inner tunic that was worn by women was a “peplos”. It was made of wool and had clasps at shoulders. The upper part of the peplos was folded down to the waist and formed so- called apoptygma. Chiton was lighter tunic, often pleated, made of linen and worn by both genders and all ages. Chitons also had knee-length for men and ankle-length for women. STUDY OF RELIGION | MPU 2313 8

Scriptures In ancient Greek there were no specific religious scriptures. There were some which was composed for festivals but they were never performed or followed as a standard. The Iliad It is an ancient epic poem in dactylic hexameter and it tells the battles and events during the quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles and it also has of a sequel, The Odyssey. Both the scriptures were attributed by Homer. These are the oldest extant works of Western Literature and its written version is usually dated to around the 8th century BC. The Homeric Hymns The Homeric Hymns are a collection of thirty-three anonymous ancient Greek hymns celebrating individual gods. The hymns are \"Homeric\" in the sense that they employ the same epic meter—dactylic hexameter as the Iliad & Odyssey, use many similar formulas and are couched in the same dialect. They were uncritically attributed to Homer himself in antiquity. 9

Scriptures In ancient Greek there were no specific religious scriptures. There were some which was composed for festivals but they were never performed or followed as a standard. The Theogony The Theogony, i.e. \"the genealogy or birth of the gods\" is a poem by Hesiod (8th – 7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods, composed c. 700 BC. It is written in the Epic dialect of Ancient Greek. It is a large-scale synthesis of a vast variety of local Greek traditions concerning the gods, organized as a narrative that tells how they came to be and how they established permanent control over the cosmos. A ceremonious poem in the manner of Pindar, a Greek professional lyrist of the 5th century BC. He employed the triadic structure attributed to Stesichorus, consisting of a strophe (two or more lines repeated as a unit) followed by a metrically harmonious Pindar's Odes antistrophe, concluding with a summary line (epode). These parts corresponded to the movement of the chorus to one side of the stage, then to the other, & their pause midstage to deliver the epode. 10

Festival The Andonia An ancient Greek festival in honor of the dying god Adonis that is first recorded to have been celebrated by women on the island of Lesbos in the seventh century BC, although it is probably derived from the much more ancient Near Eastern festival of Dumuzi. The Adonia took place in the middle of summer and was celebrated exclusively by women. It is recorded as having been widely celebrated by women in Athens during the late fifth century BC. It remained a popular festival among women throughout the Greek world during Hellenistic times (c. 323 – c. 31 BC). During the festival, the women would climb using ladders onto the roofs of their houses and plant fast- growing plants like lettuce or fennel in small baskets or shallow pieces of broken pottery. These were known as “gardens of Adonis.” The women would then leave these gardens in the hot sun. The plants would quickly sprout and shoot up, but they woul in d wither in the heat. This was believed to symbolize the life of Adonis, cut short in the prime youth. Meanwhile, the women would burn incense to Adonis. Once the plants withered, they would make a spectacular display of mourning for the dying god, beating their breasts and tearing their clothes. They would then lay an effigy of Adonis upon a bier and carry it through the city and out to the sea in a massive funeral procession, continuing to display their grief all the way out to sea. They would then hurl the effigy of Adonis and the withered plants out to sea. 11

STUDY OF RELIGION | MPU 2313 The Panathenaic Games The Panathenaic Games were held every four years in Athens in Ancient Greece from 566 BC[to the 3rd century AD. These Games incorporated religious festival, ceremony (including prize-giving), athletic competitions, and cultural events hosted within a stadium. The competitions for which this festival came to be known were only part of a much larger religious occasion; the Great Panathenaia itself. These ritual observances consisted of numerous sacrifices to Athena (the name-sake of the event and patron deity to the hosts of the event – Athens) as well as Poseidon and others. The Panathenaic festival was formed in order to honor the goddess Athena who had become the patron of Athens after having a competition with the god Poseidon where they were to win the favor of the Athenian people by offering the people gifts. The festival would also bring unity among the people of Athens. A sister-event to the Great Panathenaia was held every year - the Lesser Panathenaia, which was 3–4 days shorter in celebration. The competitions were the most prestigious games for the citizens of Athens, but not as important as the Olympic Games or the other Panhellenic Games. 12

of what have the writers observed & learnt through their research about the Religion of Ancient Greek. Gerard: Ally: From studying the Ancient Greek religion, what I came to realize the My biggest take on Ancient Greek religion is the concept of fate most is how everyone has their own weaknesses. No matter how great brought about by the sister goddesses, “Moirai”, that are known to or successful a person can be, at the end of the day, they are not control and determine one’s life path. This very much relates to my perfect. I’ll use the story of Achilles’ Heel as an example. He was the strong belief that everything happens for a reason. At times in life, greatest hero that who took part in the Trojan War. He was known to things seem to fall perfectly in place while at times, it’s as if the be indestructible and undefeatable with the only part of his body, his whole universe is going against us. When we don’t get what we want heel being vulnerable. True enough, an arrow shot him right in the or what we planned for, we often get very frustrated and question heel and he died. It makes me understand that everyone should be why. However, it is always until later on that we realize that it was humble and know what their weaknesses are so we can work on them actually a good thing and worked in our favour after all. and try to be better. Victoria: Suriya: I have learnt that the ancient greek religion thinkers talk a lot about I was really astound when I got to know that the Ancient Greek didn't the underworld, ruled by Hades (hell). To me, I don’t believe that have a proper, fixed religious book or scripture to follow. They didn't heaven and earth exist as physical places after we die. Rather, I think predict the principles that one should follow in this birth. Accepting of heaven and hell as a concept of our lives here on earth. I believe if different opinions as no one is same is my opinion and everybody we live a virtuous, purposeful, and loving life, we are living heaven on have their own perspectives and we should never judge a person. earth. If we are living a life of desire, misery, anxiety, fear, we are Each and every community have their ideology and principles Instead living a life of hell on earth. Our actions and intentions would decide the Ancient Greek had hymns to praise the Greek Gods and stories in where we belong, just like the placing of the first generation of which we get to decide our principles to lead a righteous life without Olympians. causing or disturbing anyone's peace. One can live in his way but most importantly he should let others live also. 13

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