Role of religion in ancient Greek mythology and practice

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 the gods before going to war or battle (Carr). 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 bolt, which he held in his hand as a javelin. Zeus was also characterized by a royal sword and a throne. He often donned a crown made of olive leaves and a long robe, but was sometimes portrayed nude. His sacred animals and plants were the eagle, the bull, the oak, as well as the olive tree (Atsma).

There are several myths associated with Zeus. One of the most revealing tales relates to his birth and rise. Zeus was Chronus's and Rheia's youngest son (Precourt). Chronus, popularly known as Titans Kronos, was the King of the Titans. He assumed power after overthrowing and castrating his own father Ouranos. Fearing that he would also be overthrown by his own son, Chronus devoured his children at birth. However, his wife Rheia managed to save Zeus, their lastborn son, by hiding him in Crete. Rheia instead gave Cronus a stone enclosed in swaddling garments to swallow. When he grew up, Zeus compelled Kronos to spew his devoured children. He then initiated a ten-year battle between the Olympians and the Titans, ultimately imprisoning the Titans in the pit of Tartaros. Several generations later, Zeus released his father and his brothers from prison, and made Kronos king of the Elysian Islands (Atsma).

Zeus commanded immense power within the ancient Greek society and was important to Greek mythology. He had power over heavens, weather, fate and destiny, kinship, as well as law and order (Atsma). He was indeed termed as the great punisher. He severely punished those who committed wrong acts. For instance, he imprisoned the Titans for acting against gods. In spite of his severe punishments, Zeus was also a god of peace, notably resolving the conflict between Apollo and Hermes. Being one of the most important gods in Ancient Greece, Zeus had sanctuaries dedicated to him. Religious leaders used these sanctuaries to interpret wind sounds and perform other important rituals.

Dissimilar to religious gods, which are often regarded as flawless and all perfect, Greek gods had human-like faults. One of the most notable flaws exhibited by Zeus was his unquenchable desire for sex (Atsma). Indeed, Zeus' mother forbade him from marrying, fearing that his voracious lust would create problems for himself and his wife or wives. Zeus, however, defied his mother's prohibition, making his own mother the first victim of his lust. Zeus had sexual intercourse with not only his mother, but also female deities as well as his aunts, sister, and cousin.

For ancient Greeks, the gods, albeit invisible, always lived with the people. They watched everything people did. To succeed in life, therefore, it was important for individuals and the society as a whole to please the gods as wronging or angering the gods would attract misfortunes such as illness, drought, and earthquakes. The ancient Greek religion is without a doubt one of the most fascinating religions in the primeval world.

Works Cited

Atsma, Aaron. Zeus, Theoi Project, 2017. Web. 18 February 2017.

Carr, Karen. Greek religion. Quatr.us Study Guides, September 2016. Web. 18 February 2017.

Cartwright, Mark. Greek religion. Ancient History, 11 April 2013. Web. 18 February 2017.

Precourt, B. Tales of the Titans and the rise of Zeus, Patherfile, 2005. Web. Web. 18 February 2017.