Despite the diversity of Greece, one thing that was in common through out the city-states was religion, specifically the gods and myths. There were twelve main gods, called the Olympians, along with many other gods, each of whom had different characteristics, powers, and associations. Religion was very important and the belief in these gods helped the Greeks go about their daily life. They attributed many things to the gods and relied on them when they had to make tough decisions. This reliance on the gods lead to different practices of worship such as festivals and rituals by each city-state and the creation of cults for the different gods. The Greeks also used the gods to explain things that they couldn't, such as natural disasters. However, some Greeks, like Aristotle, didn't believe in this divine intervention but for the first time, used a form of science to explain the unknown.
In order to understand Greek myths and their gods, you need to know about the Greeks' ideas and religious practices. The Greeks created their gods and goddesses in their own image. Theirs was an earth-and-nature-bound religion, with the world as they knew it as the center of their universe, and the men and women whom they knew and understood at the center of their world. In many of the myths, the gods walked among the people, often not even recognized as divine beings. Not only were they human in appearance, but also in character, moral values, and behavior. (Switzer, ix) There were beautiful gods and a few ugly ones. Gods could, on occasion, be generous, fair, and reasonable, but just as frequently they were petty, jealous, vain, and inconsistent. Zeus, the chief of the gods, was frequently warned by other gods that "fate" had a power even over him, and that, if he tried to interfere with the workings of that unknown and unknowable power, he might come to a bad end. (Switzer ix)
The Greek civilization was mostly conducted in small city states. The Greeks loved life and lived it with zest. They had little interest in the afterlife, which, even for the greatest of men, was believed to be an eternal unpleasantness. They highly regarded intellectuals ( poets, philosophers and others) in addition to their great warriors, and great deeds could be accomplished by all. The Greeks believed in individualism and prized differences in personality and character. They were fascinated by the contradictions that those very virtues that made a man great could also lead to his undoing. Their myths and religion reflected these traits. Their gods were personalized with individual strengths and flaws; gods made mistakes, got embarrassed and were caught cheating on their spouses. But, also there were gods who were heroic, wise, loving, and developed essential crafts like weaving. Mortal heroes also played an important role in the myths. (Robinson 129)
The Olympians were a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans, the older generation of Gods. All the Olympians are related in some way and they are named after their dwelling place on Mt. Olympus, the home of the Olympians. The 12 are gods are Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, And Hephaestus. (Evslin)
Zeus. Zeus' father was the Titan king Cronos, who swallowed all of his children to ensure his power. Zeus was rescued by his mother and grew up to overthrow his father and the other Titans in a battle that lasted ten years. Before "killing" Cronos Zeus gave him a potion that would make Cronos vomit up all the children he had swallowed. (Cotterell 89) After the Titans were defeated, he then drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades to decide who would rule what. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. With his weapon, the thunderbolt, he punishes those who displease him by hurling the thunderbolt at them. (Evslin 233)
Poseidon. Poseidon is the brother of Zeus. When Zeus drew lots with his brothers, Poseidon's pick was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped by seaman, for he controlled the sea. Though Zeus was the supreme deity, Poseidon was very powerful and independent from his brother sometimes. Poseidon had a very bad temper that affected many of the Greek city-states, specially Athens after it chose Athena as its patron-deity over Poseidon. (Cotterell 75) He was greedy and had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities. (Evslin 190)
He is associated with the horse and bull, for he created the horse and the bull is associated with the story of Minos and the Minotaur. The creation of the horse stems out of the myth of Poseidon's love for Demeter. To put him off Demeter asked him to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen, so to impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first attempts were unsuccessful and created a variety of other animals in his quest. By the time the horse was created his passion for Demeter had cooled. (Evslin 190) Poseidon's association with the bull comes from the myth of the creation of the minotaur. King Minos, the ruler of Crete, asked Poseidon for a sign, a white bull emerged from the waves. Religious customs required Minos to sacrifice the bull, but he chose not to do so, with the result that his own wife became the bull's lover. From this strange affair the Minotaur was created, the bullheaded man. (Cotterell 75) His weapon is the trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any object. (Evslin 190)
Hades. Hades is the brother of Zeus. He had the worst draw and was made lord of the underworld, ruling over the dead. Hades is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth, and was usually called by the title of Pluto("the giver of wealth"). (Cotterell 45) Hades has a helmet that makes him invisible. His wife is Persephone whom Hades abducted. He is the King of the dead but, death itself is another god, Thanatos. (Evslin 83) However, the Greeks never thought of Hades as an evil force like Satan in Christianity. (Cotterell 45)
Hestia. Hestia is Zeus's sister. She is the virgin goddess but does not have a distinct personality and played no great part in myths. She is the Goddess of the Hearth, the symbol of the house around which a new born child is carried before it is received into the family. (Evslin 101)
Hera. Hera is Zeus' sister and wife. She is the protector of marriage and takes special care of married women. Zeus courted her unsuccessfully. He then turned to trickery, changing himself into a disheveled cuckoo. Hera, feeling sorry for the bird, held it to her breast to warm it. Zeus then resumed his normal form and taking advantage of the surprise he gained, raped her. She then married him to cover her shame. (Evslin 95)
Once when Zeus was being particularly overbearing to the other gods, Hera convinced them to join in a revolt. Her part in the revolt was to drug Zeus, and in this she was successful. The gods then bound the sleeping Zeus to a couch taking care to tie many knots. This done they began to quarrel over the next step. Briareus overheard the arguments. Still full of gratitude to Zeus, Briareus slipped in and was able to quickly untied the many knots. Zeus sprang from the couch and grabbed up his thunderbolt. The gods fell to their knees begging and pleading for mercy. He seized Hera and hung her from the sky with golden chains. She wept in pain all night, but none of the others dared to interfere. Her weeping kept Zeus up and the next morning he agreed to release her if she would swear never to rebel again. She had little choice but, to agree. While she never again rebelled, she often intrigued against Zeus' plans and she was often able to outwit him. (Evslin 95)
Most stories concerning Hera have to do with her jealous revenge for Zeus' infidelities. But when not provoked by Zeus, Hera could be wise and compassionate. She had a great liking for the brave and noble among the mortals and helped many of them out when they were in trouble. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock. (Evslin 96)
Ares. Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He was the god of war and was disliked by both parents. He is considered murderous and bloodstained but, also a coward. (Evslin 15) The only one among the gods who delighted in Ares's deeds was Hades, for frequent wars meant that his underworld kingdom received a constant stream of young warriors slain on the field of battle. (Cotterell 24)
Athena. Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armor from his forehead, thus had no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but, only fights to protect the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus' favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. (Evslin 20) Athena's symbol was the owl, which is featured on the Athenian coins. (Cotterell 25)
Apollo. Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He is the god of music, playing a golden lyre, archery, shooting with a silver bow, healing, who taught man medicine, light, and truth, since he is not able to speak a lie. One of Apollo's more important daily tasks is to harness the chariot with four horses and drive the Sun across the sky. He is famous for his oracle at Delphi, which people traveled to from all over the Greek world to divine the future. Of Apollo's many loves, one of the best known was Daphne, who fled from his embraces and was turned into his tree, the laurel. From that time on, Apollo wore a laurel wreath. Laurel wreaths became the prize awarded in athletic and musical competitions. (Evslin 13)
Aphrodite. Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire, and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts she had a magical girdle that compels anyone she wishes to desire her.(Evslin 12) Besides having the gift of beauty Aphrodite could bathe in the sea and become a virgin again, no matter how many lovers or children she had. (Switzer, pg 32) There are two accounts of her birth. One says she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The other goes back to when Cronos castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitals into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus. (Evslin 12)
Hermes. Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is the messenger and the fastest of the gods. Because of Hermes' speed he sent to steal things thought unobtainable and became known as the god of thieves. He wears winged sandals, a winged hat, and carries a herald's staff crowned with two snakes. (Cotterell 49). Hermes is able to easily pass from the world of the living to the world of the dead and is the guide for the dead to go to the underworld. He invented the lyre, the pipes, the musical scale, astronomy, weights and measures, boxing, gymnastics, and the care of olive trees. (Evslin 98) He was also unusually precocious. Five minutes after his birth he sneaked out of his crib and toddled down Mount Olympus. (Switzer, pg.41)
Artemis. Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto. Her twin brother is Apollo. She is the lady of the wild things and is the huntswoman of the gods. Like Apollo she hunts with silver arrows which might account for her becoming associated with the moon. She is a virgin goddess, and the goddess of chastity. She also presides over childbirth, which may seem odd for a virgin, but goes back to causing Leto no pain when she was born. (Evslin 17)
Hephaestus. Hephaestus is the son of Zeus and Hera. He is the only god to be physically ugly and lame. Accounts as to how he became lame vary. Some say that Hera, upset by having an ugly child, flung him from Mount Olympus into the sea, breaking his legs. Others say that he took Hera's side in an argument with Zeus and Zeus flung him off Mount Olympus. He is the god of fire and the forge and the smith and armorer of the god. Hephaestus used a volcano as his forge and is the patron god of both smiths and weavers. (Evslin 94) Hephaestus was a kindly and artistically gifted god, who even loved his cruel mom and his faithless wife Aphrodite. Often, when Zeus got angry with Hera for meddling in his affairs, Hephaestus tried to protest her, but she never showed him the slightest love or gratitude. (Switzer, pg. 43)
The other gods are important in many of the mythological stories but are not the main gods. These gods were worshiped by certain cities and groups but not as widely as the Olympians.
Demeter. Demeter is the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She is the daughter of Cronos and Rhea. It is Demeter that makes the crops grow each year and the first loaf of bread from the harvest is sacrificed to her. Demeter is intimately associated with the seasons through the myth of the abduction of Persephone. Her daughter, Persephone, was abducted by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. In her anger at her daughter's loss Demeter laid a curse on the world that caused plants to wither and die, the land became desolate. Zeus became alarmed and sought Persephone's return. However, because she had eaten while in the underworld Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter grieves her daughter's absence, and withdraws her gifts from the world, creating winter. Her return brings spring. (Evslin 51)
Dionysus. Dionysus is the god of the vine. He invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes. He has a dual nature, on one side he is the bringer of joy and divinity, on the other brutal, unthinking, and angry. Thus, he reflected both sides of wine's nature. Dionysus is the son of Zeus and Semele. He is the only god to have a mortal parent. Zeus came to Semele in the night, invisible, felt only as a divine presence. Semele was pleased to be a lover of a god, even though she did not know which one. Word soon got around and Hera quickly assumed who was responsible. Hera went to Semele in disguise and convinced her she should see her lover as he really was. When Zeus next came to see her, she made him promise to grant her one wish. She went so far as to make him swear on the River Styx that he would grant her request. Zeus was madly in love and agreed. She then asked him to show her his true form. Zeus was unhappy, and knew what would happen but, having sworn had no choice. He appeared in his true form and Semele was instantly burnt to a crisp by the sight of his glory. Zeus managed to rescue Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he was ready to be born. His birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality upon him. (Evslin 55)
Eris. Eris is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is the goddess of discord. In addition to her main activity of sowing discord, she frequently accompanies her brother Ares to battles. On these occasions she rides his chariot and brings her son Strife. Eris is unpopular and frequently snubbed as a guest by the other gods and mankind, however, this was not always a safe thing to do. The most dramatic example was the Trojan War, which was an indirect result of not inviting Eris to a wedding. (Evslin 64)
Pan. Pan is the son of Hermes. He is the god of goatherds and shepherds. He is mostly human in appearance but, with goat horns and goat feet. He is an excellent musician and plays the pipes. He is merry and playful and is frequently seen dancing with woodland nymphs. He is at home in any wild place but, is favorite is Arcadia, where he was born. He is always in pursuit of one of the nymphs but, always is rejected because he is ugly. (Evslin 167)
The Fates. The Fates have the subtle but, awesome power of deciding a man's destiny. They assign a man to good or evil. Their most obvious choice is choosing how long a man lives. There are three Fates, Clotho, the spinner, who spins the thread of life, Lachesis, who chooses the lot in life one will have and measures off how long it is to be, and Atropos, she cannot be turned, who at death with her shears cuts the thread of life. The Fates are old and predate the gods. It is not entirely clear how far their power extends. It is possible that they determine the fate of the gods as well. In any case, not even the most powerful is willing to trifle with them. (Evslin 75)
Today the gods have no worshippers but long ago many people worshipped and believed in these gods. During the classical period of Greece rituals and festivals were frequent occurrences to worship the gods. Religion was very important to Greeks because it dictated their daily life and gave them explanations to the unknown.
Belief in a god, recognition of his or her reality and power, was shown by the performance of ritual in the divinity's honor. Rituals were used throughout a Greek person's life since a ritual was required at significant transitions in, such as birth, admission into a group, marriage, and death. Most often these rituals were preformed to ask the gods permission, blessing, or advice. Signs were especially important when deciding to go into battles. But before the actual battle a separate, distinctive sacrifice was made to ask for strength and victory. (Jameson 962)
There were many different elements or types of rituals. The most basic was prayer. Access to the supernatural was not restricted to individual specialists or priestly groups but could be accessed by all through prayer. The individual was able to pray from his house to a household form of a god, such as Zeus Ktesios (of property) but if he wished to address a god of a particular shrine, he needed to find a priest or a commission who controlled access to the shrine. (Jameson 963)
When praying, the Greek in his address to the supernatural stood upon his dignity. Kneeling was not unknown but seems to have required special conditions, and was more common among women than men. More frequently men and women stood up-right and raised their hand to signal their desire fro the god's attention, or held the hand in the direction of the altar if a sacrifice was underway. There was a general pattern observed in literary versions of prayers: invocation, identifying the god; argument, giving the grounds for the god's heeding the prayer, and the petition itself. However, the Greeks did not feel constrained to use an unvarying and prescribed format without which the prayer would fail. (Jameson 963)
Another simple element of the ritual, which usually occurs in the beginning of the ritual sacrifice, is libation. Libation, the ceremoniously pouring of liquids, was used in combination with animal sacrifice, but also as a ritual of its own. The use of different liquids was determined by the function of the ritual; main opposition was between mixed wine, the ordinary libation liquid since it was the ordinary drink, and unmixed wine, milk, water, oil, and honey. (Graf 600) However, libation is a particular way of "giving" since you pour out wine on the soil and there it stays. How are the gods in heaven to get any of it? The Greeks tried to evade this problem by putting a libation bowl into the hand of the god, or by pouring libations into the fire on the altar. Libation ceremonies have had a long evolution, from even before the Bronze Age. The element of giving away what cannot be taken back was very important to the Greeks, for it showed their devotion to the gods. (Burkert 41)
The sacrifice was a typical ritual involving a large group from a city or cult, who preform the ritual to please or honor the god. This type of ritual usually occurs during a festival or during war time. There were three main types of sacrifices and they were chosen depending on the situations.
The sacrifices of food, such as corn, grain, and other harvest crops, were a common sacrifice by agricultural communities to Demeter. The offering of fruit and crops was considered by the Greeks to be the simplest and most basic form of uncorrupted piety. (Burkert 52) The first crops of the harvest were usually sacrificed to the gods as a thanks-offering, during a festival devoted to the harvest. (Jameson 962) However, the common food sacrifice not associated with a festival was cakes, flour-based sweetmeats or fancy breads. Sacrificial cakes very often had a special form, characteristic of the relevant deity or rite. (Kearns 132)
Another type of sacrifice was that of gifts. The offerings of gifts, such as statues, objects of value made of precious metals, clothing, or pottery, were used in more personal rituals. When a person wanted to ask for advice from and oracle or a personal request from a god, these gifts were more frequently sacrificed than animals or food, for they were the ritual was for personal help therefore they would sacrifice personal belongings. (Jameson 962)
The central rite of Greek religion was animal sacrifice. The main species used were sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle. Human sacrifice occurred only in myth and scandalous stories. Through archaeological evidence, the steps of the animal sacrifice are known. There are three main steps to the animal sacrifice:
1. Preparatory. The animal was led to the altar and then water was sprinkled on the victim to force it to "nod" in agreement to its sacrifice. This was done to relieve any guilt of the people. Some hair of the victim was cut and thrown onto the altar fire while a prayer was said to state the meaning of the intended sacrifice. (Parker 629)
2. The kill. The victim's throat was cut with a knife. The animal depending on size was either held over the altar, for smaller animals, or collected in a bowl and than poured onto the altar, for large animals. This was done because it was important to bloody the altar. (Parker 629)
3. Treatment of the meat. First the god's portion was cut, usually the thigh bones wrapped in fat with small portions of meat cut from all the limbs. This meat was then burnt in the altar fire. Next the entrails were roasted and shared among all the participants. The rest of the meat was boiled and then passed out to the participants, however, unlike the entrails, this meat was taken home and eaten. (Parker 629)
Festivals in Greece were the most common place for rituals to occur, though some were held privately. Each city had its patron deity, whose sanctuary adorned the city center and whose images often adorned the city's coin. Each city also had temples, shrines, and altars of a multitude of different gods and heros. The entire year was organized around the regularly scheduled festivals in honor of these gods and every city had its own calendar, in which each month was named for a different significant local festival. (Cole 896)
At Athens seven days out of each of the twelve months were regularly devoted to monthly festivals of divinities important to the city. In addition to the monthly festival days there were annual days devoted to major festivals. When the total number of known monthly and annual festival days are added together, it can be seen that at least 150 days per year were devoted to festivals. Festivals were an important part of the religious and social life of the city. (Cole 897)
The most important festival was the Panathenaia, devoted to Athena, the major Athenian goddess. Though the festival lasted for about eight days, the main day of the festival was usually the twenty-eighth day of the month, for it was thought to have been the birthday of the goddess. A huge procession of people, including basket-carriers, weavers, male citizens, and women carrying the tools for the sacrifice, made their way to the Acropolis, through the streets and the agora of Athens. There the focal celebration was held. A sacrifice on the Acropolis after the sacrificial fires had been lit was held to honor Athena. (Cole 898)
Most city-states had their own patron deity. The most recognizable is Athens whose patron deity was Athena. However, Athena became the patron-goddess of Athens only after defeating Poseidon in a contest over the city-state. In the myth of the contest, Athena produces a beautiful olive tree on the Acropolis while Poseidon only produces a spring of brackish water. The Athenians, obviously, chose Athena as their patron-goddess, however, to calm Poseidon's temper after losing, they do erect a temple for him in Athens. (Cotterell 25)
Though Sparta worshipped many of the gods, one god who was worshiped a lot and could be called its patron-god, was Ares. Because of Sparta's warlike nature, worship to Ares, the god of war, occurred frequently. Whenever, Sparta went off to war, which was quite a lot, a sacrifice was made to Ares for good fortune and in some cases festivals were held when they came home victorious from a hard battle. (Bell 256)
A cult, in classical times, referred to anyone who worshiped any god, therefore almost every Greek was part of a cult. The city-state of Athens worshipped a cult of Athena along with other cults to other gods. Although most Greek religious activities involved group participation, some cults had a special appeal for the individual, and these are the type of cult most people think of when they hear the word cult. Some, like the healing rites of Asclepius from Epidaurus or the rites of Bendis, were at first limited to private groups and only later incorporated into the official civic calendar. Dionysus is also a god who has both a public and a private side. As the god of wine and the god of the theater, he was an official god of the city and his festivals were incorporated into the public calendar. He, however, was also worshiped by small groups, and for these groups other functions were often stressed. (Cole 901)
The cult of Asclepius from Epidaurus was a very popular healing cult in the fifth century B.C. In myth Asclepius challenged Zeus and Hades by preserving too many people from death but in cult he was considered to have achieved divine status and was revered for saving people from illness. The cult of Asclepius spread steadily after the fifth century, an indication of the growing popularity in that period of divinities who responded to personal needs. The festivals and rituals of Epidaurus continued to be important and continued to be recognized, but people also began to look beyond the communal rites to rituals that provided relief from personal anxieties. At Athens the cult was officially recognized by the city, but it was private worshipers who provided steady interest in the god and his power. (Cole 902)
People visited sanctuaries of Asclepius to preserve their good health and to be cured of diseases if they were not healthy. Most "cures" or treatment at the sanctuaries occurred while the person was asleep, it was there the god came to them and cured them. After a successful cure, people were required to offer a sacrifice. There was no special animal specified for sacrifice. (Cole 903)
Another cult, was the cult of natural growth. Natural growth referred to the phenomenon of trees and plants putting forth new buds in springtime, and after the dead winter season. The gods attributed to this phenomenon and worshiped by the cult members, were mainly Dionysus the Vine-god and Demeter the Earth Mother, along with a few others. The rites and beliefs of this cult were different from the healing cults and were very selective in their membership. Before a person could be admitted, the candidate was required to purify himself; but such purifications consisted for the most part of abstention from certain sorts of food and other forms of outward pollution. (Robinson 136)
The Greeks worshiped the gods because they believed that the gods affected everything that happened. Earthquakes were common throughout Greece and the Mediterranean. The Greeks believed that Poseidon made the earth shake whenever he was mad and angry, by using his trident. Other stories attribute earthquakes to bulls created by Poseidon. Though this idea was accepted by most Greeks, ancient philosophers and "scientists" frequently speculated about the causes of earthquakes. Thales thought the earth moved apon the primeval waters. Anaximenes reckoned that variations in wetness and aridity caused cracks in the earth. Several philosophers, including Anaximenes, Democritus, Aristotle, and Posidonius, produced theories which involved water or air entering the earth and causing explosions. (Cartledge and Sallares 240)
Today's scientists, have discovered the earth is made up of plates and that the plates shift causing earthquakes when they grind into each other. Scientists today are able to research, experiment, and use technology to make conclusions about the "unknown". They use methods such as the scientific method to make conclusions and discover things.
The Greeks didn't have the ability to make these conclusions, so they used what they knew to explain what they couldn't: the gods. However, a select few called philosophers, challenged this belief that the gods were responsible for everything. Aristotle, an empiricist, used observation of the natural and human world to draw conclusions about why things happen. Aristotle used a method to try to understand why things occurred. His first step was to describe the materials that compose the things, then mention the characteristic organization. Aristotle called the next step "the origin of change"; in this step he mentions some event or agent that made the event or thing come about. The final step is to mention "the end" or "that for the sake of which" a thing is. (Nussbaum 68)
Many of the ideas and explanation went against how the Greek religion explained, this lead to two different approaches: to include religion, the gods and myths, in their conclusions or to states that the gods have no power over things. Plato, when writing of the soul and the cosmos uses myths and a creator god. Soul as the personality is the basis of Plato's use of myths of transmigration of soul and afterlife rewards and punishments. In Timaeus, an account of the natural world cast in the form of a description of how it was made by a creator god, Plato treats the world itself as a living thing, with body and soul, and a fanciful cosmic account is developed. (Annas 539) On the other hand, some philosophers such as Epicurus, made conclusions about the natural world that stated that the gods had no part in nature. When explaining physics and atoms, Epicurus concluded that the universe was created through a collision of atoms and that everything was made of small particles, atoms.
"Gods exist, atomic compounds like everything else, but take no thought for this cosmos or any other, living an ideal life of eternal, undisturbed happiness - the Epicurean ideal. It is good for men to respect and admire them, without expecting favors or punishments from them. (Furley 262)
Greek religion is very complex and full of myths and stories. They had primary gods who ruled the world and the universe and whose power controlled everything they saw and didn't see. Greeks used their myths and gods to explain their everyday lives and occurrences. They worshiped the gods through rituals and festivals, to please the gods and ask for guidance. The Greeks also used their religion to explain things that were unknown to them. Only a few individuals disbelieved that the gods created everything and made natural occurrences happen. To describe every aspect of the Greek gods and their religion would be impossible, however, this is a good start to understanding their religion, beliefs, and rituals.
