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Religion in Ancient Greece

What happens to the Greek gods after


Homer?
Lecture Outline
How the gods behaved Gods in Greek
Gods in Homer Literature
Fate and the Gods
Gods in Homer, Part II
The Deathless Ones
Greek Religion, Part I
But what about the
Greek Religion, Part II afterlife?
Material Culture and The Afterlife, Part II
Religion Belief 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 Religion
Temples were where Consult priest or
offerings, libations, priestess to know the
sacrifices and prayers
gods will
were performed at the
altar by priests Sacrifice of an animal
Shrine could also take is correct ritual
other forms e.g., a cave, Greek temple houses
tree or mountain top the cult image of the
Object of the cult could god
also be a hero
The gods in Greek Literature
after 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
it
Example of this is Oedipus
Destined to marry his mother and kill his
father, but not destined to know about it
Oedipus 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

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