Greek and Roman Religion

OCR GCSE Classical Civilization: Myth and Religion Study Notes

Introduction to Greek and Roman Religion

• Greeks and Romans lacked a singular term encompassing "religion".
• Greeks used "hyera" signifying holy affairs.
• Romans used "religio" denoting correct worship of state gods.
• Religious devotion was demonstrated through physical worship, like sacrifices and offerings.
• Belief alone wasn't sufficient, unlike modern notions of faith.

Polytheism

• Both Greek and Roman religions were polytheistic.
• Polytheism is belief in multiple gods with different responsibilities.
• They recognized a pantheon of gods, each associated with specific domains and powers.
• Polytheism contrasts with monotheism, the belief in one God.

Anthropomorphism

• Gods in Greek and Roman mythology were anthropomorphic.
• Anthropomorphism attributes human characteristics to non-human entities.
• This made gods relatable and integrated them into narratives explaining the world.

Epithets

• Epithets are words or phrases describing gods, highlighting their qualities or roles.
• Homer uses "Cloud-gatherer" for Zeus, emphasizing his weather control and kingly status.
• Epithets defined characters quickly, aided memory in oral traditions, and enriched narratives.

Introduction to the Greek Gods

• Olympian gods resided on Mount Olympus, except Hades, ruler of the underworld.
• Each god held distinct responsibilities in mortal and immortal realms.
• They are represented by symbols that reflect their powers.

Zeus

• King of the gods in Greek mythology.
• Led Olympian gods to victory in the Titanomachy, war against the Titans.
• Responsible for order and justice.
• Rules the sky and thunder
• Symbols: wields the Thunderbolt Is known for many relationships and offspring.
• Portrayed as mature, regal, bearded, holding a thunderbolt or scepter.
• Zeus embodies the idealized image of a benevolent and just ruler.

Hera

• Queen of the gods, wife and sister of Zeus.
• Goddess of marriage and family.
• Her union with Zeus is a focal point, yet marked by turmoil/Zeus's infidelities
• Symbols: mature, Majestic goddess, crown, diadem, Regal presence

Demeter

• Goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the harvest.
• Sister of Zeus and mother of Persephone.
• Abduction of Persephone by Hades explained the seasons.
• Symbols: sheaves of wheat and the poppy.

Poseidon

• God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses.
• Symbol is a trident, a three-pronged spear which represented his power to control the waters and create storms
• Often depicted with a fish, a symbol of his connection to marine life and his rule of seas
• Portrayed robust, bearded, with a crown/wreath.
• Controls marine life and the sea's resources also.

Hephaestus

• God of fire, craftsmen, metalworking and blacksmiths.
• Despite physical disability, a skilled artisan and forger.
• Created divine weapons and tools, including Achilles' armor.
• Symbols: bearded, at his forge, wielding hammer, surrounded by tools. His workshop is imagined as a fiery Forge where he crafts with skill

Athena

• Goddess of war and wisdom.
• Born fully grown and armored from Zeus's head, split by Hephaestus’s axe due to Zeus suffering severe headaches
• Competed with Poseidon for Athens’ patronage, offering the Olive Tree.
• Symbols: helmet, shield, spear, owl (wisdom).

Aphrodite

• Goddess of love, beauty, and desire.
• Rose from sea foam after Cronus castrated Uranus in one myth.
• Associated with romantic and physical love.
• Dove and swans represent love and beauty.
• Typically depicted as stunning, ethereal, radiating beauty.
• Symbolism: Seen with Eros God Of Love.
• Tall crown signifies her status and regal nature.

Ares

• God of war, son of Zeus and Hera.
• Represents war's brutal, chaotic aspects, not strategic warfare.
• Often portrayed as fierce and belligerent.
• Not universally revered due to war's destructive nature.
• Typically depicted in armor, wielding spear or sword.
• Zeus is shown between Athena and Ares stopping them from fighting to emphasize his role as the supreme ruler.

Dionysus

• God of wine, pleasure, fertility, and theater.
• Represents joyous, uninhibited life aspects.
• Worship involved festivals like the Dionysia and Bacchanalia.
• Born miraculously; Zeus sewed him into his thigh until birth as one version tells.
• Credited with introducing grape cultivation and wine-making.
• Symbols: thyrsus (staff topped with pine cone), accompanied by satus.
• Portrayed youthful, eminate, with ivy or grape leaves.
• Accompanied by satus, mythical beings associated with rry and the wild
• With a full flowing beard, Dionysus embodied the mature masculine aspect of fertility and vitality.
• Adorned with a laurel wreath, a symbol of Victory and divine status.
• Together these elements portray dionis as a powerful and influential God revered for his association with wine mert and the cycles of nature

Hermes

• God of travel, trade, & messenger of the gods.
• Serves as intermediary between gods and mortals, guiding souls.
• Symbols: winged sandals, winged hat (petasos), caduceus (staff with snakes).
• Often depicted dynamic, youthful, emphasizing swiftness.

Hestia

• Goddess of the hearth, home, and domesticity.
• Symbolized by the hearth's sacred flame.
• Gentle and nurturing.
• Lack of engagement in conflicts embodies family and hospitality virtues.
• Importance evident in rituals involving the hearth.
• Symbols: staff or scepter.

Hades

• Ruler of the underworld.
• Not considered an Olympian in the same sense as his brothers, as his domain is the realm of the dead
• Presides over the deceased, maintaining order and balance.
• Kidnapped Persephone to be his queen.
• Symbols: scepter or key to the underworld, reclining on a couch alongside Persephone.
• Crown represents his kingly authority over the underworld.
• The Cornucopia symbolizes the wealth and abundance that comes from the earth.

Introduction to the Roman Gods

• Etruscans Influenced early Rome, including divination practices, political and military practices
• Contact with Greeks introduced Roman society to Greek cultural elements, including religion and mythology

Jupiter

• Supreme deity and king of the gods.
• Associated with Zeus.
• Overthrew his father to take power.
• God of the sky and thunder, upholds oaths and treaties.
• Seen as protector of Roman state and people.
• Symbols: crown, scepter, throne, eagle, globe, Fresco from Pompei.

Juno

• Queen of the gods.
• Equated her to Hera.
• Oversees marriage and childbirth, protects women.
• Regal figure Among The Olympian gods
• Symbols: peacock, cow, pomegranate, diadem or crown, a veil

Neptune

• God of the seas, earthquakes, and storms.
• Associated with Poseidon.
• Dominates oceans, rivers, and aquatic life.
• Protector of sailors and fishermen.
• Symbols: trident, horses, marine creatures, Roman Mosaic.

Vulcan

• God of fire, metalworking, and craftsmanship.
• Son of Jupiter and Juno.
• Revered for craftsmanship; essential to Roman industry and warfare.
• Associated with volcanoes.
• Divine blacksmith of Gods, crafting weapons and armor.
• Symbols: hammer and Anvil.

Mercury

• Messenger of the gods.
• Facilitates communication between gods and mortals also associated with trade
• Guide of travelers, symbol of safe Journeys
• Popular and there are many examples of votive statuettes,
• Symbols: caduceus, a staff entwined with two snakes, petasus, winged sandals,
• Clean shaven, youthfulness.
• Highlights his swiftness and ability to move between worlds.

Mars

• God of war.
• Equated with the Greek god Aries.
• Mythology related to war, conflict, and protecting Romans.
• Father of Romulus and Remis.
• Symbols: armor, spear, shield.

Pluto

• God of the underworld.
• Governs the underworld.
• Associated with judging the dead and keeping balance.
• Powerful deity who enforces rules of the afterlife.
• Symbols: scepter, staff, key, dark robe.

Apollo

• God of music, prophecy, healing, archery, and the sun.
• Taken directly from Greek pantheon without Etruscan alternative.
• Portrayed as handsome, youthful, often with a leer.

Venus

• Goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
• Especially important to Romans as mother of Aeneas.
• Symbols: doves, Myrtle, rose - all are symbols of love and beauty
• Depicted naked or with Cupid.

Minerva

• Goddess of wisdom, war, art, and handicrafts.
• Represents intellectual pursuits and strategic wisdom.
• The owl is her symbol.
• Symbols: Olive Tree, Serpent and shield.
• Pictured holding these symbols or wearing armor, Portrayed intellect and war

Diana

• Goddess of hunting, childbirth, and the moon.
• Goddess of hunting, childbirth, and the moon.
• Has shrines and temples dedicated to her with a large following.
• Often depicted in flowing garments.
• Pictured in a hunting pose with her bow and arrow

Bacchus

• God of wine, rry, and theater.
• Festivals dedicated to him, such as the Bania. However, Bania was later banned
• In art, may be shown riding in a chariot, holding a a thrysus or reclining with a cup of wine
• Other symbols used including Pampa AA and grapes
• Often accompanied by satus

Vesta

• Goddess of the hearth, home, and family.
• Very important to both state and family.
• Her flame symbolized the continuation of the Roman state. Symbols: veil, a cornucopia, watching over a fire.

Ceres

• Goddess of harvest and grain.
• Mother of Panie series his primary responsibility is the nurturing and growth of crops symbolizing fertility and abundance

The Universal Hero: Heracles

• Story commences with Divine Providence and formidable challenges.
• Son of Zeus and mortal woman Alcmene.

Heracles's Early Life

• Hera resented Heracles; sent serpents to attack him as an infant.
• Heracles demonstrated strength and bravery strangling the snakes.
• Zeus's child was prophesied to Vanquish monsters.
• He established the Olympic Games.

The Twelve Labors of Heracles

• Heracles had to undertake 10 great challenges.
• Tasked by King Aus due to madness induced by Hera.

The Nemean Lion

• Heracles's first labor.
• Slay the Invulnerable lion with Golden fur in Nemea.
• Strangled it and fashioned a cloak from its skin.

The Lernaean Hydra

• Second labor.
• Faced multi-headed serpent in Lerna.
• Used fire to cauterize stumps, preventing regeneration, defeating the Hydra.

The Ceryneian Hind

• Third labor.
• Capture the sacred deer with the golden antlers belonging to Artemis
• Tracked the elusive hind for an entire year with a focus on patience and determination

The Erymanthian Boar

• Fourth Labor
• Tasked with capturing a fearsome boar on MT Erymanthos that had been terrorizing the local population
• Used his strength and cunning to subdue the ball Devised a clever strategy making the transportation more manageable

The Augean Stables

• Fifth labor.
• Cleaned King Augeas's stables, uncleaned for years.
• Diverted two rivers to flow through.
• Dispute over promised reward.

The Stymphalian Birds

• Sixth labor.
• Deal with metallic feathered menating birds that lived in marshes.
• Athena provided bronze castanets to scare them.

The Cretan Bull

• Seventh labor.
• Captured raging bull sent by Poseidon to Crete.
• Subdued it instead of killing it.

The Mares of Diomedes

• Eighth labor.
• Captured man-eating horses of King Diomedes.
• Fed diamides own flesh to horse to tame horses

The Girdle of Hippolyta

• Ninth labor.
• Obtain girdle of Amazon Queen hippolita for King Aus.
• Got the girdle, but there was a battle with the Amazons.
• Hipolita was killed.

The Cattle of Geryon

• Tenth labor.
• Retrieve cattle of Geryon, a three bodied monster.
• Faced various obstacles, but Slew monster and returned with the cattle.

The Apples of the Hesperides

• Eleventh Labor.
• Needed to steal Apple from the guarded garden being guarded by the nymphs and dragon.
• Tricked Atlas to briefly hold heavens while he took apples.

Cerberus

• Final labor.
• Capture Cerberus, three headed dog guarding underworld’s gates.
• Subdued him without weapons.

The Universal Hero: Hercules, Protector of Rome

• Myths of his battles with cacus, aelius, and nessus.
• Hercules's death.

Hercules and Cacus

• Hercules on way to his 10th labor
• Cacus stole red cattle
• Hercules killed Cacus, then seen as protector of Rome.

Hercules and Achelous

• Battled river god aelius for a nymph named Dianera.
• Hercules broke one of aelius's horns, which became the Cornucopia.

Hercules and Nessus

• Centaur Nessus tried to assault diaara.
• Hercules shot Centaur with poisoned arrow, mortally wounding him

The Death of Hercules

• Nessus tricked dianara into giving Hercules a poisoned cloak.
• Hercules built a funeral py on Mount A.
• Phil otitis lit the fire, and Zeus took Hercules to Olympus.
• Hercules married hee, goddess of Youth.

Ancient Greek Temple: Priests

• Priests conducted rituals, oversaw sacrifices, and maintained temples.
• Priesthood could be temporary, no formal training required.
• Selected from elitist or influential families.
• Hierarchies might exist, with specialized roles.
• Different titles: hyeros, hyera, mantis, or orus.

Religion and the City: Sacrifice

• Making offerings was used as means for communication, gratitude and seeking Divine favor
• Greek religion: making offerings to the gods was very important.
• Greeks presented food, incense, and items to show Devotion.
• Blood sacrifice held particular importance.

Blood Sacrifice Ritual

• Animal cleansed, adorned, and kept calm before sacrifice.
• Maidens and musicians created a sacred atmosphere.
• Animal selected would Nod.
• Priests would preform the kill with a profan gesture.
• Blood collected, altar gilded, meticulous in the avoidance of pollution
• Women would lament.
• Sacrificial meat distributed hierarchically: God, priest, community.

Religion and the City: Temple Building

• Temple held sacred status.
• Sanctuary integrated religious and Civic life, symbolizing the gods Central role.
• Water used for ritual Purity.
• Typical temple plan: altar, colonnade, cellular, opotamus, decorations.

Key Features - Altar

• Positioned at the Eastern end of the temple and was where religious rituals and sacrifices took place Key Features - Colonnade
• The foundation pin elevated, emphasizing its importance and creating a base
• Encircle the temple, creating a pertile, and enhancing both aesthetic appeal and structure Maintains its importance with harmony and structural support.

Key Features -The Cellar

• The inner chamber of the temple houses the cultural statue of the deity to whom the temple was dedicated Key Features - the Opotamus
• Located at the opposite end to the naos and often the Western end served a dual purpose
• Often functioned as a repository for valuable items including treasures and wealth

Temple Decoration

• Pediment (Triangular sections at the ends of the temple in the temples roof) Ionic Freeze (Feature a continuous band of relief sculpture.)
• The Doric Freeze feature triglyphs and metopes.

Religion and the City: The Parthenon

• Built After the Persian destruction of Athens in 480 BCE
• Structure in Athens was Pericles Grand enddeavor (High City)
• Acropolis position symbolysed the worship of Athena.

Panathenaic Procession

• Depicts religious festivals procession
• The opotamus of the Pantheon holds Athens trietary, while phidias shaped everything.

Key Features of Design

• The colossal proportions an impressive 69.5 m in length and 30.9 m in width External façade has additional row of columns with iconic freeze
• The interior walls and floor are clad in various types of marble
• There where once nichiches within the retunda

The East Pediment Model

• Represents the birth of Athena
• Key figure: Zeus, embodying justice with his staff
• Figure with armor coming out of Zeus's head: Athena The birth figures are witnessed and depicted by Poseidon, Apollo, Hester, and Aphrodite

West Pediment Model

• Represents the contest between Athena and Poseidon
• Key figures: Athena, poised with her spear, as opposed to with trident held up by Posiedon
• Personifications of those reacting with interest.

The Culpt Statue

• By phidias and had the cress alentine statue (Union of Ivory and gold) featched Griffins The state of the statue has allowed parts to be melted down and replaced.

Religion and the City: The Temple of Zeus at Olympia

• One of the Ancient Wonders, this temple stands as a testament to ancient Greek architecture
• The Magnificent structure embodied the culture artistic and athletic, excelling with the religion

Temple of Zeus Design

• Built to be dedicated to and honored by Zeus, showcasing athletic prowess for the games
• 64.8 metres in length and 27.7 meters in width
• East to West orientation and in compassing colonnade

Key Factors

• The altar of Zeus that predates both, exists to incept the games. The statue stood was created by sculpturist Phidias

Eastern Pediment Model

• Narrative is the myth of onoas and pelops and a just judge in Zeus's With Hypoadame and oas with various females and horses

Western Pediment Details

• The temple depicts the battle of the leps vs the sentars who fought and beat and the civilization beat Barbaris

Key Factors - The metopes

• the temple showcases the 12 labors of Hercules, that are detailed in design and show effort and determination

Key Facts - The State

• The grandeur is optimized in the Statue standing over Zeus's is a master with Choons and gold

Religion and the City: Roman Priests

• Roman priests partook in religious practices.
• Unlike Greeks they where assigned to a specific God.
• Maintained the Pux decorum - meaning the Roman priests made sure they conductured rituals with divine favor.
• Priest wore special Veils
• Rome became a move for strategy to climb political ladders: priesthood was a stepping stone
• The pontifices are responsible for observing religions, law and rituals
• They controled the most important official title

Chief Roman Priestly Colleges

• Pontifices, Argus, vestals, and the Harris specs.
• Each with specific responsibilities and functions.

About Pontifices

• Oversee religious affairs, maintain proper ritual observance.
• Experts in religious law, rituals, traditions.
• Centered around with roman orsus and Crucial devision making. They interpret the will via examination phenomena and Birds.

Vestal Virgins

• Maintained its authority during the conduct of ceremonies The key responsibility during conduct was with the Roman religious Calendar and were meticulously picked from noble Roman families Had to keep the Virginity for 30 years or where met with intense consequences and privilege's.

The Haris Speeks

• The Spears were vital, known for there divination, who the haris played was the will of blood in the games

Religion and the City: Sacrifice

• Animal sacriced for desire for blessings
• Ceremonies had special selections
• Bulls Sheep and pigs were used

Preparation

• Pientfix held charged
• Best garment where worn were selected and there maintanance
• Animal was carefully adoringed with gold
• Head veiled
• Flute players accompanied the solemn ritualistic procession

The kill

• Ponitifex and official lead strike to render it momentsrily stun them
• The ceremony of Puring was in place to ensure the animal's end was meet swiftly The priest and Sacracies where involved to invoke to bless God

Sharing

• The best recive was made to offer
• Entrails were to see of there were omens
• The meet of this share was spread amongst many of the citizens

Religion and the City: Roman Temple Building

• Temple had its own sanctuarys
• That represented revered spaces
• For all the Gods

The Temples Function

• To show the state of deity' and the communities functions

Alter

• For communites purpose

Temple Design

• Greek blended with atriuscan traditions
• With east and west orientation
• And a podium that helps give it focus

Religion and the City: The Temple of Portunus

• Was a well preserved structure
• At a commercial and Central location

Temple Key Features

• Had a rectangle plane and had archtial structures
• Poduim where there and only 1 stairway leading to the entrance
• Deep porch
• Triangular pedmeant
• Statues of God within
• Roman Architectural design

Religion and the City: The Pantheon

• The temple has many iconic location
• And has been preserved greatly
• By the Roman Buildings

Roman Design of the Pantheon

• Combined roman structure with innovation, and it commisoried

Architectural Roman Design of the Pantheon

• The transition went into a large rutenda of buildings and design.
• The doors was one of the most essential function.

Architectural Rome

• In the structure the Walls are full All made with geometric patterns, it was used both then and with todays, to have beauty

Historical Significance

• Remian the building has long lastic and beed a staple in history

Roman Foundation Stories

• The founding of the Roman race
• Based on Romulus and Remis legend

The Founding Of Rome

• tied to the legendary aean as the leader.
• The twin were abandon but found

Details on Romulus Legend

• With his twin REumis set out to form the town
• But dispute took form
• Romos killed Remis with fate to lead
• He help for to protect

Romulous leadership Details

• Ensure saftey
• and made many traditional with ascent

How Does Pular Compares Theses with Romulus

• Both had Divine parentage
• And the triels they went
• To and what the are
• That has help bring there community up

Great of Their Deeds and the emphasis is on

• Unifying defeating the cities
• focusing on democ