World Religion Ch. 11 Test

Ahura Mazda

The Wise Lord, the one true God worshipped by Zarathustra and later by Zoroastrians

Gathas

Seventeen hymns attributed to Zarathustra constitute the oldest and most important portion of the Avesta.

Avestas

The sacred text of Zoroastrianism, which includes the very old hymns known as the Gathas, along with more recent material.

Ethical Dualism

The belief in universal forces of good and evil; Zoroastrianism's most distinctive feature.

Shaitan

one of the children of Ahura Mazda (sounds like satan)

House of Worst Existence

Hell

House of Best Purpose

Heaven

Parsis

Most of the world's Zoroastrians now live in India, where they are known as the ________, community of Zoroastrians believers

Fire Ritual

The most famous form of Zoroastrian worship, the symbol of the purity of Ahura Mazda.

Faravahar

symbol for Ahura Mazda

Lie

Not truthful

Great Requital (Final Judgement)

The final decision on heaven vs. hell.

Oracle

A shrine or sanctuary at which the revelations of a god are received, often through a human medium; also, the medium or the revelation itself.

Delphi

Was thought to be the center of the Earth.

Pantheon

A group of deities recognized by society, such as the Olympian pantheon of the ancient Greeks

Sophocles

Another of the great Athenian dramatists, followed Aeschylus in celebrating the justice of Zeus and also emphasized the god's mercy.

Aeschylus

Playwright, was especially concerned with the idea of divine justice

Anthropomorphism

Attribution of human traits to non-human entities.

Orpheus

A gifted musician and singer in Greek mythology.

Pax Deorum

was believed to help ensure the welfare of the Roman state, which thus maintained official worship practices.

Metamorphoses

Many aspects of the cult of Isis were preserved in a delightful novel from the second century AD called (The Golden Ass).

Numina

The supernatural powers that were the ancient Roman equivalent of deities.

Pietas

a picture or sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus Christ on her lap or in her arms.

Platonic Dualism

Plato's highly influential perspective that true reality consists of eternal and perfect Forms or Ideas, and that the material world, the realm of the body, is an imperfect reflection of the world of Forms, the realm of the soul.

Mithraism

Roman army, consisted of men only.

Cult of Isis

Osiris was killed and hacked into pieces by his evil brother. Isis searched far and wide, finally finding Osiris's body parts. She mummified him, which brought him back to life. Osiris became god of the underworld

Zoroastrianism

Began in the Persian Empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great and was founded by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) (Prophet).

Solomon's Place

Home of the fire temple

Maji

Priests of Zoroastrianism in the fire temple

Avestas, Gathas

The ____________ is the sacred text and the __________ are the 17 Hymns written by Zarathustra found in the Avestas.

Mount Alumet

High peak outside of Tehran, Iran; The origin of political assassins.

House of Power

Wrestling school; A spiritual + physical practice

Persepolis

Persian Capital where Cyrus the Great ruled.

God

Greeks believed that by reaching the top of high mountains they can reach ________.

Wrestling/Track & Field

Original Olympic Events

Marathon

Most popular game in the Olympics

660 BC

Zarathustra was born around ___________.

Iran

Where did Zoroastrianism originate?

Six

Ahura Mazda had _____ twin boys.

Bridge of the Separator

goes over an abyss of horrible torment but leads to paradise.

India

The home to the majority of Zoroastrianistic people (modern day).

700 BC to 323 BC

The heart of Greek development is from _____ to _____.

The Hellenistic Period of 479 to 323 BC

The greatest achievement that is still felt today.

776 BC

When were the Olympic games founded?

Roman Emperor Theodosius I

Who abolished the Olympic games in AD 393?

Famous Oracles at Adelphi

"Know Thyself" ; "Nothing to Excess"

The Afterlife

the soul departs from the body, entering the dark and dreary underworld ruled by the god Hades and his queen, Perse-phone (puhr-se´fo-nee). The realm of Hades, through which flows the River Styx, offers little hope for happiness. The souls, or "shades," lack physical substance and strength, and yet they remember their earthly lives with regret and longing

Religio

practices and devoting connecting you with the gods

3 Basic Aspects of Mystery Religion

1. Individuals had to choose to become initiates

2. Had to experience some encounter with the deity

3. Gained spiritual renewal through participation in the religious rits with hope for a better afterlife

Soma Sema

the body is tomb

- Similar to Christianity "From womb to tomb"

Mt. Parnassus

Oracle @ Delphi on ___________ above the Gulf of Corinth (St. Paul)

Pythia

God Apollo communicates through the _______ -- a virgin women who sat on a tripod over a steam pit

"Know Thyself" + "Nothing to excess"

Famous Oracles at Delphi are....

- Animal sacrifice

- Libations poured out (wine and spirits)

- Precious metals (gold, silver, etc.)

Examples of Piety and Worship to the Gods

Agememnon

Playwright, addressed the ideal of Divine Justice and Wisdom of Zeus. Also said "man must suffer to be wise"

The two epic poems of the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer

Greek religion begins with what?

Mt. Olympus

Home of the Greek gods, home to the Olympic games

Angru Mainyu

Polar opposite Ahura Mazda (god of destruction)

Asha

spiritual perfection

Cradle of the West

The region surrounding the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea

What the Parsis do with dead people

they neither bury nor cremate the body of someone who has died; rather, they place the corpse on a tower of silence, which is situated on a hill top,out of view. Within hours vultures pick the bones clean. After several days, the bones are gathered and thrown into a central well

Eleusinian Mysteries

Celebrated at Eleusis, a town near Athens, honored the grain goddess Demeter, and her daughter Persephone. Along with being very popular for centuries, these mysteries set forth a basic form that influenced the development of later mystery religions in the Roman world

Cult of Dionysus

Mystery devoted to Dionysus, is often depicted in Greek art with vines and grapes, and there are accounts of him miraculously turning water into wine.

Orphism

Mystery named for the legendary Orpheus, famous in Greek mythology as a gifted musician and singer. Dionysus, the son of Zeus, was eaten by the evil Titans. In anger Zeus struck the Titans with his thunderbolts, burning them to death. From their ashes, the first human beings were born.

Healing Cult of Asclepius

The ancient Greeks commonly turned to religion for healing from sickness or injury. Homer described Ascle-pius as an able, yet mortal, physician, but the Greeks came to regard him as a god. He was thought to be the son of the god Apollo, who also was revered for his healing powers. Hygeia, the daughter of Asclepius, was closely associated with him. Her name means "health," and it is the root of the word hygiene

Egypt and Persia

Alexander the Great conquered the lands of

Emperor Augustus

reigned from 31 BC to AD 14, though, established a pattern that most of the later emperors were to follow. For the most part, he encouraged worship not of himself, but of his genius, or guardian spirit. This actually focused worship on Rome, because the emperor's genius was thought to guard the welfare of the entire state