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Greek Religion: Gods
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Greek religion and mythology are supernatural beliefs and ritual observances of the ancient Greeks, commonly related to a diffuse and contradictory body of stories and legends. The most notable features of this religion were many gods having different personalities having human form and feelings, the absence of any established religious rules or authoritative revelation such as, for example, the Bible, the strong use of rituals, and the government almost completely subordinating the population’s religious beliefs. Apart from the mystery cults, most of the early religions in Greece are not solemn or serious in nature nor do they contain the concepts of fanaticism or mystical inspiration, which were Asian beliefs and did not appear until the Hellenistic period (about 323-146 B.C.). At its first appearance in classical literature, Greek mythology had already received its definitive form. Some divinities were either introduced or developed more fully at a later date, but in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey the major Olympian gods appear in substantially the forms they retained until paganism ceased to exist. Homer usually is considered responsible for the highly developed personifications of the gods and the comparative rationalism that characterized Greek religious thought.
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Early Greek religion is a blend of the Achaean, Dorian, Minoan, Egyptian and the Asian cultures. It dates back to the period of the Aryan invasion during 2d millennium B.C. The Aryans mingled with the Aegean (Pelasgians) and the Minoan cultures to create the present day Greek culture. The civilization that resulted from the amalgamation flourished between 1600 B.C. and 1400 B.C. and was known as the Minoan-Mycenean civilization. Greek religion emerged as an amalgamation of various civilizations and races, Zeus, Demeter and Hestia were initially Gods of the Indo-European invaders, Rhea was a Minoan Goddess, God Athena belonged to Mycenean, Hera and Hermes were borrowed from Aegean, God Apollo came from Ionian, Aphrodite was Cyprus, Dionysus and Ares belonged to the Thrace.
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It is perhaps misleading to speak of "Greek religion" as a unified system of dogma or ritual; perhaps the most conspicuous aspect of the religions practised in the Greek city states is their variety. Different cities worshipped different deities; Athens had Athena; Sparta, Artemis Corinth was a center for the worship of Aphrodite; Delphi and Delos had Apollo; Olympia had Zeus, and so on down to the smaller cities and towns. Identity of names was not even a guarantee of a similar cultus; the Greeks themselves were well aware that the Artemis worshipped at Sparta, the virgin huntress, was a very different deity from the Artemis who was a many-breasted fertility goddess at Ephesus. When literary works such as the Iliad had conflicts among the gods because their followers were at war on earth, these conflicts were a celestial reflection of the earthly pattern of local deities. Eventually, the worship of major deities spread from one locality to another, and most larger cities boasted temples to several major gods; the identification of different gods with different places remained strong to the end.
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One aspect of the Greek religion was their emphasis on law. This is related to the understanding of causes in that laws can describe causes. The lack of omnipotence in the deities is related to the notion that even the gods are subject to law. Of course one could say that Zeus, the most powerful God, has his way in this matter, but it is Themis who personifies law, and it is Athena who personifies the knowledge of law. Much can be made of the fact that these powerful goddesses are both women. Also important is the fact that Themis is a Titan from the old divine system.
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Greek athletes were closely associated with religion and trained in order to please a god or goddess in a competition. Competitive events were generally staged in the stadion, a facility that provided both space for the competitions and an area for spectators. The standard athletic events for men were made up of track and field competitions plus boxing and wrestling. Some festivals included specialized races in which the contestants either wore armor or carried torches. Boxing and wrestling events were ... traditional.
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Religion was a very important aspect of Greek society and culture, with the sacrifices and regular worships of Gods surving to unify the people in a common goal to please the Gods. The Greeks ... placed an immense faith in the idea that an afterlife awaited them after their death. They firmly believed that this life was not the only reality in which the soul lives, but after this lifetime, a whole new and different one awaited them.
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