The cradle of European ancient art is the religion of ancient Greece

History does not know a more widespread and known pagan belief than the religion of Ancient Greece. The Greeks are a skilful people: they managed to borrow ideas from the Egyptians and make them more known to the whole world. Moreover, to come up with such a history of the Pantheon of the Gods up to the characteristics of character - the task is not easy. Although our ancestors - the Slavs - had their own pagan beliefs, we know Greek myths much better.

The Pantheon of the Gods of Ancient Greece

The religion of Ancient Greece, like other pagan beliefs, presupposes the existence of many Gods. Who does not know the almighty thunderbolt of Zeus, the supreme god who achieved the throne by dropping his father Kronos into a bottomless Tartar. Zeus' wife was Hera, the patroness of the family hearth and a happy marriage. According to legend, their relationship with Zeus began long before marriage, and after the wedding, Hera repeatedly arranged her husband jealousy, and cruelly punished mistress Zeus. Lord of the water and the ocean called Poseidon, portraying him as a man of large physique with a huge trident in his hand. In the underworld, where they fell after death, Hades sat. The religion of Ancient Greece could not do without the goddess of love and beauty - Aphrodite, whose authority was subject to both people and gods. Myths tell about the birth of Aphrodite from the foam of the sea near the island of Cyprus. From the head of Zeus was born the goddess of wisdom Athena, which was beyond Aphrodite. The God of the Sun, Helios, went out on a sun chariot to the morning sky every morning, symbolizing the beginning of a new day. The most beautiful of the divine beings the Greeks considered the god of the arts of Apollo. Hunting was an integral part of the food of ancient peoples, and accordingly there was a deity that symbolized this occupation - Artemis. The god of winemaking and the forces of nature Dionysus helped to entertain and celebrate the Greeks, in honor of whom often organized various fun. As if the gods lived without messengers, bringing the latest information. Limping Hermes everywhere was in time: and announce the beginning of the Olympic Games, and tell fresh rumors on Olympus, and patronize athletes, shepherds and orators, and also 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 was stolen by Hades in her underworld. Once seeing a beautiful girl, Hades fell in love and, passing by on a chariot, grabbed her and dragged her with him to the ground. Demeter's suffering affected the nature: it faded, nothing grew, a drought began, and famine spread among the 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 blossoms, gives fruits (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 in legends and myths. The Greeks invented the gods even the place of residence: they all lived on Mount Olympus, at the foot of which they were offered sacrifices. The ancient Greeks loved their gods, portraying them as beautiful, ideal in their opinion, strong. How many churches were erected in their honor, the construction of which took more than a dozen years and monetary effort? Remember at least the temple of Artemis in 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 miracle of the world, created from ivory and gold, unfortunately, has not reached our days. The Greeks believed in the gods and thus tried to appease them. Although one of the deities is very little mentioned, but his power was boundless, to which even Zeus was subordinate. His name is Rock: the Greeks believed that the destinies of people and gods are not at all governed by the gods, but by some other power, perhaps the chaos that was ruled by Rock.

Even after the conquest by the Romans, the civilization of Ancient Greece did not collapse in spirit, but managed to maintain its faith. The Romans, coming to their land, completely adopted the customs and religion of the Greeks.