Religion In Ancient Greece

Religion has played a large role in many societies throughout all of history, and this statement does not exempt the Ancient Grecian city-states. This idea is represented through the examination of civilizations such as ancient Athens, Greece in which a polytheistic religion was seen to have dictated much the civilization’s citizens’ lives; religion affected the culture of ancient Athens in regards to art, ceremony and rituals, politics, civil rights, and daily practices. The classical period of Ancient Athens Greece encompasses the fifth and fourth centuries BC; this is the period between the Persian and Peloponnesian war, fought between the Greeks and Persians and then the Athenians and Spartans, up until the time of Alexander the Great’s
Though, ancient Athenians practiced religion in a way which indicates that they felt politics and religion went hand and hand. They believed that both components were essential in the Athenian culture; this belief is especially evident by the art that was created during this time period. For example, plays were created that examined this belief, plays such as Antigone, written by Sophocles, and Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes. Other examples would be buildings such as the Parthenon, as well as various works that took form as pottery and sculptures. These are examples because the art forms produced during this age were usually inspired by both politics and religion and that is obvious due to the themes that can be derived from them; such as the fact that the Parthenon is a representation of the pride that Athenians had in regards to both their government and religion
They believed that their gods were greatly concerned with honor and they felt that many of their hardships were due to their gods being dissatisfied with them; they did feel that natural disasters, such as disease and bad harvest seasons, were caused by the gods. In order to find semblance in their lives, Athenians came up with cultural rituals and practices that they felt would please and appease their gods. They came up with practices having to do with things such as burial and sacrifice rites, and they felt that these acts would bring them good luck, and may even be cause for their gods to grant them wishes. These were also more ways in which Athenians could flaunt their power, social statuses, and wealth to fellow citizens and also citizens of other city-states. Ancient Athenians showcased this idea not only through the practices they did but also in the art in which they created and displayed. For example, their dedication to their religion caused Athenians to come up with the concept of Greek tragedy; take for example the play Antigone written by the playwright Sophocles. The play revolves around a plot that reflects the Athenian values concerning religion. Overall, plays were brought about because the citizens of ancient Greece felt that they would please the god Dionysus; they felt that in regards to that god in particular, they would receive good