Greek Mythology Research Paper

Origin

It is thought that Greek mythology was adapted from the religion of the people that lived on an island in the Aegean Sea known as Crete. Some Greek people themselves offer the explanation that these myths and beliefs were created from distorted tales from Greek history and that the gods are hero’s that have been glorified over time or simply the personification of things such as the sun, water, and wind. Greek mythology is largely based on the oral teachings of long ago and by word of mouth people learned the stories of the Greek Gods and the acts of miracles they performed. Even though it was originally oral religion, it was eventually written down and the stories of the Greek Gods , heroes, and miracles become more accessible to everyone.

These two poems shaped the belief and knowledge we have now. Gods

Greek religion was a polytheistic religion and had a number of gods. However, the Olympic Gods were undoubtedly the most important to the Greeks. Believed to be sitting on top of Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, the Greeks prayed to twelve Gods. These twelve Gods each represented something different to the Greek people. As the god of weather Zeus was the supreme deity of the Greek people as he controlled the weather, gave signs, and sent omens to the people of Greece. Hera was considered to be Zeus’s wife and was the goddess of marriage. While Zeus had two brothers, Poseidon and Hades, only Poseidon, god of the sea, was thought to be an olympian because Hades actually resides in the underworld. Zeus’s daughter Athena reigned as the goddess of knowledge and was thought to be the most courageous of all the

Festivals, dramas, and sacrifices were held to worship different gods and goddesses. In the beginning, before the 8th century, Festivals were originally a small, local affair. As their beliefs spread so did the Greek festivals. Eventually large cities were hosting celebrations that reached a larger audience and always had a religious element Perhaps the biggest and most well known would be the Olympics. For the Greeks, Dramas held a certain religious experience as well as entertainment. Dramas were usually played out on a stage and held specific meaning for different gods and were used as a sort of confessional. Through the actions of the drama they could become cleansed and relieved of their sins. Sacrifices of animals were given as food for the gods and were usually oxen, sheep, or goat. These sacrifices were usually held at an altar in front of a temple with the audience then consuming the entrails, and meat of the