Sandra Said-

10 History Elective
Ancient Greece- Religion
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 Ancient Greek.
Greek religion, religious beliefs and practices of the Ancient Hellenes. Religion was
important to the Ancient Greeks because they believed that it would make their lives better
while they were living. They also believed the gods would take care of them when they died.
The ancient Greeks believed in many different gods and goddesses. They believed that these
gods and goddesses controlled everything in their lives and the environment. There was a
god for every aspects of their lives. It was important to please the gods; happy gods helped
you, but unhappy gods punished you. People had special places in their homes where they
could pray to the gods. There were also public shrines in all sorts of places where people
could pray and leave offerings. The Greeks, to show the gods how important they were to
them, built temples in very town for one god or goddess. The temples were not like modern
places of worship, for ordinary people to pray in. They were homes for sculptures of gods,
which were cared for by priests. The temples that were built showed how wealthy and
powerful the city was. Rich cities, like Athens, built temples of the best stone, and decorated
them with paintings, statues and carvings. Religious ceremonies and festivals went on
outside the temple. Priests were important people in the Ancient Greek community. They
were believed to have the power to talk to the gods and so were respected and trusted.
There were only two ways you could become a priest. Ether your mother or father was a
priest or you became a priest by a dying priest. A priest’s main job was to look after the
temples and the visitors to the temples.

The Ancient Greeks with their brilliant and imaginative spirit created a complete order of
things that functioned harmoniously in the infinite world that contained them. Although its
exact origins are lost in time, Greek religion is thought to date from about the 2d millennium
B.C., when the culture of Aryan invaders fused with those of the Aegean and Minoan
peoples who had inhabited the region of Greece from Neolithic times. The beginning of the
genesis of this world occupied to the Ancient Greeks in the same way it did to the early
people of every civilisation. Greek religion was at the beginning a blend of Minoan, Egyptian,
Asian, and other elements, but it subsequently evolved along with Greek thought.

The victors were the classical Greek pantheon, also called Homeric (for its portrayal in the
Homer’ Iliad) or Olympian (for Mt. Olympus, home of the gods). The Olympian gods grew
large in the imagination of the Greeks and came to rule over religious worship. So powerful
and at the same time so vulnerable to human weaknesses, they regulated the fortunes and
the lives of those they both loved and hated. Splendid, magnificent, each one with its own
character, they became objects of worship for many centuries.
Sandra Said-
10 History Elective
The Ancient Greeks believed that all gods came from Gaia (the Earth) and Uranos (the Sky).
They thought they were like adult humans- always falling in love, arguing, having children,
playing music and partying. Like the Romans, the Greeks believed that different gods were
responsible for different things. The Greeks also believed that twelve most important gods
and goddesses lived at the top of Mount Olympus. They were a family and, just like a human
family, they argued as well as looking after each other. Mount Olympus in Northern Greece,
is the highest mountain in the country. It was believed to be the home of the gods, because
it was often so cloudy and no-one could see its summit (top).

Religion had also been a way for the Ancient Greeks to explain aspects of life that they could
not explain at the time. This includes; How they came to exist?, Where they go in afterlife?
and Explanation for natural disasters? Religion affected literature. Seen in examples such as
the Iliad and Odyssey, epic poems by Homer. Incorporated the gods in script. It explains why
and how events take place. And the passed down to the new generation as teachings on
how to avoid consequences from the gods.

The Greek Religion was hugely influential on the people of the time. It served to create the
framework for the entire society. Huge amounts of time and money were spent in
constructing temples and holy places in which to worship the gods, as well as people
livelihoods used as sacrifices. It helped to clearly define the role of women in the society.
The position of the male gods as dominant reinforced that. On the other hand, however,
religion also gave Greek women hope and influence, with some of the most influential
deities being female, as evidenced by Athena, Hera and Artemis.

Unlike other societies that were religiously based, Greece was a centre of learning and
culture. Through the inspiration of the gods, Greek Theatre was founded, and essential cog
in making Greece what it was and partly leading to its intellectual dominance of the ancient
world. Famous philosophers such as Plato were undoubtedly influenced by the religion,
thought they often proposed ideas in opposition to it. Through the work of historians and
writers like Homer, we have one of the first collections of great influential texts seen in the
world. These texts often revolved around the gods and Greek myth, as in the case of
Homers’ Iliad. It is beyond doubt that society was structured around the needs of the
religion, and that created the Ancient Greece that we read about today.

In conclusion, the ancient Greek religion possessed a major role in society due to the fact
that it served as a guide to their everyday life. It existed as their main purpose for worship,
gave them explanations to phenomena they could not yet explain at the time and was
incorporated to many of the popular literature that defined Ancient Greece.
Bibliography-
 https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/religion-according-ancient-greeks/
 https://www.greekboston.com/culture/ancient-history/religion/
 https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/ancient-medieval/classical-greece/a/greek-society
 https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3471&context=etd