Ancient and modern Greece: religion and its features

The culture and religion of Ancient Greece are very peculiar and very interesting. And to this day they inspire a lot of people around the world. The religion and art of Ancient Greece have been reflected in works of writers and poets, in sculpture, painting, etc. for many centuries. Today we will talk about how the gods worshiped Hellenes, how sacrifices were performed and what role the priests performed. In addition, you will find out what historical changes Greece experienced. Her religion was transformed through the centuries into Orthodoxy. About modern Greek Christianity, we also will tell you in detail. However, first we will characterize a country like Ancient Greece. Her religion has made a great contribution to world culture.

Religion of Ancient Greece

In general, perhaps, each of us can tell about it. Ancient Greek traditions are still very popular today. A very important part of the culture of this country has always been religion. However, the ancient Greeks, unlike the Egyptians, raskladili their gods in human clothes. This people loved to enjoy life. Although they created a whole history of divine beings, in everyday life the Greeks were independent and practical people.

It is very important that the idea of a god-creator was absent in a country like Ancient Greece. Its religion was therefore very peculiar. The Greeks believed that from the chaos there appeared earth, night, darkness, and then the ether, light, sky, day, sea and other important forces of nature arose. The older generation of gods came from the earth and the sky. And already from them was created Zeus and all known to us Olympic gods.

The Pantheon of Ancient Greece

There were a lot of gods in the pantheon, among which 12 main ones were distinguished. Each of them performed its functions. For example, Zeus (pictured below) was the main god, he was a thunderer, ruler of the sky, personified power and power in such a state as Ancient Greece.

The religion of the Hellenes prescribed the worship of Hera and his wife. This is the patroness of the family, the goddess of marriage. Poseidon was a brother of Zeus. This is an ancient sea deity, patron of the sea and horses. Athena personifies a just war and wisdom. Religion Dr. Greece, moreover, represents it as the patroness of city fortifications and cities in general. Another name for this goddess is Pallas, which means "lance-maker". Athena, according to classical mythology, is a warrior goddess. She was usually depicted in full armor.

Cult of Heroes

Ancient Greek gods lived on Mount Olympus, snow-covered mountain. In addition to worshiping them, there was also a cult of heroes. They were presented as semi-divisions, which were born from the unions of mortals and gods. The heroes of many myths and poems of Ancient Greece are Orpheus (pictured above), Jason, Thezai, Hermes, and others.

Anthropomorphism

Expanding the features of the religion of ancient Greece, it should be noted that anthropomorphism is one of the main among them. Under the deity was understood the Absolute. The ancient Greeks believed that the Cosmos is an absolute deity. Anthropomorphism was expressed in the allocation of higher beings to human qualities. Gods, as the ancient Greeks thought, are ideas embodied in the Cosmos. It is nothing but the laws of nature that govern it. Their gods reflect all the shortcomings and dignities of human life and nature. Higher beings have a human face. Not only outwardly they are similar to people, but also by their behavior. The gods have husbands and wives, they enter into relations with each other, like human ones. They can revenge, be jealous, fall in love, have children. Thus, the gods possess all the advantages and disadvantages that are characteristic of mortals. This trait determined the nature of the civilization of Ancient Greece. Religion contributed to the fact that the main feature of it was humanism.

Sacrifices

All the gods were offered sacrifices. The Greeks believed that, like humans, the higher beings needed food. In addition, they believed that food is needed and the shadows of the dead. Therefore, the ancient Greeks tried to feed them. For example, the heroine of the tragedy of Aeschylus Electra pours the earth with wine to be received by her father. Victims of the gods were gifts that were offered in order to fulfill the prayers of the prayers. Popular gifts were fruits, vegetables, various bread and cakes, dedicated to individual gods. There were bloody sacrifices. They amounted mainly to the killing of animals. However, very rarely people were also sacrificed. That's what religion in Greece was at an early stage of its development.

Temples

Temples in Ancient Greece were usually erected on high ground. They were separated by a fence from other buildings. Inside was the image of a god in whose honor the temple was built. There was also an altar for committing bloodless victims. Separate premises existed for sacred relics and donations. Blood sacrifices were made on a special site, located in front of the temple building, but inside the fence.

Priests

Each Greek church had its own priest. Even in ancient times, some tribes did not play a significant role in society. Every free man could perform the duties of the priests. This position remained unchanged even after the emergence of individual states. The oracle was in the main temples. His function included predicting the future, as well as reporting what was said by the Olympic gods.

The Greeks had religion as a state affair. The priests were in fact civil servants who were supposed to obey the laws, like other citizens. If necessary, priests' duties could be performed by the heads of families or kings. At the same time, religions were not taught, they did not create theological works, that is, religious thought did not develop at all. The duties of the priests were limited to the performance of certain ceremonies in the temple to which they belonged.

The emergence of Christianity

The emergence of Christianity chronologically refers to the middle of the 2nd century. N. E. Today, there is an opinion that it emerged as the religion of all "offended" and "humiliated". However, it is not. In fact, on the ashes of the pantheon of Greco-Roman gods , a more mature idea of belief in one supreme being appeared, as well as the idea of a God-man who took death for the sake of saving people. The cultural and political situation in Greco-Roman society was intensely tense. It was necessary to get protection and support from temptations and external instability. Other national religions of ancient Greece could not provide them. And the Greeks turned to Christianity. We will now talk about the history of its formation in this country.

Early Christian Church

The early Christian church, in addition to internal contradictions, was sometimes subjected to external persecution. Christianity in the early period of its existence was not officially recognized. Therefore, his adherents had to assemble secretly. The first Christians of Greece tried not to irritate the authorities, so they did not actively spread their faith in the "masses" and did not seek to establish a new doctrine. This religion for 1000 years has gone from underground clandestine societies to world-wide teaching, which influenced the development of many civilizations.

A Brief History of Christianity in Ancient Greece

Nowadays, the main religion in Greece is Orthodox Christianity. Virtually 98% of believers stick to it. Very early in Greece adopted Christianity. After Constantine, the Roman emperor, accepted this religion, in 330 AD. E. He transferred his capital to Constantinople. The new center has become a kind of religious capital of the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire. After a while, tensions developed between the patriarchs of Rome and Constantinople. As a result, in 1054 a split of religion occurred. It was divided into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Church supported and represented Christian Eastern Europe after its conquest by the Ottomans. After the revolution, which occurred in 1833, the Greek church became one of the first Orthodox in the region to recognize and support the spiritual leadership of the Patriarch of Constantinople. Until now, the people of Greece are faithful to the chosen religion.

The Modern Orthodox Church

It is interesting that the church in Greece today is not separated from the state, as in many other countries. It is autocephalous. The Archbishop is its head. His residence is in Athens. Catholicism is practiced by a few inhabitants of individual islands of the Aegean Sea, which once belonged to the Venetian Republic. On the island of Rhodes and in Thrace live, in addition to the Greeks, and the Muslim Turks.

Religion is an integral part of many aspects of Greek society. The Orthodox Church has an impact, for example, on the education system. In Greece, children attend religious courses, which are compulsory. In addition, every morning they pray together before classes. The church also influences the decision-making on certain political issues.

Pagan organizations

The court in Greece not so long ago allowed the activities of the association uniting the worshipers of the ancient gods. Pagan organizations, therefore, have become legal in this country. Today, the revival of the religion of ancient Greece. Paganism is held by about 100 thousand Greeks. They worship Hera, Zeus, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hermes, Athena and other gods.