Religion/Beliefs
Fate
That Greek religion was polytheistic is clear, but it also incorporated concepts that could be said to resemble an Ultimate Reality. Even Zeus, the mightiest of all gods, was subject to the powerful force of Destiny or Fate.
The Universe
The ancient Greeks viewed the earth as a flat disk floating on the river of Ocean.The ancient Greeks believed that there were four divine beings that first came into existence: Chaos, the Abyss, Earth (Gaea) and Love (Eros). Then the world came into existence when Earth was forcibly separated from her consort Heaven (Uranus) for a time so that she might give birth. To effect this separation, Uranus' genitals were severed by his son Cronus (the father of Zeus) and thrown into the sea, from which rose Aphrodite.
Spirits, Monsters and Other Mythological Beings
Another aspect of Greek religion worth mentioning is the set of mythological and sometimes monstrous creatures that populate its myths:
That Greek religion was polytheistic is clear, but it also incorporated concepts that could be said to resemble an Ultimate Reality. Even Zeus, the mightiest of all gods, was subject to the powerful force of Destiny or Fate.
The Universe
The ancient Greeks viewed the earth as a flat disk floating on the river of Ocean.The ancient Greeks believed that there were four divine beings that first came into existence: Chaos, the Abyss, Earth (Gaea) and Love (Eros). Then the world came into existence when Earth was forcibly separated from her consort Heaven (Uranus) for a time so that she might give birth. To effect this separation, Uranus' genitals were severed by his son Cronus (the father of Zeus) and thrown into the sea, from which rose Aphrodite.
Spirits, Monsters and Other Mythological Beings
Another aspect of Greek religion worth mentioning is the set of mythological and sometimes monstrous creatures that populate its myths:
- Amazons - race of female warriors
- Keres - evil female spirits
- Medusa –a winged female monster with hair made of snakes.
- Satyrs – half-man, half-goat nature spirits who dwelled in woods and mountains and were lusty followers of Dionysus
- Centaurs – half-man, half-horse creatures who were wild and lawless but possessed cultural knowledge
- Sirens -
- Typhon - represents disorder and devastation