Greece+Religion

When I picked this topic I knew it would be difficult because there is all sorts of kinds of religion and along with that religion there are a numerous of ways to practice it. So I wanted to dig deeper into the mystery of the Ancient Greeks religion. Are you ready to know the truth of their religion?
 * Ancient vs. Modern Greek Religion**

In ancient Greece religion was extremely important. It was practiced everyday sanctuaries. The Greek’s were polytheistic which means that they believed in two or more gods/goddesses. The Greek’s prayed to Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hera, @Athena, Apollo, @Artemis, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Eros, Hestia, and Demeter. Zeus was the “head god.” He was considered the “father” to everyone else. Zeus had the power to strike lightning bolts. Poseidon was the sea god. He controlled anything that went on in the sea which is why Odysseus was stranded at sea for 20 years. Ares was the war god and the son of Zeus and Hera. Hermes was the messenger god and the son of Zeus and a nymph Maia. Hermes was also a psychopompos which means he was a “leader of the souls.” When someone was to die he would lead their soul to the realm of Hades. Hera was the protector of marriage, childbirth, and of the homes of people. She was the daughter of Kronos and Rhea and the sister-wife of Zeus. Athena was the goddess of war, and wisdom. She was the daughter of Zeus and Metis. Apollo was the god of music light and reason. He was the son of Zeus and Leto. Artemis was the female goddess of hunting. She was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the sister of Apollo. Dionysus was the god of wine, parties and festivals, pleasure, drunkenness, and madness. Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty, seduction, and love. She was the wife of Hephaestus yet her greatest lover was Ares. Hephaestus was the god of fire and the son of Hera. Eros was the god of love and desire. He was the son of Aphrodite and Ares. Hestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth. She was the daughter of Rhea and @Chronos and the sister of Zeus. Demeter was the goddess of fertility, harvest, and agriculture. She is the daughter of Rhea and Chronos and the sister of Zeus.

All the gods/goddesses have their own personal symbol. Zeus’s symbol was a thunder bolt and an eagle so he could scare away his enemies. Poseidon’s symbol was his trident. His symbol was also his weapon. Ares’s symbol was a bronzed-tip spear. Like Poseidon this was also his weapon. Hermes’s symbols were winged sandals and a traveler’s cap. Hera’s symbols were diadem, lotus staff, peacock, cuckoo, and a pomegranate. Athena’s symbols were aegis, an owl, and an olive tree. Apollo’s symbols were laurel wreath, bow and quiver, a raven, and a lyre. Artemis’s symbol was a hunting bow. Dionysus’s symbols were thyrsus, crown made of ivy, a drinking cup, and a grape vine. Aphrodite’s symbols were a dove, an apple, a scallop shell, and a myrtle wreath. Hephaestus’s symbols were a hammer, tongs, and an anvil. Eros’s symbols were bows, arrows, candles, hearts, cupids, wings, and kisses. Hestia’s symbols were the hearth and kettle. Demeter’s symbols were cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged serpent, and the lotus staff. All of the gods and goddesses meant something to everyone. Zeus was the “head god” because he was one of the most powerful gods and was the son of Kronos and Rhea. Also Zeus was the father of most of the other gods and goddesses.

The Greeks would pray to each god/goddess for the different things that they wanted. Like if they wanted a good hunt one year then they could pray to Artemis. If they wanted love or a good love life then they could pray to Eros. Even if they wanted nothing they would still pray to the gods just to show their respect for the gods for doing good for them. When the Greeks would pray to the gods they would pray on an altar. An altar was almost like a small or big table made of stone on which they would place their sacrifices and offerings. I remember that one day I was an Acolyte in church which means we collect the offerings and place them on the altar. I remember that my pastor was talking about altars and how they are almost like a big monster that just needs to keep eating. Later on that day our pastor was talking about how when people would make sacrifices to god they would put a little food on the altar to see if God was happy, if he wasn’t then they would place more and more until he was happy. Once they found out how much food they had to place on the altar they would keep putting that same amount of food on the altar and God would be unhappy again. To the Greeks this was the same. They would always put the amount that made God happy, but it wasn’t the amount that made him happy it was the type of sacrifice. You could put 20 lbs of grapes, apples, oranges, and bananas on an altar but you could also put 20 lbs of chickens on an altar. It’s not always the amount of food that you put on an altar it’s what you put on the altar that counts. Since the Ancient Greeks never wrote their religion down we don’t know what it was. If I had to guess what it was I would say that it was Christianity just like the Modern Greeks. I don’t say that I believe that they are Christians just because they are polytheistic I say it because they would pray, sacrifice and sing praises to the gods. This is basically what Christians do today.

Now the Greek’s religion is Christianity. People believe that since they believe in the god’s that live on Mount Olympis that they are now Christians. I found that most people believe that the god’s do exist if you believe in them. It’s all about how you put it into your world. I feel that the ancient Greece religion was much easier to follow than the Modern Greek religion. In ancient Greece all you would have to do is sacrifice to the god’s/goddesses everyday and pay your dues and your good, but today there is all sorts of things that you have to do along with your religion like certain holidays that you have or don’t have, and a lifestyle that might follow along with your religion. The Ancient Greeks did things that were very similar to what we do today. They prayed to gods and some people today pray to god. They would make sacrifices and offerings. Some people that live today make sacrifices and every Sunday when I go to church I have to place an offering in the offering bowl that gets placed on the altar. Today in my church the offerings is money. When I make an offering I place five dollars into the offering bowl. Today in Modern Greece civilization has changed to. The people there used to live in small houses with farms where they would grow plants and raise livestock for their family and for the altar. Your closest neighbor could live 10 miles away. Now in modern Greece your neighbor is right next door. Some people still do have farms but most of them just have neighbors. I feel that this fits into Ancient and Modern Greece religion because in life we sometimes need our neighbors to help out. Whether it’s with hanging Christmas lights or having food for a sacrifice they are there to help us. I found that some people are Christians because of their neighbors. When my old friend used to live in Hawaii I would take her to church with me and she loved it. I liked trying to help others find something that they liked.

I said in the beginning that I would find what the Ancient Greeks religion was and kind of failed and passed. I failed because I was never able to find out what their religion was called, but I passed because I did find out how they practiced their religion. Since the Greeks never wrote their religion it's almost like the Greeks didn't want anyone to know what their religion was.

Works Cited Hatzitsinidou, Evangelia. "Greek-Gods Info." //Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece//. Greek-Gods.Info, 29/11/2010. Web. 15 Dec 2010. . Hatzitsinidou, Evangelia. "Greek-Gods Info." //Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece//. Greek-Gods.Info, 29/11/2010. Web. 15 Dec 2010. . Fisher, Grant. "Civilizations: Greece and Rome." //Ancient Greece//. Greece and Rome, 16 5 1998. Web. 15 Dec 2010. .