History does not know a more widespread and well-known pagan faith than the religion of Ancient Greece. The Greeks are a skilled people: they were able to borrow ideas from the Egyptians and make them more famous throughout the world. In addition, to come up with such a story of the Pantheon of the Gods up to character traits is not an easy task. Although our ancestors - the Slavs - had their own pagan beliefs, we know Greek myths much better.
Pantheon of the gods of ancient Greece
The religion of Ancient Greece, like other pagan beliefs, implies the existence of many Gods. Who does not know the omnipotent thunderbolt Zeus - the supreme god who achieved the throne by dropping his father Kronos into the bottomless Tartarus. Zeus's wife was Hera, the patroness of the family hearth and a happy marriage. According to legend, their relationship with Zeus began long before the marriage, and after the wedding, Hera repeatedly arranged jealousy for her husband and severely punished Zeus's lovers. Poseidon was called the master of water and the ocean, portraying him as a man of large physique with a huge trident in his hand. In the underworld, which fell after death, Hades sat. The religion of ancient Greece could not do without the goddess of love and beauty - Aphrodite, whose powers were subordinated to both people and gods. Myths tell of the birth of Aphrodite from sea foam near the island of Cyprus. From the head of Zeus, the goddess of wisdom Athena was born, who was not subject to Aphrodite. The sun god Helios rode every morning in the sun chariot to the morning sky, symbolizing the beginning of a new day. The Greeks considered the most beautiful of divine beings the god of arts of Apollo. Hunting was an integral part of the food of the ancient peoples, respectively, there was a deity that symbolized this occupation - Artemis.
The god of winemaking and the forces of nature Dionysos helped to entertain and celebrate the Greeks, in whose honor various funs were often organized. As if the gods lived without messengers bringing the latest information. The limping Hermes always had time to: announce the start of the Olympic Games, and tell the latest rumors on Olympus, and patronize athletes, shepherds and orators, as well as defend fair trade. The mythology of Greece even explained the change of seasons. It turns out that the only daughter of the goddess of nature, Demeter, Persephone, Hades stole in his underground kingdom. Once having seen a beautiful girl, Hades fell in love and, passing by in a chariot, grabbed her and dragged her with him underground. Demeter’s suffering was reflected in nature: it faded, nothing grew, drought began, and hunger spread among people. The gods were worried and decided to ask Hades for the return of Persephone. Since then, the daughter lives with her mother for six months and nature blooms, gives fruit (spring and summer), and then for six months the girl returns to the kingdom of Hades and nature freezes (autumn and winter).
Praise to the gods
The religion of ancient Greece was not only about legends and myths. The Greeks even thought up the gods' place of residence: they all lived on Mount Olympus, at the foot of which they were sacrificed. The ancient Greeks loved their gods, portraying them beautiful, ideal in their opinion, strong. How many temples were erected in their honor, the construction of which took more than a dozen years and monetary efforts? Remember at least the temple of Artemis at Ephesus - one of the wonders of the world, a building with a huge number of columns and beautiful precious halls. The statue of Olympian Zeus - another wonder of the world created from ivory and gold, unfortunately, has not survived to this day.
The Greeks believed the gods and thus tried to appease them. Although very little is mentioned about one of the deities, his power was limitless, to which even Zeus obeyed. His name is Rock: the Greeks believed that it was not the gods who decide the fate of people and gods, but some other force, perhaps the chaos that Rock controlled.
Even after the conquest by the Romans, the civilization of Ancient Greece did not lose heart, but managed to maintain its faith. The Romans, having come to their land, completely adopted the customs and religion of the Greeks.