Greek Religion Scholarship

Emma Aston on the contribution of Homer

Emma Aston on the contribution of Homer

He made the most contribution to Greek understanding of the nature of their gods.

Dr Robert Parker

“The gods overflowed like clothes from an over-filled drawer which no one felt obliged to tidy.”

Michael Scott

The Greek gods were everywhere and they were either for you or against you.

Fritz Graff

It is pointless to try to filter out the imaginary healing stories from reality — what counts is the almost limitless faith in the power of god.

Tom Harrison

The Greeks had a range of explanations for why an oracle might not be fulfilled including:

• misinterpretation

• corrupt oracle or prophet

• fault of consultant

• fake oracle

Underlying this however was a willingness to believe in the truth and fulfilment of prophecy.

Julia Kindt

Warns that private and public worship should not be thought of as separate — the Greeks didn’t have separate words for the, and they both involved the same rituals. The only differences are participation, religious outlook, and administration.

Jon Mikalson

Polis religious participation marks that the state recognising nationally the importance of family deities.

Michael Scott on Delphi

The sanctuary at Delphi was the noticeboard of the ancient world.

Zahra Newby

The boundaries between civic/athletic/religious life were flexible.

Louise Bruit Zaidman

Religion impregnated each and every civic activity.

Emma Aston on sacrifice

• It nourishes the gods — eg Hermes Book 5

• It separates the gods from mortals

• It is reciprocal in that it gives the gods kleos

Michael Scott on sacrifice

• It was a community activity, meant to strengthen the polis and patriotism

• Regulates the hierarchy of the community by eg the delegation of meat

• Distances some people from the polis eg Pythagoreans

Emma Aston on [Pre]Socratic philosophy

Those who questioned traditional beliefs were a minority voice.

Tor

Xenophanes rejects traditional concepts of the divine as theologically fault, and supplants them with his own alternative notion of disclosure.

Hermann

Socrates’ questioning of common concepts forms part of a wider trend, that called traditional belief into question.

Michael Scott on the Caryatids

He believes they represent mourners of King Kekrops, as he was the Athenians’ archetypal ancestral figure, and they stood over his grave.

Fred Naiden

Sacrifice served to maintain and stabilise the relationship between the mortals and the gods.

N Marinates

Sanctuaries were multidimensional institutions

Inwood

The individual was without a doubt the primary unit

EJ Graham

It is difficult to imagine all petitioners left the sanctuary free of their ailments

Flower

Fear of the consequences of disobeying religion was greater than the fear of it not working

Keller

The Eleusinian mysteries train you for the journey of your soul

Ekroth

Heroes are linked with chthonic gods rather than Olympians

Chaniotis

Almost impossible to separate religious and political personnel

Parker

Women’s role in religion was reflective of their role in society as wives and mothers, and almost always linked to fertility

Gould

No such thing as private worship as religion is pervasive

Burkert

Wine libations have a fixed place in animal sacrifice and invocation and prayer are inseparable from libation

Ekroth

Worshippers benefitted more from blood sacrifice than the gods did

Parker on Socrates

He would have gone unprotested if it wasn’t for his associations

Stone

The execution of socrates was more political than philosophical

Zaidman on the Parthenon

Not much more than a vanity box to display Athene Parthenos

Osborne

The erechtheion is the most influential building on the acropolis

Scott on Hecatomb

Display of wealth