Art and Religion In Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is a period in Greece’s history that is known by many people around the world. From its contribution to the art world with its sculptures and architecture, to its religion and its numerous gods and goddesses, ancient Greece has left an impressive mark in world history.

When one thinks of ancient Greece the first thing that might come to mind is the famous sculptures that came out of the time period. The oldest Greek stone sculptures, called kouros , which were discovered at Thera, were sculpted sometime in the mid-7th century BCE.

Ancient Greek sculptures are particularly known for portraying the male body nude. Some of the early Greek sculptures are known for having noticeable Egyptian influences. These sculptures had stiff and ridged postures, with little to no facial expressions. These early sculptures were sculpted out of either bronze or limestone. However, by 500 BCE, Greek sculptors began to create sculptures that represented the human body in a more realistic way.

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More attention to detail was given to posture, clothes, facial expressions, etc. While bronze was still used for sculptures, marble would eventually replace limestone as the preferred stone used for sculpting. One famous sculpture to come out of ancient Greece is the Venus de Milo which was sculpted by Greek sculptor Alexandros of Antioch sometime between 130 and 100 BCE. Another famous sculpture to come out of ancient Greece is the Discobolus (also known as the discus thrower) which was sculpted by Greek sculptor Myron sometime around 450 BCE.

Another well-known form of art to come out of ancient Greece is its architecture.

The ancient Greeks created the first three of the five orders of architecture: the Doric order, the Ionic order, and the Corinthian order. The first of these orders, the Doric order, first appeared in Greece in the late 7th century BCE. At this time, “…monumental construction made the transition from impermanent materials—like wood—to permanent materials, namely stone.” The Doric order was a popular order for the construction of Greek temples through the early 5th century BCE. One notable temple to be of Doric design is the Parthenon in Athens. The second order, the Ionic order, appeared in the coastal region of Anatolia, Ionia. It was created sometime in the mid-sixth century BCE. By the 5th century BCE, the Ionic order had been established in mainland Greece. The third order is the Corinthian order. This order was created sometime in the 5th century BCE and was named after the Greek city-state Corinth. According to architectural writer Vitruvius, this order was created when Greek architect and sculptor Callimachus drew acanthus leaves surrounding a votive basket.

The architecture of ancient Greece would prove to be influential, even thousands of years later. For example, that final two orders of the five orders of architecture, the Tuscan order and the Composite order, which were created by the Romans, were largely based off the first three orders. Another example would be the layout of modern-day theatres, which are based off the layouts of the amphitheaters that were built by the ancient Greeks.

Ancient Greece is also well known for its polytheistic religion and its gods and goddesses. Unlike other religions, such as Christianity and Judaism, the Greek religion did not have any sacred text. While the Greek religion had numerous gods, the twelve Olympian gods were seen as the most important. The Olympian gods consist of Zeus, who is king of the gods, Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Demeter, Artemis, Hephaistos, and Dionysus. The ancient Greeks believed that the Olympian gods lived on Mount Olympus. One notable aspect of the Greek gods was that they were given human characteristics. As Mark Cartwright wrote in regards of the Greek gods:“In the Greek imagination, literature, and art, the gods were given human bodies and characters - both good and bad - and just as ordinary men and women, they married, had children (often through illicit affairs), fought, and in the stories of Greek mythology they directly intervened in human affairs.”

The Greek religion was an important part in the daily lives of the ancient Greeks. As the ancient Greeks believed that the gods would directly interfere with human affairs, it was not uncommon for the ancient Greeks to ask for help from the gods. For example, during times of war, they might pray to Ares, the god of war, for assistance. They would also look for any signs that might be from the gods. Signs could include “…birds in the sky or a spoken word between friends said at a particular moment or even a simple sneeze which might be interpreted as an auspicious or inauspicious omen.” The Greek gods were also made patrons of Greek cities. For example, the goddess Athena was the patron goddess for the city of Athens and the goddess Aphrodite was the patron goddess for the city Cnidus.

Many temples were built at sacred sites to honor and worship the Greek gods. Each temple was built to honor a specific god or goddess. Although temples were built for the gods, actual religious practices didn’t take place inside of them. Instead, the temples were used to hold statues of the god or goddess the temple was dedicated to. Two famous ancient Greek temples are the Parthenon in Athens, which was a temple for the goddess Athena, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus , also in Athens, which was a temple for the king of the gods, Zeus.

As mentioned above, actual religious practices did not take place inside of the temples. Instead, religious practices would take place at altars outside of the temple. Such alters were built “…at the entrances and in the courtyards of their houses, in marketplaces and public buildings, and in sacred groves in the countryside. There were grandiose city altars, on which fire continually burned, and temple altars, which were built in front of the temple rather than within it.” The most common type of religious practices was the ritualistic sacrifice of animals. Rituals such as these would take place at an altar outside in front of the temple. For animal sacrifices, part of the meat would be burned as an offering to the gods and the rest would be saved and consumed by the worshippers. Some other common religious practices include prayer and other forms of offerings such as food and flowers.

Outside of religious practices such as animal sacrifices and leaving offerings, the ancient Greeks would also hold festivals, which included athletic events and even plays, to honor the gods. Events such as these were also extremely important to the ancient Greeks. Festivals would include competitions such as athletics and music to honor the gods. One famous festival is the Panathenaea which was Athens most important festival. Panathenaea was celebrated every four years in honor of Athena, Athens patron goddess. One famous sporting event is the ancient Olympic Games. The Olympics, like Panathenaea, were held every four years. The Games were held at Olympia and were held in honor of the god Zeus. Another the festival, City Dionysia , which was held to honor the god Dionysus, is well known for the plays that were performed.

The ancient Greek religion also influenced the stories and literature of the ancient Greeks. One notable example of this is the story of Achilles who, according to Greek mythology, was dipped in the River Styx by his mother which made him invulnerable, save for the heel of his foot that his mother was holding. Achilles is a central character in the ancient Greek epic poem Iliad which was written by the author Homer. Another example is the Greek epic poem Odyssey, which was also written by Homer and features several of the Greek gods as characters.

Though the ancient Greek religion died out in the 9th century, primarily due to the spread of Christianity, it has left an impact. The Greeks gods were adopted by the ancient Romans which formed the basis of the ancient Roman religion. In modern times, the Greek gods have been portrayed in popular culture such as books, movies, etc. One notable example is the book series Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan which prominently features the Greek gods.

Ancient Greece is an interesting time period to learn about. It was interesting to learn more about the sculptures, architecture, and religion that came out of the time period and to learn about how ancient Greece influenced other civilizations. All in all, I think ancient Greece would have been an interesting time and place to live in.

Bibliography

1.Becker, Dr. Jeffrey A. “Greek architectural orders.” Khan Academy. accessed February 15, 2020. 2.https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/beginners-guide-greece/a/greek-architectural-orders.

3.Cartwright, Mark. “Ancient Greek Religion.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. March 13, 2018. https://www.ancient.eu/Greek_Religion/.

4.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica and Amy Tikkanen. Britannica. Accessed February 18, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/topic/altar .