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JA2. Religion in Greek Society

Statement

Religion played a significant role in Greek society and culture. Based on your readings, answer the following questions.

  • Was the Greek religion monotheistic or polytheistic? Explain your answer and support your explanation with examples.
  • In what ways were Greek art and architecture influenced by their religious beliefs?

Answer

The Greek city-states, despite being different in politics and other aspects, shared a common language and religious identity that was believed to date back to the Bronze Age (around 3000 BCE), but the first archaeological evidence of the Greek religion dates back to the Greek Archaic period (800-500BCE). Most of our knowledge of the Greek religion comes from the works of Homer and Hesiod and the remains of temples and sanctuaries that were scattered throughout the Greek world (HistoryDen, 2018).

The polytheistic Greek religion.

The Greek religion was a polytheist that featured multiple gods, with each city choosing a patron god that was featured with the city, but Greeks believed in multiple gods. Sanctuaries were sacred places that were devoted to worshiping, sacrificing, and praying for a single god, and there were multiple sanctuaries devoted to a group of gods like the sanctuary of Olympia which honored Zeus, Apollo and Hermes (HistoryDen, 2018).

Temples were built at later stages on the land of sanctuaries; which included the temple building and a statue representing the devoted god; some temples had other functions like the Parthenon in Athens which served also as a treasury to hold the wealth of the city and a symbol of the city’s power and wealth (Reed.edu, n.d.).

The Olympian gods were an example of the polytheistic nature of the Greek religion, with these gods given some human characteristics and each god had a specific role in the universe. Zeus was the king of the gods and the god of the sky and thunder, Hera was the queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage, Poseidon was the god of the sea, Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war, Apollo was the god of the sun and music, Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, and so on (HistoryDen, 2018).

Influence of Greek religion architecture and art.

Most of the Greek architecture that we know were temples that were built to honor the gods. Greeks put a tremendous amount of effort into building these temples as it was a way of worshiping and pleasing the gods. Greeks were also looking for perfection in their architecture, a characteristic that was derived from the gods and amplified by the philosophy, mathematics, and art that Greeks were known for.

The Parthenon is a Doric temple that is characterized by its simplicity and elegance. The temple is rectangular with a set of (8) columns on the front and back and (17) columns on the sides. It has two rooms inside, the bigger room housed the statue of Athena, and the smaller room housed the treasury. On the sides, there are some metopes (sculptures) that capture different battles that the Greeks had (Reed.edu, n.d.)

Greek arts were also influenced by the religion. the sculptures of the gods were the most notable ruins of the cities. Greeks were also interested in sculptures that featured the perfect human body and the battles they fought. The sculptures were made of marble and bronze, and they were painted with bright colors. The plays and the theaters were also influenced by religion, with Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey being the most famous plays that were performed in the theaters (Britannica, 2024).

Conclusion.

The Greek religion was influential in many aspects of life, not just during that time; but even today with many buildings around the world resembling Greek temples. The famous films that we watch today are also based on the Greek mythology. But the biggest influential aspect is the Olympic games that were held in a religious festival every four years and we still have them today with the eternal flame that is lit in Olympia and carried to the host city.

References