Greek Mythology, Religion, Philosophy, and History Essay

In the history of the World, no other society has had such a rich mix of religion, mythology, philosophy, and history as the ancient Greeks. Some experts claim that the genesis of this intermingling lay in the overtly polytheistic nature of ancient Greek religion which worshipped a pantheon of gods. The Mediterranean region with its diverse seafaring traditions was a birthplace for the intermingling of cultures. Polytheism led to the Greeks adopting a remarkable tolerant attitude towards the viewpoints and beliefs of others.

Over a period of time, such broad attitudes became fertile ground for the exercise of human imagination leading to the birth of great epics steeped in legend, mixed with actual historical facts, and the dawn of modern philosophical thought. The operative utility of this tradition of philosophy gave rise to the Greek city-states, the first form of a democratic society. According to Knierim, “The ancient Greeks viewed the world in a way that one would today perhaps describe as ‘holistic’. Science, philosophy and politics were interwoven and combined into one worldview” (1). This essay attempts to describe the ancient Greek period from 2700 B.C to the 4th century B.C with a view to explain the interrelation between Greek religion, mythology, philosophy, and history.

Greek religion can be classified into four main periods. During the period 2700-1100 B.C, the religion of the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures was practiced in the region of Crete and the Aegean Basin. This religion was predominantly based on female deities. Other figures of animals with human heads suggested that some form of animism was also prevalent. The ancient religious stories of the Minoans and the Mycenaean were transmitted orally to the other parts of the Mediterranean region which later fused with the Greek traditions and religious practices.

As the Greek societies evolved, so did their religion, and the next period 1100-750 B.C is referred to as the ‘Heroic Age’ made famous by Homer and Hesiod. It was during this period that the pantheon of Greek gods attained their fame and acceptance by the Greeks. The third period witnessed a move away from polytheism to the era of rational thinking and skepticism also known as the ‘Golden Age of Athens, spanning from the 6^th century to 4^th century B.C. The final period, Greco-Roman ranged from 2^nd century B.C to 2^nd century A.D which basically led to the export of Greek philosophical thought the world over.

The effect of Greek mythology on religion and history is so entwined that often it becomes difficult to distinguish the two. The Greek pantheon of Gods presided over by Zeus, made famous by Hesiod and Homer became the focal point of Greek religion. Not only were mythological stories attributed to the Olympiad Gods, but they also became the basis for regulating Greek society too. Lloyd-Jones ( 2006) states that “ The early poet Hesiod explains that “Zeus gave to kings the themes, the principles of justice by which they ruled”(460). The mythologies encouraged the practice of sacrifice to the various gods to achieve defined ends. “Greek armies always made a divinatory sacrifice before going into battle, and the general took the omens after a sacrifice before deciding to go into action”. (Lloyd-Jones,2006, p.461).

The establishment of the Oracle of Delphi in honor of the Greek God Apollo took a political hue when every ruler far and wide consulted the Oracle to determine the course of action for conquest, administration of the state, and a host of other decisions. So popular was its usage that not only did the Greeks use the Oracle, but also other non-Greek kingdoms.

In Greek society, myth and history too were inexorably intertwined. A typical example is exemplified by the Trojan War, which according to many historians and archaeologists, was a real historical event. But the myth surrounding the idea of building the Trojan horse is attributed to the divine intervention of the Greek Goddess Pallas-Athene (Minerva). According to Berens, “She also taught the Greeks how to build the wooden horse by means of which the destruction of Troy was effected”(43).

Homer’s epics Iliad and Odyssey served as a rallying point for the Greek society. The Gods and Goddesses as described by Homer were revered by the Greeks and “these works came to serve as both epic and bible, providing a vivid ideal of manly prowess set in a framework of religious belief” (Time-Life Book, 1988, 53). The Olympic Games founded in 776 BC were dedicated to the God Zeus. The Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C between the Greeks and the Persians was a true historical event.

However, the so-called feat of a messenger running the entire 42 km from the war front to Athens is a legend that has no historical proof but nevertheless is entwined in popular culture leading to the institution of the famous marathon runner in the Olympic Games.

The Greek Philosophers had an undeniably relevant role in the development of Greek History. Solon who was elected as the archon of Athens in 594 B.C laid the framework of a democratic society. Socrates propounded the ‘test of reason’ as a philosophy of rationalism. “Instead of building on the myopic ideas of mythology, he began a rational inquiry into the riddles that nature presents. This inquiry is based on reflection and reason alone, and it may be his greatest achievement” (Knierim, 4).

Reasoning, rationalism, and critical thinking were the natural evolution of a polytheistic creed steeped in intolerance and intellectual inquiry into the nature of things. This tradition of reasoning finally led to the denouncement of the numerous Greek Gods by the Greek philosophers. By the end of the fifth century B.C, Greek philosophy became more scientific in its outlook. “ Plato denounced the immorality of the gods as portrayed by Homer and the other poets”( Lloyd-Jones, 2006 p.463).

Aristotle moderated the harsh critique of Gods propounded by Plato and his brand of ethics was more accommodative to traditional Greek religion. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Aristotelian logic still finds popular support in these modern times. Despite the onslaught of rationalism and reasoning, traditional Greek gods continued to be worshipped and were supplemented in the Greco-Roman period by Roman Gods. The cults survived for eight centuries after Plato till the 4^th century A.D when the Christian emperor Theodosius banned and persecuted the followers of polytheism leading to their decline.

In conclusion, it can be said that the unique blend of mythology, religion, philosophy, and history in the Greek traditions survived for over a thousand years because of the syncretistic nature of the Greek thought, based on polytheistic processes which yielded an unusual degree of tolerance not to be seen in the later monotheistic creed of Christianity and Islam.

Some historians claim that this ability to assimilate differing thought came not only because of the genius of the Greek people but also because of the influence of Eastern thought which came by through the extensive trade links that Greece had with the East. The rich blend of myth, religion, philosophy and its effect on the history of the western world gave the grounding for the development of modern western philosophical thought of rationalism and reasoning. It also laid foundations for a political system that was soon to dominate the modern world – Democracy.

Works Cited

Berens, E.M. “Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome”. Project Gutenberg. 2007. Web.

Gillian, Moore and Editors of Time-Life Books. 1988. “ A Soaring Spirit”. A volume of Time-Life Series History of the World. Time-Life Books inc. Time Warner Inc. USA.

Knierim, Thomas. “Pre-Socratic Greek Philosophy”. 2008. Web.

Llyod-Jones, Hugh. 2001. “Ancient Greek Religion”. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society vol. 145, no. 4. Web.