greek religious beliefs polytheistic – believed in many gods believed they could communicate...
TRANSCRIPT
Greek Mythology
Greek Religious Beliefs Polytheistic – believed in many gods Believed they could communicate
directly with the deities Gods were anthropomorphic – possessed
human characteristicsGods experienced: conflict, joy, anxiety, love,
jealousy, deceitfulness, dilemmas, passion, aggression, euphoria
In short… Greek myths represented the trials and tribulations of the human condition
Gods believed to control all aspects of human life and death
Passed down through myths and legendsBook of Orpheus○ Collection of teachings of Greek priests
and comes close to a sacred text Duty of all Greeks to visita shrine, altar, or temple to the gods and say a prayer and leave a small gift
How the World Began Gaea (Mother Earth) rose out of
chaos She gave birth to a son, Uranos
(Sky), who became her husband They had many children – most
important were the 14 TitansCronos led others in a rebellion against
their father and deposed him
Cronos married his sister, Rhea
Their son Zeus led his siblings against the Titans; he deposed Cronos and became leader of the new gods
New rulers lived on Mount Olympus and were known as Olympians
Omens Specially trained priests
read signs to determine the will of the gods
Divining – reading the entrails (liver) of animals
Augury – reading flight patterns of birds
Soothsayers (i.e. oracles) could see into the future
Oracles People would inquire about personal
or national problems to the gods through oracles
Most famous oracle at Delphi where Apollo spoke through his priestess, the Pythia
The Pythia gave oracles once a year but Delphi became so popular that they were given every week and two priestesses were needed
Oracles to Delphi The Pythia gave her oracles in an
inner sanctuary First she bathed in a holy fountain,
drank from a sacred spring, inhaled smoke of burning laurel leaves
Temple priests posed people’s questions to the Pythia
They then interpreted her replies… often vague and could be interpreted multiple ways
Death and the Underworld (Hades) Styx
River marking the boundary between world of the living and the underworld
Charon (Ki-Ron)Ferryman who took dead across River StyxDead had to have a coin to pay for the
crossing or the soul would wander lost on the riverbank
CerberusThree-headed guard dog at the gates of HadesJob was to stop souls from leaving Hades and
the living from entering the Underworld
TartarusSouls of wicked sent to Tartarus where they
were condemned to eternal punishmentWorst sin to commit was to abuse the gods’
hospitality Asphodel
Souls of common people who had not been too bad or too good were sent to this grey, lifeless, boring place to drift aimlessly for eternity
People here lost all of their memory and therefore had nothing to talk about
Elysian FieldsSouls of those who were virtuous were sent
to a happy place filled with golden sunlight