Gods in Ancient Greece, questions answered

Venture into the profound spiritual landscape of ancient Greece, where an intricate web of divine and mortal interactions was the cornerstone of existence. Picture a society deeply entwined with the omnipresence of Zeus, the charm of Aphrodite, the swiftness of Hermes, and Hera’s regal authority. This exploration uncovers the nuanced connections between humans and the celestial, spotlighting deities like Artemis and Apollo, who orchestrated both ecological harmony and civic order. From majestic temples to unassuming altars, each act of reverence, whether through elaborate statues or the simplicity of floral tributes, served as an ode to the gods. Step into the ancient sanctuaries, resonant with the echoes of ancient rites, sacrifices, and communal feasts, drawing you into a narrative that reveals the profound influence of polytheism on the fabric of Greek civilization, presented with sophisticated brevity.

In what did the ancient Greeks believe?Their religion was polytheistic.

Each person worshipped more than one deity, which together made up what we call the “pantheon”. Zeus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Hera were some of them. They were honored throughout Greece, but with several local peculiarities, for example, areas where the worship of certain deities is particularly popular. This is the case of the cult of Artemis in Evia, where the goddess had a surname and was called “Amarissia”.

The names of the deities are well known. But what do we expect from them?

The ancient Greek deities have domains for which they are known and in which they operate effectively. To give you some examples, let’s take the case of the city of Eretria, right next to Amarinthos. In Eretria, the god Apollo is honored in the heart of the city with the epithet “Daphneforos”, which means “the one who bears the laurel”. Eretrians also honored Athena, the warrior goddess. At the top of the acropolis they had dedicated a temple to her so that the goddess would protect the city from above. As for Artemis, she was worshipped at the important sanctuary of Amarynthos, together with her brother Apollo and their mother Leto, to whom the worshippers also brought offerings. The goddess of the hunt, Artemis, was responsible for protecting the wild world and not only that! In addition, she was responsible for the education of children and held a political role as she protected the institutions of the city-state and took action as a mediator in case of conflict. Her worship in Evia goes way back in time since the epithet “Amarysia” comes from the name of the city that hosted her sanctuary for several centuries. Indeed, the place “Amarinthos” appears already on the clay tablets of the Mycenaean palace of Thebes, around 1,500 BC. But the exact origin of the word still remains a mystery… while it is not excluded that it is related to amaranth or amaranthus, a plant common in marshes and lagoons… But nothing is certain.

How was religion expressed in everyday life?

This is an excellent question to which archaeology has many answers to give. First of all, we must clarify that in ancient Greece there was practically no intersection between everyday life and religious practices. On the contrary, religion is present in almost every moment of everyday life. More specifically, ancient religion is practiced in the form of practices that are repeated according to very precise rules. In everyday life, men and women used to make offerings (dedications, votive offerings) of a personal good to the god in the hope of receiving protection or favour in return. In the great sanctuaries such as Amarinthos, wealthy citizens erect marble or bronze statues to publicly declare their desire to participate in religious life. Another way of displaying wealth and power… In the summer of 2017, a marble statue base was found in the excavation of a statue dedicated to a nobleman from Eretria, Tichippos, dedicated to the three deities worshipped in the sanctuary: Artemis, her brother Apollo and their mother, the goddess Leto.

Could anyone offer statues to Artemis?

Of course not. Recent excavations at the Artemisium of Amarynthos have unearthed a number of humbler offerings, dedicated by the faithful during their visit to the sanctuary. In Amarinthos we found many objects such as clay and even bronze statuettes (figurines), small vases and even bells…
Unfortunately, most of the offerings, with which they honored the gods, left no trace. In fact, a large part of the gifts that arrived at the sanctuary were made of perishable materials: flowers, fruits, sweets, but even fabrics, and even strands of hair, which were offered to the goddess by children. These kinds of offerings of organic materials have apparently disappeared or decomposed into the ground.

Sacrifice as an offering? What exactly does that mean?

The sacrifice of an animal was a particularly common cult practice, indeed the most common offering for the ancient Greeks… The sacrifice is the highest stage of a codified ritual, preceded by numerous acts: prayers, dances and “libations”, i.e. liquid offerings. The sacrificial animal was led to the sanctuary where it was slaughtered by a priest. Small animals, such as a goat, sheep or pig, were usually sacrificed. The sacrifice of cattle, i.e. bulls and cows, is most often carried out during ceremonies in which the entire civilian community participates, not just ordinary individuals. After slaughter, the meat was cooked on the spot. A part of it was given to the deity and burnt completely in the flames of the altar, while the rest was consumed in a banquet gathering the participants of the feast.

Offerings, sacrifices, the feast… all happening inside the sanctuary?

That’s right! With these practices they paid homage to the gods. For the ancient Greeks, a sanctuary was a sacred place entirely dedicated to one or more deities. Small and simple or large and imposing, shrines come in all sizes and almost all types… The central element of a sanctuary is the altar on or next to which an animal is killed and then its meat is roasted. At Amarinthos we believe we have identified the altar. It would have been located in the centre of an empty space in front of the temple. Can you see in the drawing of the reconstruction this rectangular structure from which smoke is billowing? That is exactly the altar!

Who had the right to go to the sanctuary?

Each sanctuary had its own regulations, which very precisely defined the people who had the right to enter the sanctuary. In the case of Amarynthos, we can say that all the inhabitants of Euboea, the Euboeans were likely to merge at Artemisio. Believers had many reasons for coming to a sanctuary, depending on personal choices and circumstances. Customs and rituals accompanied the ancient Greek throughout his life, but with a special weight/importance for certain certain events. Such occasions are, for example, the transition from adolescence to adulthood for young men, or even marriage and the birth of a child for young women.