The Role Of Religion In Ancient Greece

The people of ancient Greece worshiped an abundance of different deities, each with their own particular domain and personality. Though there are only twelve main gods or “Olympians”, thousands more were worshiped by the individuals within this society. In fact, many families had their own personal household gods. Religious practice was a primary part of the daily lives of many people in ancient Greece. They worshipped in sanctuaries either in the city in which they lived, in the countryside, or in their own homes. Many of these temples benefited from their natural surroundings because they helped express the essence of many of the deities. One example of this would be the Parthenon on the Athenian acropolis which illustrates the unwavering
They pushed the idea of action through non-action which is detailed in Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu. “The best man is like water. Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them. It dwells in lowly places that all disdain. This is why it is so near to the Tao” (Encounters 96) This shows us that the people of ancient China not only practice a worship centered around the Tao, they also are encouraged to act with
Did the individuals in each of these civilizations have a strong relationship with their deities? Yes, most certainly. It is undoubtedly clear that the lives of people in ancient Greek society were centered around their religious beliefs. The key themes that were depicted in the art of that time were all based on Greek mythology. Moreover, religious practices, rituals, ceremonies, and festivals were a principal part of the lives of the people of ancient Greece. Furthermore, individuals learned from spoken stories and literature about the specific personalities and attributes of each of their deities which made the relationship more personal. With respect to ancient China, it is also evident that there was a longstanding strong relation between persons of the society and the higher powers of the universe. The visual art that was created in early China shows us that there was a strong connection between the people and the spiritual world. In addition to this, they avidly practiced worship and developed religious traditions around the primary religious figures and their ancestors, often thinking about both the ancestors and deities as one in the same. Also, the religious literature from the time period plainly indicates that people in China were obligated to follow a strict moral and ethical code. We can