What Is Ancient Greek Religion

In fifth century Greece, religion was present in all areas of life. Although its origins may be traced to the remotest eras, Greek religion in its developed form lasted more than a thousand years. From before the time of Homer to the reign Julius Caesar in the fourth century AD, the gods were alive and present and influencing human affairs. There were myths to explain the origins of mankind, formal rituals that could include animal sacrifices and libations and temples dominated the city skyline. Along with festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. There were some who were sceptical, such as Socrates and Plato, but the principles of the belief system had spread far and wide enabling society and Greek governance to function.
The Greek
Greeks saw these places as sacred as they housed the spirit of a particular god and this did not change, regardless of what deity was later placed at the sites. The famous Parthenon of Athens housed the statue of Athena the Virgin, patron goddess of the city. The people could go to pay homage but they knew that Athena would not be physically there. The Temple of Aphaia, on the island of Aegina, was one exception. The goddess Aphaia was thought to live in the temple to personally care for the people of the island.
A massive aspect of the ancient Greek religion was the rituals and festivities that littered the year. In Ancient Greece, the people believed that good things would befall them if they worshipped the deities and acted piously. Because of the humanisation of the gods, the people knew quite well that fulfilment would not always be granted. Their ritualistic year not only followed the seasonal rotation for hunting and harvests, or the functional needs in war, but penetrated down to the fundamental parts of daily life such as births, deaths and