Ancient Greek Religion

The society of ancient Greece is radically different from ours. Our word " religion "does not exist in ancient Greek. The concepts that we use to describe contemporary religious phenomena are not necessarily suited to the analysis of what were for the Greeks the divine ^{Designing the world and the universe}

To the Greeks, the gods are not outside the world , they have not created the universe or the men , but were themselves created. They have not always existed, they are not eternal (without beginning or end), but only immortal ( birth without death ). That immortality is reflected in a particular way of life. They feed on nectar (delicious substance, nine times sweeter than honey, it was said) of Nectar (drink) and the smoke of sacrifices (see in this section Sacrifice in Ancient Greek religion ). In their veins does not flow the blood of mortals but another liquid the ichor. They are subject to fate and constantly intervene in human affairs. Born from each other and very numerous, the gods are a family , a society itself, strongly hierarchical ^{Greek Piety: a religion without dogma and without Church}

In Greek society, religion is completely embedded in all areas of life (family, public and social). The opposition between the sacred and the profane, the boundaries that we draw between the secular and the religious are uncertain, or irrelevant. Actions, behaviors, ceremonies for family life, social and political almost always have a religious aspect Sources

Greek religion no longer exists as such, it is necessary to know, based on an extensive set of sources, which are primarily literary, epigraphic and archaeological. Some rich and interesting as they are, all these sources are not really relevant that taken together.

Key concepts

Distinct from the mythology , religion is based on a piety marked by respect for rituals and a great attachment to the material purity.

Worship

The cult revolves around prayer, offerings and sacrifices, and in Athens , from Cleisthenes , around the theater.

The oracles

The oracles are a fundamental aspect of religion and Greek culture. The oracle is the answer given by a god that was found at a personal question, usually about the future. Such oracles can be provided only by certain gods in specific locations on specific subjects and in respect of rites strictly respected. The main god is seer Apollo , whose oracle at Delphi.

Bibliography

• Encyclopedia of Religion Gerhard J. Bellinger ;
• The ancient city of Fustel de Coulanges.

Reference

See also

Related articles

• Ancient Greece
• Greek Mythology
• Orphism
• Roman religion

External Links

• The living museum of antiquity , under " Religion "educational site of the Academy of Versailles, comprehensive and develops aspects that are evoked by here.
• Presentation of ancient religions
• Andrew Lang, a neglected side of Greek religion , traditionalists Studies, Vol. VI, translated by Henry Carnoy, J. Edition Maisonneuve, Paris, 1890, p. 46-56.

• Portal of Greek mythology