Religion in Ancient Greece

What happens to the Greek gods after Homer?

Lecture Outline

How the gods behaved

Gods in Homer

Gods in Homer, Part II

Greek Religion, Part I

Greek Religion, Part II

Material Culture and Religion

Gods in Greek LiteratureFate and the GodsThe Deathless OnesBut what about the afterlife?The Afterlife, Part IIBelief and Context

How the gods behaved in myths and legends:

Do humans appear to have free will?

How do the gods interact with humans?

How do the gods behave on Mt. Olympus?

Gods in Homer

Want to be honored

Are disturbed by inhospitable treatment of strangers and the breaking of oaths

Are anthropomorphic, that is, they resemble humans

Gods In Homer, Part II

Zeus is the upholder of Justice

Limited concern with morality

Oaths taken in the name of gods are regarded very seriously as binding contracts

Greek Religion, Part I

Greek gods did not make the world, but live within it

Gods do not love humans, nor do they ask to be loved by them

Gods struggle for power amongst one another

Greek Religion, Part II

No writings to reveal the will of the Greek gods

Gods are capricious

Guilt and sin (in our modern sense) do not exist

Material Culture and ReligionTemples were where offerings, libations, sacrifices and prayers were performed at the altar by priests

Shrine could also take other forms e.g., a cave, tree or mountain top

Object of the cult could also be a hero

Consult priest or priestess to know the god’s will

Sacrifice of an animal is correct ritual

Greek temple – houses the cult image of the god

The gods in Greek Literatureafter Homer

“often the gods lift up men who were crushed into the dark earth by their troubles, and often they smash down on their faces those who stand firm” - Archilochus

Gods often appear to be either neglectful of humans or their tormentors.

All are fated to die as the gods did not see fit to give humans eternal life or youth

Fate and the Gods

Everyone is subject to Fate, but it can be good or bad, depending on how you look at itExample of this is OedipusDestined to marry his mother and kill his father, but not destined to know about itOedipus freely chooses to learn the truth about himself

The Deathless Ones

Greek gods were called “hoi athanatoi”, or the deathless ones

Greeks believed that gods could act as their protectors, if they honored them

Every community had special gods to protect them

But what about the afterlife?

Happiness is found in this world, not the afterlife

Death is a hostile force

The realm of Hades or Pluto

Soul survives death, but becomes a faint shadow

The Afterlife, Part II

Elysian Fields are the “realm of the blessed” a remote place on earth where one goes after death

Ordinary Greek men and women would expect Hades as the afterlife

If you offend the dignity of the gods, you can suffer endless torment in Tartarus

Belief and Context: Some Conclusions

Greek religion is communal

Religious experience is contextualised

Greeks NEVER develop an official set of doctrines and set beliefs that are compulsory – very comfortable with different and contradictory ideas