Religion

Greek Religion Did you know that before the Greek gods and goddesses? Well there was they were called Titans. People thought of them as the "elder gods", and that they ruled the world.  The Greeks were said to be deeply religious people. They believed in many gods. But, the main god they believed in was Zues. Greeks believed that the gods appeared in human form and had superhuman strength and ageless beauty.

The Greeks were polytheistic. Which means they believed in more than one god. The gods and goddesses were said to control everything on Earth. The Greeks built temples in every town to honor them. Greeks used the temples to pray or sacrifice animals. One building was the Parthenon used to honor the goddess Athena. The gods lived on the top of Mount Olympus.

Greeks also not only believed in gods but were said to be mostly of an Orthodox Christian religion.  Greeks used the gods to explain the world around them. Some city-states of Greece focused on one god or goddess. While others believed in many. They built temples for the gods they honored. When the people were thanking their god they'd go to the temple that is built for that god and bring them their animal for a sacrifice to worship them and to please them.

**__ 12 Olympian Gods __**

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 * __*Zues:__** lord of the sky and the rain; His weapon was the thunderbolt.
 * __*Posiedon:__** god of the sea; His weapon was the trident.
 * __*Hades:__** god of the underworld; Also some know him to also be the god of money and wealth.
 * __*Athena:__** goddess of the city, agriculture, and hand crafts. Her symbol is the olive tree.
 * __*Aphrodite:__** goddess of love, beauty, and desire. The myrtle tree represented her. The dove, swan, and sparrow also all represent her.
 * __*Artemis:__** she was the "protector" of the young. Artemis was associated with the moon. The cypress is her tree.
 * __*Apollo:__** the god of light. He drove the chariot that brought the sun up each morning.
 * __*Ares:__** god of war. Most known for his affair with Aphrodite. He is represented by a dog and a vulture.
 * __*Hestia:__** goddess of the hearth. Each city had a representitive of the hearth where the flame was never allowed to go out.
 * __*Hera:__** she is the "protector" of marriage and all women. Her animals are the peacock and the cow.
 * __*Hermes:__** god of theives and commerce. Known for his winged shoes and magic wand.
 * __*Hephaestus:__** son of Hera. Known to be ugly and lame because Hera threw him to the top of Mount Olympus. Married to Aphrodite.

By: Brittany

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