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Hallie Litt
HIST. 134.132313
Professor Lark
15 August 2016
Religion/Morals & Traditions
A common theme that significantly influenced individuals and their contribution toward
society throughout ancient history is the involvement of religion/morals and traditions in their
lives. Throughout this semester we have had a look at the importance of religious views and acts
throughout history, allowing us to see the changes and importance of these in modern society.
One of the civilizations we see the prominence of religion and traditions in is Ancient
Greece. An individual in the Greek society could make up their own belief system to an extent
but there is some fundamental beliefs of the society that needed to be met. These common
fundamental beliefs within the Greek society were as follows: the gods existed, they could
influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship
(Greek Religion). With these widespread beliefs in mind, in order to be an involved member of
the society, people would participate in rituals held, such as animal sacrifice through bringing an
animal such as a pig, sheep, cow or goat to a butcher or cook, and honoring a god of the same
sex as that animals. The meat of the animal was burnt during this sacrifice and eaten by the
worshippers, leaving some for the god. (Greek Religion). This is just one example of a way in
which an individual actively participated in society through a religious tradition in the Ancient
Greek society. Thinking about this past common practice of sacrifices, we can draw attention to
William McNeills idea that historical knowledge is no more and no less than carefully and
critically constructed memory (McNeill). This practice allows us to look back at the history of

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religion in history and understand more of what people believed: that an outward presentation of
their belief was necessary. I think that this is important to note because it can be tied to the
outward presentations in todays society linked to religious practices such as public prayer or
attending church. By acknowledging practices such as those used in Ancient Greek society, we
are able to see the ties between their rituals and the traditions that continue from these practices
into modern day religion.
Looking at religion in the Etruscan community, we can also see the importance of
religion and traditions used by a functional member of the society. The Etruscans had a strong
belief in the afterlife and honoring the dead/ancestors. One specific example that demonstrates
this belief is how they reacted after a member of their community died. The Etruscans practiced
what was called noble funerals; a kind of celebration. They believed that death was not an end,
but a new beginning that was even better than the life they were living for the afterlife was in the
company of the gods (Ancestorys of Ancient Rome: The Etruscans). When looking at this
belief that the Etruscans held, we can connect this to what Michael Postma said in his article
about what history can teach us today. Postma writes: historical narratives offer us stories of
humility, courage, wisdom, andmost importanthope (Postma). I think that the Etruscans
exude this important concept of hope through their strong belief in the goodness of afterlife that
they had hope in.
The last civilization I am going to look into is Medieval Europe. During this time was the
rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. This was a milestone within the realm of religion in
history and there were many beliefs and traditions introduced during this time. During this time
of change in the Roman Empire, people went from belief in many gods to an introduction of
monotheism; the belief in one god. A member in society who participated in this monotheist

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belief would participate in specific ways of worship or praise to this God, such as the use of
prayer. The members of the Roman Empire also learned more about and believed in the use of
prophets, who were people who could speak for God, to the people (Christianity from Judaism
to Constantine). We can relate this idea of grouping religious beliefs, such as the belief in
monotheism versus polytheism and grouping in terms of societal roles (God, prophets,
worshippers, etc.) to the idea that the article How History Can Help Us Predict the Next Pope
brings about. In this article it talks about the idea that voting is something which occurs in the
process of choosing the next pope and that voting in itself is a medieval practice that occurred in
organized groups of people (Perry). When thinking of organized groups, the caste system come
into play. Just like caste systems used throughout history, this religious view/idea of prophets and
one God is a bit of a caste system in itself. Religious views today are not as involved
governmentally as they were in the Roman Empire, but I do believe they keep a bit of this sense
of a caste system in some ways. There are still priests and pastors who preach the word to those
who choose to worship; a similar concept to the use of prophets.
Looking at the role that religion and traditions throughout history has influenced my
sense of responsibility and contributing role towards the betterment of society in several ways. I
think that through making the connections of ancient beliefs and practices, I have been able to
better understand and connect the similarities of religious practices throughout history. Seeing
how religion effected a way in which a member of the society acted makes me think about
modern day religions and how there are so many different types of religions present these days
which effect how people act and portray themselves in public. I think I have gained a greater
appreciation for the differences that are present in religions today because I have learned that

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religious views and traditions have been changing over time and will most likely to continue to
do so throughout the rest of time.
Works Cited
"Ancestorys of Ancient Rome: The Etruscans." M8 Transcript. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2016.
"Christianity from Judaism to Constantine. M10 Transcript. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2016
"Greek Religion." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Aug. 2016.
McNeill, William H. "Why Study History? (1985)." Why Study History? (1985). N.p., n.d. Web.
13 Aug. 2016.
Perry, David M. "How History Can Help Us Predict the Next Pope." The Atlantic. Atlantic
Media Company, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Aug. 2016.
Postma, Michael. "What Can History Teach Us Today?" ASCD Express 6.22 -. N.p., n.d. Web.
13 Aug. 2016.