Greek Gods Essay

The arts of classical Greece had a different flair than any other civilization. The Greeks invented both drama and built the first theaters in the west. Statues in Greece depicted their gods and goddesses in idealized human form, their faces neither showed laughter or anger, only serenity. Athena, goddess of wisdom, is found in the Parthenon, dressed in full battle armor, holding a six-foot high figure of victory. The Parthenon is a masterpiece of not only craftsmanship, but also design.

As ancient Greek mythology began to evolve, the Age of Gods and Mortals had created such an epic beginning for stories to revolve around. Greeks regarded mythology as a part of their history. They used myth to explain natural phenomena, cultural variations, traditional beliefs and friendships. Greece had been mainly defined by its numerous accounts of various wars and battles, as well as its incredible architecture, but nothing had defined Greece better then its vast majority of mind- boggling myths and legends (Hamilton. 16).

Greek Mythology and Superheroes Thousands of years ago what is now considered mythology and folklore was actual religion among the indigenous cultures of those beliefs. Among those, Greek Mythology is the most well-known and referenced. Greek Gods were not visions of perfection. They had personal problems, arguments, wars, and a great multitude of affairs. The Greek gods were essentially characters in the works of many great writers and it can be debated that belief in these gods came second to the writing of the stories.

This co... ... middle of paper ... ...ling Medusa. In summary, the Greek Gods and Goddesses interacted with humans mainly for individual gain, and sometimes for divine assistance of heroes. In conclusion, the creation of the Greek Gods and Goddesses by the ancient Greeks are simply a masterpiece of many years of work. With the creation of the Gods came along an array of myths following the great adventures of these Gods. These great adventures also told us much more about the Gods themselves, in ways of how they looked and acted, their powers, and types of interaction.

Greek Gods Gods have existed almost since the beginning of mankind, as people had things that they worshiped such as the sun, the moon, and many other things. To me the Greeks had the most unique gods, because they had many gods for many different things such as love, war, etc. The gods were almost like human beings as they interacted in the lives of the people they watched over and the people they cherished. The gods were said to have mixed with the humans to make half mortal and half immortal people, blessed with certain powers. Today we all have one god, because it is the way we were brought up, but there are many types of religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, etc.

Ancient Rome and ancient Greece both grew successful through the similarity between the roles of religion. Both civilizations were polytheistic and believed in multiple gods and goddesses. Both civilizations also believed that the gods and goddesses appeared in human form and were just like them, except for their status. There were such gods such as the god of the sea, god of the underworld, goddess of harvest, god of wine, goddess of love, and many more. These individual gods specialized in his/her own field and they were the explanations for the many events that occurred around ancient Greece.

The Hellenistic religion of ancient Greece had many more gods and goddesses but they are so numerous that it would be impossible to list them all but I have tried to touch on the ones that held the most influence and are the most well-known. The birth lines of the gods are hard to follow because they were promiscuous deities and they often conceived children with siblings, parents or other family members.

These beliefs were one in the same with a few minor differences such as the names of the gods being changed. Monuments were built in the gods honor. Temples of worship were constructed to pray to their gods. Some monuments and temples still stand today and are studied and even influence certain building’s designs. Greece was the first culture to believe in these gods before they were overthrown by the Roman Empire, who heard these stories of gods like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

The initial organization of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were as close to unification as Greek history allowed until the Macedonians arrived. However, these successful civilizations were not Greek but situated themselves on what became Greece and merely demonstrated a slight similarity in language. After the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, Greeks entered though disorganized and independent. The appearance of the polis united Greek-speaking people though its initial use was not for such. The Greek poleis was a community of relatives who worshipped gods in ceremonies and formed republics dominated by the nobility through its councils of nobles and eventually distinguished monarchy (80-81).

Here Hamlin explains the greatness of what was achieved in Athens at the Acropolis and how nothing beyond that point could compare. The giant religious complex that is the Acropolis served as a communal religious center not only for the Athenians but all Greeks. Rivaling none in its grandeur the Acropolis serves as the high point in Athens both physically and figuratively. HISTORY OF THE ACROPOLIS The Acropolis sits on top of an ancient ... ... middle of paper ... ...les are also important to the Acropolis. The many statue and sculptures of the gods nearly match the beauty of the temples.