Religious Practice in Ancient Greece - Essay Example

Religious Practice in Ancient Greece Introduction Just like any other culture religion was very important in Ancient Greece. Greek religion incorporated the collection of all practiced rituals and beliefs in the form of cult practices and public religion. The religion involved in worshiping deities of the Mount Olympian (goddess or gods). It is a polytheistic religion that Greeks practiced in the form of cults (Dillon & Garland, 2010). According to Nilsson (1949), the major gods and goddesses recognized by Greek people were Zeus, Apollo, Hades, Artemis, Poseidon, Hera, Hermes, Aphrodite, Asclepius, Heracles, Athena, Hestia, Demeter, Dionysus, Ares, and Hermes. The Hellenes cult practices spread beyond Greece mainland to Lonia coasts and islands in Asia Minor to Magna Graecia and to the Western Mediterranean the Greek colonies. This paper will discuss the main feature of Greek religious practice, ways in which Greeks worship their gods, and what they expect of their gods. The main features of Greek religious practice The practice of Greek religion was rather primitive resulting from animist belief in the spirits, which emanated into gods and goddesses who were believed to interfere in human life. Zeus was the father god or the creator of Greeks who controlled the spiritual practice accumulation, Apollo who enabled the daily passage of the sun or Poseidon who inspired war and human beauty and love (Burkert, 1985). Greeks in ancient times believed in many deities who had psychological and physical characteristics of human, and resided on Mount Olympus. Each goddess or god had various different attributes. The god of music and light was Apollo, the goddess of war and wisdom was Athena and as well as the Athens patroness. There was constitution of a clergy by priests in this context as their main responsibility was conducting rituals in the temples. There was a severe punishment to those who did not believe in the existence of a god. The supreme god Zeus ruled and protected both the mortals and the gods1. The belief in Ancient Greece was that rain, thunder, wind and lightning was sent by Zeus, and that he used thunderbolt as his weapon. There were also hundreds of cults devoted to particular gods and many of which were kept secret with special rituals attached to them. These cults are called mystery cults (Ehrenberg, 1973). Every god had its own temple within which a priest ensured that offering rules were observed accordingly. These temples were designed after palaces and priests made sure that they were acknowledged as the second home of gods. The building of these temples had high regard for nature as the culture of Greeks was earth-based and they never changed their environment drastically. Greeks had pride in their goods and dedicated their time and resources to build beautiful temples. The temple door faced east and the statue of the god stood at the temple’s west end (Zaidman & Pantel, 1992). Human activities were patronized by specific gods including history, the hunt, literature and metalworking (Burn, 1960). Regular festivals and ceremonies were made to gods for political importance, future foretelling or assurance of good health and good harvest. The religion of Greeks leaned towards a worldly approach of human-centred. Stories about the activities of gods were told to provide entertainment and to impact appropriate moral behavior in individuals including humility and courage. Religion in ancient Greece was used as a tool for stimulating important literary tradition. Gods were utilized in terms of what they could do for those who believed in them and what revelation they could bring about human nature, rather than pushing believers to attain high spirituality or divine experience2. Sacrifice and a series of rituals were at the heart of Greek religion and not moral behavior or code. Greeks believed strongly in fate and that accidents did not exist because gods were behind everything that happed. They also believed that within the heart resided consciousness. Heroics and beauty ideals were placed higher than morality ideals. They saw gods as beings who could indulge in pleasure and enjoy things like human beings. They rewarded human beings for their righteousness and punished them for their sins (Bowie, 1995). Ways in which Greeks worship their gods Greeks worshipped their gods through animal sacrifices which was a normal practice in the temples. These sacrifices were conducted in an altar early in the morning at the temple’s eastern side. Their gods preferred particular chosen animals: pigs were sacrificed to Demeter, Poseidon was sacrificed horses, dogs were sacrificed to Hecate while Hera was sacrificed Hera3. After the killing of the animals some animal parts were burned in the honor of the gods while the worshippers and priests shared the rest of the parts. Victims were expected to be perfect in offering their sacrifices to avoid offending the deity. Sometimes human sacrifices took place though in rare cases. In most cases sacrifices were performed before going to war to appease the deities to give them protection. Prayers were also an important way of worshipping deities in Ancient Greece. The worshippers conducted their prayers while standing, raising their arms and palms turned upward. These prayers were done in homes with family members. Prayers involved giving compliments to deities which was followed by a special petition used in a poetic form. A collective prayer called processions was performed early in the morning. The worshippers of Ancient Greeks had a belief that their prayers could reach the dead who could give them a hand in the afterlife. As they prayed wine was made as an offering (Gould, 1985). Hades provides an example of a prayer made to Zeus: “Lead me, O Zeus, and lead me, Destiny, whether ordained is by your decree. I'll follow, doubting not, or if with will Recreant I falter - I shall follow still." The marble temples were constructed at around 7th Century B.C. Before them the Greeks worshipped their deities in caves, groves and mountain tops. The temples were where the gods dwelt with their images placed in a cella, a central chamber. There were no rituals conducted in the temple for the image, instead it could be carried to a parade during religious festivals (Zaidman &Pantel, 1992). Gods could also share a temple though in rare cases and it is still here that sacrifices were offered in their honor. What Greeks expected of their gods Greeks expected healing from their gods when they got sick. Asklepios was a god of healing and medicine. The cult of Asklepios was popularized in classical times and spread from Argive town of Epidauros where his chief shrines were located to provide cures to those who were physically ill (Farnell, 1921). The union of doctors called Asclepiads was also devoted to Asklepios. Greeks also looked to their gods for protection and victory during war. ARES was the god of war honored with rites in war times. His cult dominated Greece’s northern regions including Thrake, Thesproptia and Thessaly. The goddess Athena was in charge of providing security in cities and towns in times of war and her temples and shrines were spread all over Greece4. Procreation, love and marriage are other things Greeks expected of their gods. Aphrodite was the goddess of love, marriage and procreation. Because of this need her cult was popular with many of her temples and shrines in ancient Greece. The goddess was also worshipped with prayers and private rituals. Eros was a god of procreation, desire and love was worshipped alongside Aphrodite though his main cult centres were in Parion and Boiotian5. As Greeks continued encountering with gods and their cults their needs increased including a systematic religious doctrine, a band of spiritual fellowship, mystical awakening, communal worship and a map to the afterlife (Burkert, 1992). Since these needs could not be met by the gods’ public cults, they turned mystery religions. Mystery religion was a secret cult that provided people religious experiences that the official public religions could not offer them. Their origin was performance of tribal ceremonies by primitive individuals in different parts of the world. The mystery religion includes among others Eleusis, Dionysus, Mithras, Osiris and Samothrace. The celebration of Eleusinian mysteries was done yearly from 1500 BCE to the 4th Century CE in honor of a goddess of the annual renewal of life and grain; the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone. Demeter left Olympus after Hades abducted her daughter Persephone and she vowed never to allow the growth of crops on earth to take place or to return until she found her daughter. Keleos, the king of Eleusis gave Demeter refuge and to show her gratitude she established a temple there. Zeus fearing for mankind extinction because of lack of food ordered the return of Persephone so that Demeter could go back. Before the return of Demeter to Olympus she gave instruction to Keleos and Triptolemus on the celebration of the rites in her temple which were to remain secret teachings or mysteries (Mikalson, 1983). Greeks expected their gods to justify things they could not scientifically explain or understand. It was believed that when rain accompanied thunder and lightning from the sky Zeus the god of the sky was responsible for it and a sign that he was angry with people for doing wrong or giving him inadequate worship. In respect to this Zeus and other Olympian gods were highly respected (Dillon, 2002). Greeks also wanted to keep order in their cities and maintain protection from the gods. That is why they made it a daily routine to think about the gods and take offerings to the gods’ temple. They believed that gods had strong control over social and natural forces and that is the reason they needed them for favorable outcomes. They also believed that if gods were pleased with them they will be followed with good fortune in family affairs, politics and harvest (Parker, 1989). After all these gods played a great role in war, domestic issues, agriculture, society, gender relations and civic duties. Greeks also sought gods for future favors, expression of gratitude and to avert anger of the wrong done in the past. This was done through bringing offerings to the temples’ altars and included gold vessels, harvest’s first fruits, wine, stone statues, honey, wheat and water. Since gods had human qualities they were easily angered (Burkert, 1987). In Plato's Symposium 188b5-c2, sacrifice and divination were meant to commune with God and repair or preserve love. After childbirth women dedicated garments to Artemis the protector of women in childbirth and children (Cole, 1998). Seeking of guidance and advice from gods was the reason why Greeks attended prophecies. The cryptic messages at the oracle were interpreted by priestess or priests6 . Sometimes signs were used by god to communicate to the Greeks and their will and future was foretold with those who were gifted to do so. Apollo’s temple located at Delphi was one of the known oracles. Pythia, Apollo’s Priestess sacrificed a goat, sat and breathed in its intoxicating smoke while waiting for a divine inspiration. She would interpret the oracles to priests at a trance and who in turn communicated to worshippers. Greeks expected their gods to bless their marriages. The wedding took place in a succession of places. While preparing on the eve of the wedding the bride sacrificed her childhood toys to Artemis the virgin goddess. It was a signification that the bride was turning into a woman now (Cole, 1998). The wedding ended when the bride and the groom entered the house of the groom and the future domestic life of the bride. There they were showered with sweetmeats and nuts in a special ceremony that put them under the household’s gods’ protection. The tokens given were a blessing of prosperity in marriage. The Greeks also expected gods to act favorably on up-coming events like the next harvest (West, 1971). To ensure that this takes place the worshippers tried to please the gods through arts, athletic games and numerous festival held in their honor. There were four main athletic games namely the Pythian games in honor of Apollo, the Olympic games, and the Nemean games in honor of Zeus and Isthmian games7. They organised festivals to ensure that at least each year had one. Some athletic competitions were held at the site of a major temple and everyone was encouraged to participate in the festivals. During this glorious festival some wars ended. In a nutshell Greeks had a common goal they wanted to achieve from gods. The rituals they performed and the prayers they made acted like a converging force that brought Greeks together and provided them with life meaning. Thomas Carlyle once said just like a ship without a rudder so is a man without a purpose. The gods directed and guided the Greeks and their sacrifices, offerings and prayers in conjunction with prospecting of a better afterlife give Greeks stability and hope. Conclusion Greek religion remains one of the most interesting area of religious study today. One of the most fascinating characteristic of religious practices of ancient Greece is worship of many gods including Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Demeter among others. These gods were greatly honored and Greeks worshipped them through prayers, sacrifices and dedications. Different cults were practiced in honor of each god and every Greek had to believe in at least one God. It is interesting that unlike other religions tied to spiritual experience and divination, Greek religion was about finding revelation about human nature. Practice of cults and holding of religious festivals depicted what Greeks needed from their gods. This includes protection, marriage blessings, find favor for future events, guidance and advice, and healing. It seems that the religion is here to stay and many coming generations have a chance to interact with its practices. Reference Bowie, A.M. (1995). Greek sacrifice. Forms and functions, in Powell, A. (ed.), The Greek World. London. Pp. 463–82. Burn, A., R. (1960). The Lyric Age of Greece .London. Pp. 345–372 Burkert, W. (1985). Greek Religion. Oxford, pp. 216–275. Burkert, W. (1987). Greek Religion. Boston: Harvard University Press. Burkert, W. (1992). Athenian Cults and Festivals, in Lewis, D.M., Boardman, J., Davies, J.K. & Ostwald, M. (eds), The Fifth Century BC, Cambridge Ancient History. Cambridge. Pp. 245–267 Cole, S.G. (1998). Domesticating Artemis, in Blundell, S. & Williamson, M. The Sacred and the Feminine in Ancient Greece. London. Pp. 27–43 Dillion, M. (2002). The Ancient Greeks in their Own Words. Sutton: Stroud. pp. 9–51. Dillon, M. &. (2010). Ancient Greece: Social and Historical Documents from Archaic Times to the Death of Socrates (3rd ED). Milton Park, Abingdon: Routledge. Dodds, E.R. (1951).The Greeks and the Irrational. Berkeley. Ehrenberg, V. (1973). From Solon to Socrates, 2nd edn. London. Pp. 334–351. Farnell, L., R. (1921). Greek Hero Cults and Ideas of Immortality. Garland, R.S.J. (1990). Priests and Power in Classical Athens, in Beard, M. & North, J. (eds), Pagan Priests: Religion and Power in the Ancient World. London. Pp. 75– 91. Gould, J. (1985). On Making Sense of Greek Religion, in Easterling, P.E. & Muir, J.V. Greek Religion and Society. Cambridge. Pp. 1–33. Guthrie, W.K.C. (1950). The Greeks and their Gods. London, 1950. Mikalson, J. (1983). Athenian Popular Religion. Chapel Hill Nilsson, M., P. (1949). History of Greek Religion. Nock, A.D. (1942). Religious Attitudes of the Ancient Greeks. American Philosophical Society, Vol. 85, pp. 472–482. Parker, R. (1989). Spartan Religion, in A. Powell (ed.), Classical Sparta: Techniques Behind her Success. London. Pp.142–172. Roberts, J.W. (1984). City of Sokrates. An Introduction to Classical Athens. London. Pp.109–147. West, M., L. (1971). Early Greek philosophy and the Orient, Oxford, Clarendon Press. Zaidman, L.B. & Pantel, P.S. (1992). Religion in the Ancient Greek City. Cambridge Read More