Greek religion was centered upon its gods, a family of immortal beings who lived upon Mount Olympus (Freeman 126). Each god or goddess was seen to have certain roles in nature, human emotion, or both (Bowra 43-44). For instance, Zeus, the head of the gods, was “a father figure, . . . the bringer of military victory, a symbol of sexual potency, the protector of justice, and the upholder of rulers as well as the god of thunder and lightning” (Freeman 128). However, aside from their remarkable powers, the Greek gods were distinctly human-like. They were shaped like humans in Greek art, and they were believed to behave like humans as well (Bowra 44; Cahill 235). Historian C. M. Bowra asserts that “they [were] able to live as men would like to live if they were not continually dogged by care for the morrow” or fear of death; Thomas Cahill notes that “they [had] power beyond the dreams of the world’s most powerful king, but they exercise[d] this power just the way he would—heavy-handedly, often mercilessly, even spitefully. And they [were] taken up with their own predictable domestic crises—who’s sleeping with whom, who’s getting back at whom, who’s belittling whom” (Bowra 45; Cahill 235). Since the gods were so unpredictable, the Greeks tried to appease them and influence their wills with a wide variety of rituals, most notably sacrifices (Freeman 134). However, nothing was guaranteed, and if one had angered the gods, one could expect retribution rather than forgiveness (Freeman 139; Cahill 238). Cahill notes that in Greek religion, “we must pay for our sins, whether these are conscious or not—and if the sins are big, we must pay big time” (238). Indeed, Thomas Africa notes, “Greek communities feared divine vengeance in the form of plague and disaster far more than any immediate threat of violence from a feud” (91). The gods did not easily forget infractions, often dragging out their punishment for generations (Freeman 133).

            Another prominent feature of Greek religion was its mythology. The Greek myths were a series of often-interconnected stories about “the exploits of gods and heroes” (Freeman 145). Some made clear the purpose and significance of certain rituals; others attempted to explain occurrences in nature that the Greeks could not scientifically understand; and a few seem to have mainly served to entertain (Bowra 103-106). In general, however, Greek mythology “explain[ed] present-day phenomena by reference to the dim and distant past” (Burckhardt 28).

            The details of Greek religion were not meaningless or insignificant; on the contrary, everything had a purpose, and the effects of religion resounded throughout Greece. Although the gods often seem so far-fetched that it is hard to imagine people actually could have believed in them, their every characteristic had a definite importance to the Greeks (Cahill 235). For instance, the gods’ supposed roles in nature and the human mind helped the Greeks understand what they otherwise could not have explained—not only, for instance, where thunder and lightning came from, but also where the sudden bursts of emotion that people experienced had their origin (Bowra 44). The degree to which the gods resembled humans further helped the Greeks understand the world and lessened their fear of the unknown, because even though the gods were more powerful than people, people could identify with them (Hamilton 17). In fact, this sense of familiarity brought the Greeks closer to their gods than the practicers of many other religions. It also gave them a sense of self-confidence, because they had been made in the image of such powerful beings (Bowra 45).

            The Greek myths served a similar purpose, relating the unknown to the known, but in a different way. Rather than explaining a phenomenon via literal cause and effect—as the Greeks did with the gods—a myth drew a parallel, “associating one kind of experience with another” to appeal on an emotional level (Bowra 103). Myths were intended to express a deep feeling beneath their literal stories and help one to “feel the intangible and say the unsayable” (Cahill 236). They took “a world full of fear” and turned it into “a world full of beauty” (Hamilton 18). Therefore, as Charles Freeman explains, “myths fulfill deep-rooted needs” within people (146). Furthermore, because myths were so important to the Greeks, the Greeks developed their values from them; the heroes of the Greek myths provided examples of how one should behave (Bowra 109-110; Freeman 146). Finally, factually based myths helped call attention to people and events that might otherwise have been forgotten. Indeed, it was convenient for the Greeks to create myths out of such events as the Trojan War because “any given historical figure would belong to only one polis which was hated by all the rest”, but mythological figures were able to become universally known and respected (Burckhardt 25).

            Although the gods any myths helped the Greeks understand the unknown, this knowledge by itself was not necessarily enough for the Greeks; they also wanted to try to influence the gods and, through the gods, the powers the gods controlled (Bowra 47). Since a person or community could not hope for help from the gods if the gods were angry, a great deal of emphasis was placed on pleasing the gods (Freeman 134). In fact, maintaining the gods’ support was such an important matter that the Greek cities took control of it. If someone failed to worship the gods and respect their rituals, or otherwise angered the gods—for instance, by committing a murder—it was believed that the person would become unclean and possibly bring the wrath of the gods upon the entire community. Therefore, it was not only one’s personal duty, but also one’s civil duty to honor the gods (Freeman 132). In this way, fear of punishment—rather than a desire to adhere to any moral guidelines—motivated the Greeks to maintain order in society (Bowra 59).

            The Greeks believed that, if the gods were not angry, they could hope to influence the gods via prayer, sacrifices, and other rituals (Bowra 47). A system of mutual obligation formed the basis for rituals: the Greeks believed that if they honored the gods through rituals, the gods would respond by answering their prayers (Freeman 134). Therefore, the Greeks structured their lives in terms of rituals. Supplication through sacrifice and prayer was guided by ritual, but so were relationships and public affairs (Freeman 131, 134). Even political events and battles began with religious rituals (Africa 88). Charles Freeman explains the importance of these rituals:

By placing rituals at fixed times, in designated places, or to mark particular moments, such as the transition of a youth to adulthood, marriage, or death, a human society achieves stability and psychological security. It is probable, in fact, that a society which did not order its existence through rituals would collapse into chaos. (131)

Of course, the gods did not always respond to the Greeks’ attempts to communicate with them. However, when their prayers went unanswered the Greeks did not lose faith; instead, they looked for ways in which they might have dishonored the gods to provoke such punishment (Bowra 50).

            Because the gods did not always answer prayers and sacrifices, and because angering them could have such disastrous consequences, the Greeks used oracles to try to find out their will. Individuals and cities went to oracles to ask for advice, usually receiving a cryptic response for an answer (Freeman 139). Oracles were believed to foretell the future correctly every time; if they were wrong, then it was assumed that they had been misinterpreted (Bowra 50). Because one did not expect a straightforward answer anyway, Freeman explains, “Oracles appear to have been used as much to provide reassurance and divine sanction for policies already agreed on as to provide a definitive answer” (139).

            Several Greek rituals are so significant that forms of them still exist today. One such ritual was the Olympic Games, held every four years in Olympia in honor of Zeus (Freeman 137). Tens of thousands of people from across Greece attended this five-day event, the greatest of the Greek festivals. The Olympic Games were of such importance to the Greeks that victorious athletes were honored for the rest of their lives, and wars were even called off for the duration of the games (Grant 233). These games were “irrevocably tied to the worship of the gods” (Freeman 136). Religion was also the basis for Greek drama, which was the first drama in the world (Cahill 120). Drama originated as a form of celebration in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine, drunkenness, and disorder; and, although its connection with Dionysus grew weaker over time, religion remained one of its dominant themes (Freeman 128-129; Bowra 129). As drama became more sophisticated, it began to use myths “as a means of exploring real-life dilemmas in a way that distanced them from any day-to-day context” (Freeman 146). By doing so, it gave the Greeks “regular opportunities to consider the profoundest issues of their political and social life” (Cahill 120). In fact, drama became “one of the most sophisticated ways through which [Athens’] cohesion was sustained” (Freeman 241).

            Religion was a major unifying factor throughout the Greek city-states, giving them something in common despite their different political and social systems (Freeman 126). It also played a major role within cities. Each city had a particular patron among the gods; reverence to this god helped unify the city’s inhabitants and give them a sense of confidence (Bowra 57-58). In fact, religion helped to establish cities’ identities. For instance, a myth supported the Athenians’ belief that they were the only true Greeks; the Spartans also used myths to claim a right to rule other Greeks (Freeman 147).

            However, the effects of religion on the Greeks were not exclusively positive. Indeed, while having a particular patron among the gods or having a particular identity-supporting myth united the inhabitants of a city, it also created a rivalry between different city-states with different patrons and different identities. These rivalries further fueled hostilities that already existed between the Greek city-states (Bowra 58; Freeman 147). “If the Greek gods were part of a common inheritance,” Bowra claims, “they were also a potent influence in keeping that inheritance divided” (59). To make matters worse, Greek religion emphasized order and power rather than love; these values took root in Greek society, leading to unnecessary conflicts over power between the Greek city-states (Bowra 59). Furthermore, the Greeks’ insistence in explaining the world in terms of the gods and myths held them back at times from gaining further knowledge. In fact, the Greeks often ignored or overwrote factual information if it contradicted or did not fit in with the myths (Burckhardt 25). Even the Greek historian Herodotus often used the concept of divine intervention rather than logical cause and effect to explain why events had taken place (Grant 70).

            Still, religion was irremovably ingrained in Greek culture. By explaining the mysteries of the world, the gods and myths influenced the Greeks’ attitudes and outlooks on life. Fear of the gods helped society maintain order, and attempts to communicate with the gods led to rituals that encompassed much of Greek life. Although religion divided the Greek city-states, it also united them, and although it held the Greeks back at times, it also prompted them to develop such lasting innovations as drama and the Olympic Games. It is no wonder, then, that religion could be considered “the starting point and root of all [Greek] culture” (Burckhardt 161).