Verified Document

Greek Gods Make Up A Term Paper

Greek gods make up a hierarchy of gods and demi-gods, who are all related through family ties. In ancient Greek religion, the various gods are assigned to rule over different factors which were important in the lives of the ancient Greek people. For example, Dionysus ruled over wine which was a staple in the Greeks daily diet. These gods were ruled by Zeus and his wife Hera, who were the head of the Olympian family. They ruled over a wide range of their brothers, sisters, as well as sons and daughters.

Ancient Greek religion was very similar to other ancient religions in the region. Many elements fundamental to Greek mythology can be found throughout the ancient world. In fact, many creation myths have similar backgrounds, especially when the cultures developed so close together and must have had contact with one another. For example, the ancient Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris repeats itself in the story of the Greek god of the underworld, Hades, and his abduction of Persephone. Another example of a Greek myth found within the religious texts of another culture is the myth of Duecalion, who resembles the Judeo-Christian figure of Noah who was chosen to save future generations at the time of the great flood.

All of the Greek gods and their interactions were very similar to how humans would naturally act. They are all inclined to be jealous and vengeful of one another, along with having affairs that rival any daytime soap opera. They would choose sides and create massive wars on earth in order to win their way and prove their point.

Although the ancient Greek religion had fundamental elements which were very similar to other ancient religions, there is one thing that set it apart. The quarrelsome Greek gods did not try to teach their human subjects any kind of religious doctrine. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, with its strict rules and commandments, the Greek religion had no specific doctrines which it's followers needed to generally follow. Instead, the ancient tradition relied on mysticism, such as what was seen in the case of the Oracle of Delphi. Many researchers and scholars say that this freedom inspired Greek thought and freedom to pursue different ideas.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

God Apollo: Apollo Is a
Words: 1637 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Medea: Since Medea was born as the Princess of Colchis and the niece of Circe, she was a powerful sorceress. Medea fell in love with Jason through the little help she received from Hera when on his quest for the Golden Fleece. Medea helped Hera to steal the sacred artifact for her beloved and received abduction in return. Medea had numerous adventures in her life including murdering her brother to distract

Greek After the Death of
Words: 800 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

it's also important to note that Greeks brought metallurgy innovations to the non-Greek world: iron, which dramatically increased strength of metal tools and weapons and cupro-nickel (used in coining). A number of Asian peoples also adapted Greek alphabet and papyrus. But in many cases influence of Greeks was considerably obvious only in Asian kingdoms, as most of Mediterranean non-Greek cultures stood on the same level of development as Greeks. For

Greek Mythology Is a Collection
Words: 2211 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

There were many other gods and goddesses and other supernatural beings in both mythologies (Meeks 2002). There were godlings, demigods, river nymphs and tree dryads and other mythical creatures, such as satyrs, comprising the entire belief systems. These systems were polytheistic as well as animistic. The system held that every tree, river and every part of nature had a spirit or energy behind it. Hercules was a famous demigod (Meeks).

Greek Concept to Movie Troy
Words: 962 Length: 2 Document Type: Film Review

Greek Concept to Movie Troy Ancient mythology as never ceased to amaze and fascinate its readers and followers. Especially Egyptian and Greek mythology, having followers everywhere; in the current times it has found a new fan, that is the movie making business, with a special interest in Greek mythology. Nothing is better than watching your favorite characters brought up to life and actually see them doing all the things we had

Greek & Mesopotamian Social Values
Words: 391 Length: 1 Document Type: Term Paper

However, in Mesopotamia, Ishtar was considered the primary god, and Ishtar was a woman. It is interesting to note that in Mesopotamia war is considered a feminine pursuit, and Ishtar is the god of war, while in Greece it is primarily a male pursuit and, though there are specific gods of war, Zeus is seen as the ultimate leader in times of war. Despite these differences there are strong similarities

Greek & Persia the Causes
Words: 1469 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Except for Miletus, which was sacked as an initiator of the revolt, the other cities were treated rather reasonably, going as far as recommendations for the settled Persians to respect local religious traditions (Herodotus VI 42-45). This does not necessarily need to be seen only as a reasonable conquering policy, but also as a diplomatic and political approach: once Darius asked for the submissions of mainland Greek cities, many of

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now