The links between politics and religion

How were most political decisions made

With religious consultations, peace treaties sworn to the gods, the scared truce sworn at the Olympic Games to guarantee an end to any conflict, and when cities made war, the gods were consulted

The polis

Opening meeting of the Athenian assembled enhanced with the scourges of a piglet, whose blood splattered over assembled members

Law courts

Law courts had jurisdiction over political, civic and religious matters

Areopagus

The law courts situated opposite the acropolis and was where Alcibiades and Socrates were tried for impiety

Civic funds

Housed in treasuries and scared buildings — the Parthenon stored the money gathered from their allies

Religious and city spaces

— sanctuaries had a scared wall (a temenos) — in Athens the agora was the civic, political and economical centre of the city

Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios

Thanked Zeus for having freed Greece from Persian invasion

The prytaneion

Housed a scared heath where officials in gov met - priests and magistrates lived here - demonstrates strong link between politics and religion