Key = Key Vocab Facts Names/Places Quotes
Greek Religion Notes
General
Religious rituals were the primary means of communication between mortals and gods.
Mortals worship gods through fear, for personal gain and because the gods deserve the honour. The reciprocal
relationship between gods and mortals is epitomised by the Latin phrase ‘du et des’ = I give so that you might
give. Gods were believed to punish mortals that did not worship them enough or at all, as shown in Euripides’
‘Bacchae’.
Homer and Hesiod’s poems set out how the Greeks perceived Gods in the eighth and seventh centuries BC,
they were a major influence on Greek attitudes to the Olympians – as noted by Herodotus. Hesiod’s ‘Works
and Days’ establishes that agricultural tasks and leading a moral life requires the support of the gods, he also
gives advice on how to worship them. The Homeric Hymns also established the aetiology and theogyny of the
gods. Very little in the understanding and depiction of gods has changed since these texts e.g. the east
pediment of the Parthenon (finished 437BC) depicts the birth of Athena as described.
In Homer the gods are portrayed anthropomorphically as:
Very powerful – Poseidon’s conjuring of storms.
Governed by personal impulse and desire – the Ares and Aphrodite affair episode in the ‘Odyssey’
Pick favourites – Athena and Odysseus because of his intelligence.
Capable of hatred – Poseidon causes harm to Odysseus for blinding his son Polyphemus.
Only the gods’ eternal life and their immense power distinguishes them from mortals.
Each god had a huge breadth of responsibility, hence epithets specified which aspect of the god was being
summoned and worshipped. See Quizlet for list of epithets: https://quizlet.com/gb/452543614/greek-religion-
vocab-flash-cards/. However, this variety of epithets provided a challenge for worshippers, e.g. pregnant
woman were unsure as to worship Zeus Philios or Artemis goddess of childbirth. Evidence of this confusion is
shown by oracular tablets at the Dodona sanctuary of Zeus which ask the oracle which god to worship.
Hero cults
The pantheon of Greek gods was not an absoloute entity as heroes could be deified and worshipped similarly
to gods with animal sacrifice. Gunnel Erkoth stats that the main distinction between god and heroes is that the
latter lives and dies. To undergo heroisation, one had to do something unusual e.g. Heracles’ twelve labours or
Cleomedes’ murder of 60 children. Heracles was the most popular hero and was worshipped all over the
Greco-Roman world (panhellenic), whereas the majority of heroes e.g. Epops, was worshipped only locally in
Erchia.
Mystery Cults
Becoming a mystes (initiate) involved a conscious decision to undergo a ceremonial initiation = individual
dimension to religion. This could include ritual cleansing and fasting ending with epopteaia (revelation of the
secret) – which was the offer of eternal life in the Elysian Fields in the case of Eleusis. The Eleusinian Mysteries
are the best known and best recorded mystery cult, partly because they were included into Athenian Civic
Religion as part of the scared calendar. Anyone could be initiated: man/woman, free/slave, old/young,
Greek/foreigner, as longa s they hadn’t murdered. The status of mystes lasted for life and revealing the secret
constituted the death penalty. Alcibiades was convicted for mocking the mysteries. The Lesser Mysteries
happened in Spring, and Great Mysteries in Autumn:
Day 1: 3000 mystagogues (already initiated) and mystes (wanting to be initiates) assembled in the Athenian
Agora to be instructed by the archon basileus (highest official responsible for religious matters).
Day 2: The group and sacrificial animals (piglets) marched to the seaside for a purification ritual.
, Key = Key Vocab Facts Names/Places Quotes
Day 3-5: Rest.
Day 6: Priests and Priestesses, carrying scared objects, led the group on a 15-mile procession to Eleusis.
Included scared dances, libations, sacrifices, singing of hymns, flute playing and young mocking old.
Day 7-8: Hierophants (leading priests) led al ritualistic activity. Fasting and drinking of Kykeon (psychotropic
barley and pennyroyal brew). The myth of the two goddesses was relived and arguably the individual’s death
was simulated*. The ceremonies ended with the initiation into the higher grade and the revelation fo the
mystery.
*Hades abducted Demeter’s daughter Persephone, having searched for a day Demeter rested in Eleusis. Due
to her mourning, she neglected her duties of fertility creating a year long drought. Demeter convinced Helios
to tell her the truth, Zeus reached a compromised where Persephone would reside with Demeter for two
thirds of the year = spring/summer, and one third with Hades = winter. Demeter ordered the rulers of Eleusis
(Metaneira and Keleus) to build her a temple in return for learning the rites and initiatory rituals.
Healing Cult of Asclepius
In Homer’s ‘Iliad’, Asclepius is defined a hero who helped heal the most seriously wounded of the Greek
warriors. In other versions he is noted as the son of Apollo and a mortal woman. Due to the popularity and
widespread of his cult he quickly became perceived and worshipped as a god instead of a hero. Fixed centres
of worship e.g. a grave (indicates death=mortal hero), was soon replaced by shrines. Due to his nature as a
healer, his popularity soared in times of epidemics e.g. the Athenians erected a new Asclepion c420BC after a
plague had devastated the city. There were two major Asclepions: the sanctuary at Cos was a famous school
for physicians, the sanctuary at Epidaurus was a centre for pilgrims seeking cures for a variety of afflictions.
Both received panhellenic visitors, moreover the decision to go to an Asclepion was a personal one that
involved individual healing. On arrival at Epidaurus, preparatory bathing and sacrifices occurred before
incubation (sleeping in a stoa of the sanctuary/under the open sky) – this could cure patients instantly. This
lends itself to the ‘miracle proved deity’ argument which helped to promote or legitimise new cults. However,
surgery directed by the god and performed by the temple staff, prescription of specific diets/exercises and the
administration of medicine perhaps derived from the venom of snakes held in the sanctuary, were alternative
cures. Votive offerings thanked the god for his healing of the affliction, providing us with our primary sources
of evidence for Asclepions. Asclepions are indicative of his function as a hero and a god as they combined
worship with practical cures.
The Oracle at Dodona
Located in Epirus, Northern Greece, known as the oldest oracular sanctuary and visited panhellenically. Hesiod
and Herodotus noted that the responses emanated from the rustling leaves of the scared oak/ the doves
sitting in the tree. Homer also notes that Odysseus visited Dedona. This could be mere archaic practice or
mythic tradition as post the 5th century BCE questions and answers were inscribed on lead tablets. These
tablets are crucial for our understanding of personal religion and individual concerns. The most common
question was ‘Which god to pray to?’ = practical evidence for the confusing nature of the Greek Parthenon.
Moreover, as questions were usually answered with ‘yes/no’, individuals could pose their questions to elicit
their desired response. The largest category of questions concerns travelling, due to its risks in the ancient
world. Other questions asked included, ‘should I marry X?’, ‘how many children should I have?’, ‘should I take
this career move?’ and ‘will my master free me?’. This evidence offers a glimpse of an individual’s life concerns
but without the context. Importance of Oracle is shown by its visitors from Southern Italy who risked travelling
due to their great respect for the godly advice. Oracles were important in small and large concerns of
individuals and states. The popularity of the oracle suggests the advice given was helpful.
