Gods in Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion. Retrieved from https://oxfordre.com/religion/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.001.0001/acrefore-9780199340378-e-104;jsessionid=0030F0102B67ED5E8DEB3F3D17EDD093 Grant, M. (2022, August 9). Roman religion. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
Most societies, both past and present, worship one or multiple deities. The powers and characteristics of these gods vary among cultures, and the personalities of one society’s deities directly influence the culture and beliefs of its people. The discrepancies between the religions of different civilizations can be observed through the literary works of their religion and mythology. The Judeo-Christian God, who is shown in the Bible to be absolute both in power and in judgment, is antithetical to the Greek gods, who are depicted as having human traits and flaws. In Homer’s Odyssey, many gods are shown to act on their own self-interest, keeping favorites among the mortals and conspiring against other gods.
Rome had its ancient gods and Greece had it gods. But the Romans found a way to merge the major deities. The important aspect of religion for the Roman was it served the empire and played a role in the peace they jealously protected. Non-Roman/Greek religion was tolerated if it did not detract from the interests of the
Most of the gods of course were designed just to fit the needs of the people, pretty evident through two very materialistic nations. Overall, Greek and Roman gods of course had their differences, but they also were very similar on many levels. Although they were from two completely different time periods and cultures, they shared a lot of the same ideas. Yes, Rome was accused of “stealing” their ideas from Greece, but no matter what you believe, you have to agree that they were definitely similar on many
There were also gods of lesser things such as love and scribal arts. Looking at Mesopotamia’s geography, you can see how it might have served as inspiration for deities. The Euphrates and Tigris rivers surrounding Babylon could’ve been inspirations for the many water gods like Apsu, Enki, and Tiamat, as could the Persian Gulf located nearby. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods are depicted as harsh and wrathful because they decide to wipe out the human race with a flood just because they make too much noise (Ward p.20). The gods’ destructive nature is likely based off the chaos caused by flooding from the Tigris and Euphrates.
They had gods and goddesses that had unique characteristics and represented different things They thought the world was made of clay and was flat They thought that everything in nature was the child of a god The pharaoh was a person and a god at the same time The pharaoh could control nature and start wars They built temples to honor their gods "Religion Of Ancient Egypt For Kids." Historyforkids.net.
Ancient civilizations were mostly built upon religions and philosophy due to lack of knowledge. For example, ancient Egyptians or Mesopotamians were polytheistic and they had thousands of gods. In a modern world, it may sound absurd to have thousands of gods each of whom has special abilities and functions for the people. Although both the Egyptians and Mesopotamians were polytheistic, one of the most significant difference between the two population was that the Mesopotamians did never believe in after-life. They considered the gods as ones that love and respects their people.
The three early civilizations; the Mesopotamians, the Hebrews, and the Greeks, believed in different deities. All of their gods were all similar yet very different from one another. The Mesopotamian and Greek civilizations were polytheistic, believing in many gods. The Hebrew civilizations were monotheistic, believing in only one god. Mesopotamians relationship with their gods, was all about serving their gods.
When I hear about the Greek Gods and Goddesses, I associate their stories with the modern-day representations of them and really never studied the history behind them. In my Western Civilization class, I read a lot about the foundation of the Orthodox Church and was able to relate to my own upbringing in the Greek Orthodox Church. However, one piece of lacking information that I want to find out about is how the Greek culture of a polytheistic religion eventually became monotheistic. I decided to take a tour of the antiquities of the Gods and Goddesses to search for evidence of their existence as more than a cultural element or if there is any relation to the monotheistic religion that grew out of Greece.
The Mesopotamians, the Greeks, and the Hebrews all had to struggle with the decision of wither things in their life’s are fate, or if they made the choices themselves. Most of the people during the ancient times believed that he gods played a major role in their lives. Wither the gods did play a role in their lives is a different story and is based on what each person believes. In the ancient Greek society, the gods were the rulers of the land.
Greek mythology can be viewed as a mirror to the ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greek myths and legends often reflected how the Greeks saw themselves. Myths were used by Greeks to make justifications of every existing aspect of earth as well as their own society. In myths, Greek gods & heroes often represented key aspects of the human civilization. From Greek mythology, we can learn about the favorable characteristics of humans, such as their behavior and valuable skills that were approved of by the ancient Greek society.
The gods and goddesses in Greek mythology are often portrayed as vengeful; they basically seem to be human. The ancients invented them to account for human behavior. The Greeks personified these traits into such figures as Discord and Envy. The goddess Athena represented wisdom, the evil side and feminism. Athena was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Ancient people being unaware about the outside world created for themselves the hierarchy of Gods to ask for protection and support. Example: Paganism had a tendency to be polytheistic. People worshipped a variety of gods and goddesses, spirits representing national and local heroes, as well as natural phenomena. Pagans also honored their ancestry and ancestors.
Many centuries ago in the lands of forests lying just below Olympus, lived the animals created with such technicality by the gods. Each was given their own magnificent characteristics from the Olympians themselves. All were reflected with great honor. The trees they lived upon, deep shades of green creaking with each step of the small creatures hardly large enough to break the branches. Scents of pine, wet dirt, bark and herbs decaying filled the air creating a sense that could be recognized in an instant.
Mythology from Ancient Greece is still greatly entwined in culture today. Many modern day phrases originate from characters in Greek mythology, as do many themes and topics in modern literature. Some brand names and logos of present day companies are also derived from Ancient Greek myths. Everyday, Greek mythology remains very much a part of our lives through its influences on the language, literature, and marketing of today.
