Ch 6: Nature of the Gods and Greek Religion

Anthropomorphism

• the attribution of human characteristics, emotions, or behaviors to non-human entities like animals, objects, or even deities

• The gods resemble humans as they have their flaws (Vain, petty, deceitful)

• They can shapeshift, immortal, live in the air (Mt olympus)

• They drink nectar, eat ambrosia and have ichor instead of blood

• Chthonian - The realm below

Nymphs

• the divine spirits who animate nature

• beautiful young girls who love to dance and sing and, in some cases, are extremely amorous.

• act as attendants for one or more of the major gods or goddesses.

• Kind of like fairies, they live long but not forever

• The Muses are a kind of nymph, and so are the Nereids and Oceanids, although some of them assume the stature of a deity.

Demigods

• another class of superhuman beings, or better, a superior kind of human being

• offspring of mixed parentage, the union of a god with a mortal, who may or may not be extraordinary.

• limited in their powers, which are rather less than those of full-fledged gods; and they are mortals,

Monotheism

• belief that there is only one God.

Zeus and Monotheism

• Zeus also becomes the god who upholds the highest moral values in the order of the universe

  • values that he absorbs unto himself or that are divided among and shared by other deities

• Some ppl refer to him not by name which just gave him more unquestionable, absolute, and spiritual authority

Xenophanes

• a poet and philosopher of the pre-Socratic period

• was passionate in his attack on the conventional anthropomorphic depictions of the gods. 

• He argued against the idea of conceiving deities as human beings and insisted that there is one supreme nonanthropomorphic god:

• monotheism and polytheism are not mutually exclusive and that human religious experience usually tends (as Xenophanes observes) to be anthropomorphic

History of Herodotus

• wrote the story of Solon, Croesus and Cyrus

• He emphasizes:

  • Fate

  • Divine will

  • Human error (especially efforts to escape fate that lead to its fulfillment).

• His stories convey the idea of “learning through suffering,” a major theme in Aeschylean tragedy.

Jack Miles and The Anthropomorphic God

• Jack Miles presents a literary study of God in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), similar to Greek mythic characters.

• His work treats God as a character with multiple facets—anthropomorphic and complex.

• Miles creates a multi-dimensional portrait, much like those found in Greek and Roman mythology.

The meeting between Solon and Croesus

• Solon, an Athenian lawgiver, visits Croesus, the wealthy king of Lydia.

• Croesus proudly shows Solon his vast wealth and expects to be called the “happiest of men.”

• Solon names Tellus of Athens the happiest, not Croesus (hes not even the 2nd happiest thats Cleobis and Biton)

• Solon explains that true happiness can only be judged at the end of one’s life, not during it.

• Croesus dismisses Solon’s wisdom, believing present wealth and power define happiness.

Attys, Adrastus, And The Boar Hunt

• Croesus dreams his son Atys will die by an iron weapon. To protect him, he marries him off, removes weapons, and keeps him from war.

• Adrastus, a man purified by Croesus after killing his own brother, is sent to guard Atys during a boar hunt.

• Atys convinces Croesus to let him go, arguing boars don’t carry weapons.

• During the hunt, Adrastus accidentally kills Atys with a javelin, fulfilling the prophecy.

• Croesus grieves and calls on Zeus. Adrastus, overwhelmed by guilt, kills himself on Atys’ grave.

The Defeat of Croesus by Cyrus the Greats (and the roles the gods play)

• Croesus attacks Persia after the Delphic Oracle says he’ll destroy a great empire—he misinterprets it and loses his own.

• After 14 years of rule, he’s defeated by Cyrus after a 14-day siege and captured.

• Tied to a pyre, Croesus calls out Solon’s name and prays to Apollo, who sends rain to save him.

• Cyrus spares him and makes him a trusted advisor.

• Croesus later learns the prophecy was accurate—he failed to ask the right question.
  Apollo tried to delay fate and saved him from fire.

• Alternate version: Zeus puts out the fire, and Apollo takes Croesus to live peacefully with the Hyperboreans.

Major Athenian Festivals

• Panathenaea (Hecatombaion):

  • Honored Athena, involved sacrifices, athletic contests, and arts.

  • Key celebration of Athenian civic and religious pride.

• Anthesteria (Anthesterion):

  • Celebrated Dionysus and the opening of new wine.

  • Three-day festival mixing joy and themes of death/rebirth.

  • Recalled myths like Orestes, Erigone, and Dionysus’ dismemberment.

• Brauronia (for Artemis) and Thesmophoria (for Demeter):

  • Women's festivals with fertility and seasonal themes.

Seers

• Interpreted divine signs and omens through various forms of divination.

• Provided guidance in personal, political, and military matters.

• Different from oracular priestesses like the Pythia at Delphi.

• Extispicy (inspection of entrails) and augury were common methods.