Religion in Ancient Greece
Storyboard Text
- The Greeks were Polytheists, meaning that they worshipped multiple Gods, rather than Monotheists that worship only one God. These Gods and Goddesses were immortal and included characters such as Zeus, the king of the Gods
- During The Rise of Athens and Sparta (750-500 BC), there was a rise in religious festivals and cults. One of these cults was the cult of Dionysus, the God of wine and powerful emotions. According to legend, Dionysus was killed and reborn, and the Cult of Dionysus had a focus on rebirth. This was also what historians have termed a "mystery religion"
- Another example of a Greek "mystery religion", and actually the oldest, was the cult of Demeter and Persephone. Initiation rituals called "Eleusinian Mysteries" were held in order to recruit new people to the religion, and it was unique for its inclusion of women and slaves. Much like the cult of Dionysus, the Cult of Demeter and Persephone was also focused on rebirth
- Demeter was the Goddess of the harvest, and the mother of Persephone. After Persephone was taken to the underworld by Hades, the grief-stricken Demeter caused a drought, causing Zeus to eventually let Persephone return to her
- During the era of Alexander the Great and Hellenism (336-30 BC), oriental Gods became connected to Greek Gods due to the meshing of Greek and Eastern cultures. Alexander was even considered a God in Egypt. There is also speculation that buddhism was brought to Greece during this time
- At the beginning of the Hellenistic Era, Jews were generally treated with respect and even considered allies. This changed when Antiochus IV Epiphanes banned Jewish practices and worship, ordered copies of the Torah to be burned, and set up altars to the Greek Gods in Jewish temples. This caused a Jewish revolt in 166 b.c.e. In 164 b.c.e, they retook Jerusalem and set up a semi-independent state, which lasted for about a century before it was taken over by the Romans.
Over 30 Million Storyboards Created