Each nation has its own, ancient history, unique and mysterious traditions. A part of history is, of course, religious beliefs, which in most cases led the development of countries. At one time, Ancient Greece was a kind of model of a highly developed state, and the religion of the ancient Greeks was a perfect system that became part of other cultures, including the Roman Empire.
Today, almost every person on earth is familiar with some myths created by the Greeks. Religion just found reflection in them. Who is not familiar with the stories of the powerful Hercules or the beautiful stories of Aphrodite? Yes, today it is nothing more than entertaining stories, but at one time it was the real religion of the ancient Greeks.
The Greek religion began to emerge around the end of the second millennium BC, since it was at that time that the Greeks began the transition to a slave-owning way of life, creating the first civilized cities, indulging in the study of art, engaged in cattle breeding.
In those days, science, as such, did not exist and ancient people did not have an explanation of even the simplest natural phenomena, for example, lightning, rain and drought. That is why they began to create beliefs in which they attributed absolutely to all incomprehensible divine essence.
The religion of the ancient Greeks narrated that at the beginning of time there was only chaos, from which the first gods were created, whose children were powerful and formidable titans.
The Greek people created a pantheon of deities who, according to legend, lived on the world famous Mount Olympus, which to this day is located in Northern Greece. The ancients believed that the man who defiled the sacred place and tried to climb into the "kingdom of the gods", will never be able to return home.
The Greek religion claimed that there were twelve basic deities, each of which had its own responsibilities, possessed some talents and, at the same time, flaws. The main one was Zeus, who was considered the omnipotent god of lightning and thunder. It was to this god that the supreme power belonged.
His wife, whose name was Hera, was revered by the ancient people as the guardian of the hearth and family happiness.
Zeus also had several brothers, the most powerful of whom was Poseidon. It was he who was a formidable lord of the sea elements, which was capable of causing storms and storms. An integral attribute of his appearance was the trident. In his hard work, he was assisted by minor deities such as sea nymphs and wind gods.
Another brother, Hades, commanded the kingdom of the dead. They say that in order to get there, the soul of the deceased had to cross the river Styx and meet the terrible monster Cerberus. No one was able to return from there.
Zeus also had several children who were considered no less powerful, and whom the Greeks worshiped for many centuries. For example, Apollo was considered the god of light , who, by the way, patronized art and poetry.
Artemis - sister of the twin of Aplon - was the patroness of hunters, the protector of flora and fauna. The sacred animal of this goddess was a doe.
Ares was considered a formidable, uncontrollable and fiery god of war who helped the Greeks in battle. And Athena, according to legend, was born from the head of Zeus, was also the patroness of military art, as well as the goddess of wisdom. By the way, it was her cult that the inhabitants of the city of the same name glorified.
Probably everyone has heard of Aphrodite, who was born from sea foam. This goddess was a true model of beauty and commanded such feelings as love and passion.
Hephaestus was considered the lame god of blacksmithing. People believed that the weapons made by his hands were invincible, and those who possessed them received complete power over the enemy.
Hermes was considered a messenger, as well as an unsurpassed thief.
Major deities were not the only objects of worship. The religion of the ancient Greeks claimed that there are thousands of small deities who helped rule the world. These were nymphs, satyrs, and other supernatural beings.
In addition, the Greeks believed in dangerous monsters, which were most feared. It is worth remembering only about Cerberus and the Minotaur.
Such a brief description of the religious beliefs of the ancient Greek population gives a concept about the way they live. After all, churches were dedicated to each god, ceremonies were held in their honor, they were praised and tried to appease, believing that they could help to achieve prosperity.
In the days of ancient philosophers, religion gained a secondary importance, since it was these people who gave the first breath to modern sciences. And over time, Christian beliefs spread throughout the country. So today the pantheon of the ancient gods is nothing more than characters in beautiful fairy tales.