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Questions and Answers
What is the central idea in Protagoras' statement 'Of all things the measure is Man: of things that are, how they are, and of things that are not, how they are not'?
What is the central idea in Protagoras' statement 'Of all things the measure is Man: of things that are, how they are, and of things that are not, how they are not'?
- Man is the ultimate authority in determining moral values.
- The concept of truth is relative to human perception.
- Man is the standard for measuring the existence or non-existence of things. (correct)
- Man is the center of the universe and all things revolve around him.
What is the tone of Greek humanism, as described in the text?
What is the tone of Greek humanism, as described in the text?
- Realistic pessimism with no sense of optimism.
- Idealistic optimism with no sense of pessimism.
- A sense of fatalism with no hope for human achievement.
- Idealistic optimism paired with realistic pessimism. (correct)
What is the primary difference between Greek humanism and Calvinism, as described in the text?
What is the primary difference between Greek humanism and Calvinism, as described in the text?
- Greek humanism emphasizes the power of the gods, while Calvinism emphasizes the power of God.
- Greek humanism emphasizes the importance of free will, while Calvinism emphasizes predestination.
- Greek humanism is a philosophical system, while Calvinism is a religious system.
- Greek humanism emphasizes the struggle between fate and free will, while Calvinism emphasizes the struggle between God's omnipotence and human free will. (correct)
What is the characteristic of ancient Greek religion, as described in the text?
What is the characteristic of ancient Greek religion, as described in the text?
What is the main critique of Morford et al.'s approach, as described in the text?
What is the main critique of Morford et al.'s approach, as described in the text?
What is the best description of the Greek concept of fate, as described in the text?
What is the best description of the Greek concept of fate, as described in the text?
What is the main idea in Sophocles' statement 'Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man'?
What is the main idea in Sophocles' statement 'Wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man'?
What is the characteristic of Greek humanism, as described in the text?
What is the characteristic of Greek humanism, as described in the text?
Who was the primordial god of the sky in Greek mythology?
Who was the primordial god of the sky in Greek mythology?
Which god is associated with wine and festivity?
Which god is associated with wine and festivity?
What substance flows in the veins of Greek gods instead of blood?
What substance flows in the veins of Greek gods instead of blood?
Which animal is paired with Poseidon?
Which animal is paired with Poseidon?
What is the food of the Greek gods called?
What is the food of the Greek gods called?
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Greek gods' superhuman knowledge?
Which of the following is a characteristic of the Greek gods' superhuman knowledge?
Which goddess is associated with the peacock?
Which goddess is associated with the peacock?
Which description best represents Zeus in the hierarchy of gods?
Which description best represents Zeus in the hierarchy of gods?
What is one of the functions of Zeus according to Hesiod and Homer?
What is one of the functions of Zeus according to Hesiod and Homer?
Which other god is known to thwart Zeus's plans?
Which other god is known to thwart Zeus's plans?
Which pre-Socratic philosopher rejected anthropomorphism and suggested the existence of one supreme being?
Which pre-Socratic philosopher rejected anthropomorphism and suggested the existence of one supreme being?
How does Hesiod depict Zeus in 'Works and Days'?
How does Hesiod depict Zeus in 'Works and Days'?
What is a key aspect of Humanism according to the provided definition?
What is a key aspect of Humanism according to the provided definition?
Which of the following authors' works show a changing concept of God/Zeus over time?
Which of the following authors' works show a changing concept of God/Zeus over time?
Which text should be referenced with caution when using the term 'sophisticated'?
Which text should be referenced with caution when using the term 'sophisticated'?
In the abstract hierarchical structure of Christianity provided, which entity is placed directly under God?
In the abstract hierarchical structure of Christianity provided, which entity is placed directly under God?
What is Herodotus commonly known as?
What is Herodotus commonly known as?
What is a key aspect of Herodotus' world view?
What is a key aspect of Herodotus' world view?
What is the story of Croesus about?
What is the story of Croesus about?
What happened to Tellus the Athenian?
What happened to Tellus the Athenian?
Why did Croesus send away Solon?
Why did Croesus send away Solon?
What event led to the death of Atys?
What event led to the death of Atys?
What was Adrastus guilty of breaking?
What was Adrastus guilty of breaking?
What did Croesus invoke in response to Atys' death?
What did Croesus invoke in response to Atys' death?
What event triggers Adrastus to kill himself?
What event triggers Adrastus to kill himself?
What is the significance of Croesus recalling Solon's words?
What is the significance of Croesus recalling Solon's words?
What role does the oracle play in the fall of Sardis?
What role does the oracle play in the fall of Sardis?
What helps Apollo mitigate Croesus’ fate?
What helps Apollo mitigate Croesus’ fate?
Which phrase is highlighted in the tales of Herodotus?
Which phrase is highlighted in the tales of Herodotus?
How were poets mythically saved from pirates according to the tales?
How were poets mythically saved from pirates according to the tales?
What does the name Atys mean?
What does the name Atys mean?
What does the Delphic reply 'You will destroy a mighty empire' exemplify?
What does the Delphic reply 'You will destroy a mighty empire' exemplify?
How was the position of a priest typically obtained in ancient Greek religion?
How was the position of a priest typically obtained in ancient Greek religion?
What is one of the main responsibilities of seers in ancient Greek religion?
What is one of the main responsibilities of seers in ancient Greek religion?
Which of these was a fundamental tenet of mystery cults in ancient Greek religion?
Which of these was a fundamental tenet of mystery cults in ancient Greek religion?
What type of religious act was considered most significant in ancient Greek religion, especially when involving cows?
What type of religious act was considered most significant in ancient Greek religion, especially when involving cows?
What role did women have in the cults of female divinities in ancient Greek religion?
What role did women have in the cults of female divinities in ancient Greek religion?
Which religious officials in ancient Greek religion were expected to travel to satisfy market demand?
Which religious officials in ancient Greek religion were expected to travel to satisfy market demand?
What did the sacred texts of mystery religions in ancient Greek religion lay down?
What did the sacred texts of mystery religions in ancient Greek religion lay down?
Which artifact depicts King Aegeus of Athens consulting the Delphic Pythia?
Which artifact depicts King Aegeus of Athens consulting the Delphic Pythia?
What role did Homer and Hesiod's writings play in ancient Greek religion?
What role did Homer and Hesiod's writings play in ancient Greek religion?
How was religion integrated into ancient Greek civic and social spheres?
How was religion integrated into ancient Greek civic and social spheres?
Why is it challenging to define 'religion' in the context of ancient Greece?
Why is it challenging to define 'religion' in the context of ancient Greece?
What phenomenon does the Panathenaic festival demonstrate about ancient Greek religion?
What phenomenon does the Panathenaic festival demonstrate about ancient Greek religion?
What element of ancient Greek religious practice is highlighted by hero cults?
What element of ancient Greek religious practice is highlighted by hero cults?
How did the polis system influence Greek religious views?
How did the polis system influence Greek religious views?
What is indicated by the dense calendar of religious festivals in Athens?
What is indicated by the dense calendar of religious festivals in Athens?
What was the significance of epithets in Greek religion?
What was the significance of epithets in Greek religion?
Study Notes
Greek Humanism
- Idealistic optimism paired with realistic pessimism
- Emphasis on the beauty and wonder of mortal achievement, despite the power of the Fates and pain of human existence
- Bundle of tragic ironies pitted against a belief that mortals can reach glorious heights
Greek Religion
- No strict dogma with accompanying sense of sin and codified religious text
- Sense of innocence and religious freedom, open to many gods and ideas (polytheism)
- Moral relativism of ancient Greeks
- Development of divine nature: Ouranos (Uranus) as the primordial god of the sky and Gaia (Gaea) as the earth
Anthropomorphism
- Gods as idealized humanity, relating to both form/looks and character/behaviour
- Elements of the divine, both positive and negative, intensifying humanity
- Gods live in settlements and houses, with Olympians on Mount Olympus and Hades in the underworld
- Ambrosia as food, Nectar as drink/wine, and Ichor as a substance in their veins
- Immortal but suffer physical torment, with Zeus subject to the Fates
- Superhuman knowledge but not all-omniscient
Animal Affiliation
- Each god has a particular animal pairing, e.g., Zeus with an eagle, Hera with a peacock, Poseidon with a horse, Athena with an owl, Aphrodite with a dove, sparrow, or goose, and Ares with a boar
- Animals not worshiped as sacred
Hierarchy
- Zeus as the supreme deity, with other gods and goddesses below
- Nereids, Oceanids, Muses, Demigods, and Heroes in a hierarchical structure
Zeus and Monotheism
- Supremacy – father, husband, lover, sky, and lightning
- Upholds and represents the highest moral values, order of universe, and protects family and clan
- Sovereign deity in Hesiod and Homer, with a sense of monotheism emerging and tied to anthropomorphic Zeus and abstract theories of supreme power developing over time
Christian Hierarchy
- God, Devil, Demons, Jesus, Divine, Seraphim, Cherubim, Holy Spirit, Mortals, Pope, Priesthood, Saints, etc.
What is Religion Without a Dash of Philosophy?
- Humanism: emphasizes individual and social potential and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry
- No Greek philosopher coined the term humanism, with material remains of what people actually did, turning attention to ritual and practice
- 21st Century academic approaches to ancient religion/myth, deploying theoretical frameworks of other disciplines
Nature of Religion in Ancient Greece
- Shared Religious Viewpoint rooted in the epic tradition and cycles
- Homer and Hesiod's writings became a fundamental and pervasive source constantly drawn upon in the development of religion
- Broadening of religious views as polis system began to wane
Polis and Religion
- No single word in Greek for 'religion', with a deeply ingrained presence in all facets of society and social life
- No truly secular part of Greek life
- Polis as central key element in identity, with temples, shrines, and sanctuaries permeating the Greek landscape
- Dense calendar of religious festivals and ceremonies
Cult of the Dead
- Specific worship to heroes, often connected to a polis
- Activity happens at a single cult location where the hero died
- Ubiquitous, with thousands of local hero cults across Greece
- Rites are chthonic in nature, earthly
Herodotus and Tales
- Complex mixture of fact and fiction
- Grammatical construction often pushes things into assumption that Herodotus is recounting tales
- Names mean things, e.g., Atys – "under the influence of Ate (doom)", Adrastus – "the one who cannot escape"
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Description
Learn about the development of divine nature in Greek mythology, including the gods Ouranos and Dionysos, and their roles in the Greek pantheon.
