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The Greeks were one of the most religious societies in the ancient world. With roots in Minoan culture, West Asian beliefs, and Central Asian gods, religion permeated virtually every aspect of Greeks' life -- from politics and culture to family, morals, agriculture, festivals, games, as well as beliefs about nature and the origin of life (Carr). The Greeks strongly believed that there were invisible, all-powerful gods and goddesses that controlled every occurrence. As a society, therefore, it was important to maintain a good relationship with the gods through prayer, sacrifice, and leading a good (morally upright) life. The prayers and sacrifices were made in sacred sites and temples where the gods were erected in their personified forms (Cartwright). Gods were also believed to reside in mountains.Religion in ancient Greece was strongly tied to natural phenomena like rain, storms, plagues, earthquakes, and volcanoes (Carr). There were gods for each of these phenomena. Through prayer and sacrifice, the society believed that the gods could be appeased to control the phenomena. For instance, people prayed to have enough rain, hence prevent starvation. Prayers and sacrifices were also made to end plagues or earthquakes. In fact, when a plague of an earthquake occurred, it was believed that the people or rulers had angered the gods. Prayers and sacrifices were, therefore, conducted to please and appeal to the gods to end the misfortunes (Cartwright).
The Greeks also consulted...
By praying and sacrificing, the gods would grant them victory against their adversaries. At the family or individual level, parents would pray and sacrifice for their sick children. They would also appeal to the gods for journey mercies and success in school. People went to oracles to seek guidance from the gods. They would ask gods to provide answers for matters such as personal life, medicine, business, war, and philosophy (Carr).
With strong adherence to religion, the society strongly believed that the gods rewarded good behaviour and punished bad behaviour (Carr). Therefore, how one behaved mattered a lot. In other words, good things happened to good people, and bad things happened to bad people. Indeed, unfortunate occurrences like enduring illness were believed to be punishment from the gods for wrongdoing (Cartwright). It was, therefore, important for people to lead a good life. Right from a tender age, children were taught about the gods and the behavioural standards that were expected of them (Carr). This was important for avoiding the wrath of the gods.
One of the most important gods in ancient Greek religion was Zeus, whose Roman equivalent was Jupiter. Zeus was the king of the Olympian gods and controlled the sky, weather, fate and destiny, law and order, and kinship (Atsma). He was portrayed as a ceremonial, strong male with a dark beard. Zeus's most unique characteristic was his lightning…
Ancient Greece developed eastern side Mediterranean a series loosely connected City-States. Here seeds modern science. Greek philosophers / scientists, Plato Aristotle (Hellenic Era) wealth devote time study natural phenomena, abstract ideas mathematics, astronomy..ID Ancient Greece: Overview Ancient Greece is often called the cradle of civilization because the city-states of Greece, most notably Athens, gave birth to concepts that still inform modern life, such as the significance of empirical, rationalist science and the
The Greeks even believe that the sun had "kissed" the Ethiopians, explaining the deep color of their skin. In fact, according to one of the sources Keita quotes, the Ethiopians "pioneered" religion, inventing many of the customers that existed later in Egypt; according to that same source, the Egyptians were descended from the Ethiopians. Indeed, Herodotus asserted that almost all the names of the Greek gods came from Egypt,
Greece Ancient Greece has been thoroughly investigated by historical scholars. Some of the most beautiful art and the most intelligent science have come to the population of the world through the work of these ancient thinkers. Ancient Greece was also home of some of the world's most beautiful architecture. They were also the founders of modern philosophy and politics, as well as the basic principles of morality and ethics that modern
Religions Ancient connections Christianity: Compared with Greek and Roman religions Christianity is a monotheistic religion. In contrast, Greek and Roman religion were polytheistic and viewed the world as being controlled and created by many gods. Most conceptions of Christianity viewed God as existing as a trinity: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but in Greek and Roman religion, the 'gods' were plural in number and comprised many personas of different genders and
When Plato was constructing his ideal civilization in the Republic, those citizens fittest to rule were of the philosophers' class, while the lowest orders of society were deemed to be the craftsmen and tradesmen. Although Greek was in actuality a democracy, these common men, in Plato's estimation, were considered unworthy to participate in government. This reflects a type of snobbery typical of ancient Greece. Even scientific disciplines that emphasized thought
Religions of Rome Throughout history, religion has been having a major impact on the societies around the world. In the case of the Romans, they had numerous religions that were practiced throughout the reign of the empire. To fully understand these ideas requires looking at the chapter titled Sol the Sun in the Art and Religions of Rome. This will be accomplished by summarizing the various points and discussing a broad