An Integral Part Of The Culture Of Ancient Greece

Polytheism was an integral part of the culture of ancient Greece. Polytheism is the belief of multiple gods.This allowed for a very diverse society in terms of belief and kept the conflicts between people of different beliefs to a minimum, although not entirely. In ancient Greece, many of the people followed one of the fourteen major gods, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Athena, Hermes, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera. These fourteen gods were the cornerstones of Greek society, as each one had it’s own group of devoted followers. Each group of followers had their own unique way of following their own god. The most prominent of these gods, was Zeus. Zeus was considered to be the King of Gods, as well as the god of the sky. In many of the Greek legends he is the father of some of their greatest heroes, such as Heracles and Helen of Troy. The followers of Zeus were split into many different cults, but almost all of the Greek people would gather to pay tribute to the King of Gods at Olympia, the place where the famous Olympic Games were held. An altar for Zeus resided there as well, but not one made of stone, but of ash, from all the animal sacrifices that had been held there. â€Å"Then said Jove, Juno, be not so bitter. Their honour shall not be equal, but of all that dwell in Ilius, Hector was dearest to the gods, as also to myself, for his offerings never failed me. Never was my altar stinted of its dues, norShow MoreRelatedI believe that mythology should still be taught in schools, although with less of an emphasis and600 Words   |  3 Pages I believe that mytholo gy should still be taught in schools, although with less of an emphasis and across more cultures. Myths are important parts of literature, and have complexity that is different than normal novels. 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