Greek Religion

1
Greek Religion

• Greek religion is extremely hard for todays
  society to understand because there are so many
  differences between Greek religion and todays
  religions
• They had no uniform faith or creed
• They worshipped deities such as Zeus, Apollo,
  Athena, Hera, and many others.
• The cult of each of these gods and goddesses
  ranged from each polis.
• They did not have religious books to read and
  live their lives by such as the Bible of more
  recent religions.
• Greek religion was more often a matter of rituals
  than of beliefs.
• The cults in Greek religion did not impose an
  ethical code of laws.

2
Greek Religion cont.

• They did not have to follow a particular rule of
  life, practice certain virtues, or live decent
  lives to be part of Greek religion.
• Greek religion lacked a priesthood. (The Greeks
  had a different definition for priests compared
  to what we know them as today).
• The priests and priestesses were there only to
  care for the temples, sacred property, and to
  conduct the proper rituals. They were not there
  to make religious rules or doctrines.
• No central ecclesiastical authority was found in
  Greece.
• Greeces temples were not like churches or
  synagogues that you would find today. They were
  not places where a congregation met to worship.

3
Greek Religion cont.

• A Greek could visit the temple occasionally for
  things that were of private concern or they could
  walk in a procession to a temple to celebrate a
  particular festival.
• The altar which was located outside of the
  temple was very important to Greek religion. When
  the Greeks sought a favor from the gods, they
  offered them sacrifices using this altar.
• The Greeks religious observances were usually
  cheerful. They held many festivals and sacrifices
  that brought people together socially resulting
  in good spirits.
• They offered the gods parts of the sacrifice
  while they consumed the rest. In this manner,
  worshipers forged a bond with the gods.

4
Greek Religion cont.

• Greek religion contained not only the Olympian
  Gods (Zeus, Apollo, and so on) but, each polis
  had its own minor deities with his or her own
  local cult.
• In many instances Greek religion involved the
  official gods and goddesses of the polis and
  their cults.
• The polis held the cults and festivals.
• Everyone was expected to participate in this
  civic religion whether they believed in the
  deities or not.
• Whether you were a believer or a non-believer,
  all Greeks honored the polis and demonstrated
  solidarity with it by participating in the state
  cults.

5
Greek Religion cont.

• Some Greeks turned to mystery religions. Not much
  is known about these religions because once a
  person had undergone initiation, they were
  forbidden to reveal the secrets of the cult.
• Most Greeks thought that religion was simple and
  close to nature.
• They believed in the supernatural and the
  primitive.
• The religion of the common people was a rich
  combination of myth, ritual, folklore, and cult.
• They believed in a world of deities.

6
Greek Religion cont.

• Deities and human beings shared their world so
  intimately that they could change places within
  it. (Refer to the myth of how Zeus could change
  into the shape of a bull).
• Today, little is known about popular religion in
  Greece though it had a very important bond with
  nature and a sense of ethics and propriety.
• Greeks shared their world with many invisible
  beings.
• Greek religion stayed in tune with the natural
  world.
• Greeks shared some pan-Hellenic festivals. Many
  of these festivals were held at Olympia in honor
  of Zeus and at Delphi in honor of Apollo.

7
Greek Religion cont.

• Some of the festivities held at Olympia included
  the famous games and athletic contests that have
  inspired the present-day Olympic Games.
• The Pythian Games at Delphi differed from the
  Olympic Games at Olympia because they included
  musical and literary contests.
• Both the Olympic and Pythian Games were unifying
  factors in Greek life and brought the Greeks
  together culturally as well as religiously.

8
The Final Act (404-338 B.C.)

• The end of the Peloponnesian War was the end
  factor in the constant warfare that lasted from
  421 to 338 B.C.
• The events of the fourth century proved that
  none of the Greek states could possess enough
  power and resources to dominate other Greek
  states or cities. This led to struggle for
  hegemony among great powers such as Sparta,
  Athens, and Thebes.
• After the Peloponnesian War, Athens was taken
  over and Sparta began striving for empire over
  the Greeks even though they had no allies to help
  them.
• Even with help from the Persians, Sparta could
  not maintain its hold on Greece.

9
The Final Act (404-338 B.C.) cont.

• In 371 B.C., the Spartans met their match on the
  plain of Leuctra in Boeotia.
• A Theban army under the command of Epaminondas
  destroyed the Spartan army in one single day.
• The victory at Leuctra left Thebes the most
  powerful state in all of Greece.
• Even though, the Theban army destroyed the
  Spartan army, they checked the ambitions of
  Athens but were unable to bring peace to Greece.

10
The Final Act (404-338 B.C.) cont.

• In 362 B.C., Epaminondas was killed in battle
  and a period of stalemate began. The Greeks were
  exhausted.
• Philip II, King of Macedonia (359-336 B.C.) used
  this situation to his advantage and changed the
  once backward, disunited kingdom into a major
  power.
• He united his kingdom, built a redoubtable army,
  and pursued his ambition with drive and
  determination.
• He realized that he could turn the rivalry and
  exhaustion of the Greek states to his own
  purposes.

11
The Final Act (404-338 B.C.) cont.

• With the clever use of his wealth and his mighty
  army, Philip won control of the northern Aegean
  and fear arose in Athens.
• Many saw Philip as a threat. Demosthenes, an
  Athenian patriot and orator actually warned his
  fellow citizens about Philip.
• The Athenians then joined forces with Thebes in
  hopes of conquering Philip.
• In 338 B.C., the Theban-Athenian army met
  Philips veterans at the Bocotian city of
  Chaeronea.
• Philips army defeated the Theban- Athenian
  army.
• In conclusion, Philip conquered Greece and put
  an end to Greek freedom.