Gods of Worship :: essays research papers

Gods of Worship Early beliefs are the origin for the standard of living today. Beliefs from long ago have adapted and evolved. Early concepts of Religion have some of the basic traits that are included in Religions even today. The most surprising fact is that many early cultures had no way to communicate with eachother but they still had many of the same beliefs and concepts. The early Aztecs and the early Greeks are perfect examples of these early cultures. Of course, this leaves many questions to be answered. What were the religious concepts of the early Greeks? What were the early concepts of the early Aztecs? How are these cultures the same?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The early Greeks appear to be quite intelligent. The Greeks had a system of gods. They had 12 basic gods, often called the Olympians, called Zeus, Hera, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, and Poseidon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Zeus was the head of the gods. He was the spiritual father of gods and people. His wife, Hera, was the queen of heaven and the guardian of marriage. Other gods associated with heaven were Hephaestus, god of fire and metal workers; Athena, goddess of wisdom and war; and Apollo, god of light, music, and poetry. Artemis was the goddess of wildlife and the moon; Ares, god of war; and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, were the other gods of heaven. These gods were joined by Hestia, goddess of the earth; and Hermes, messenger of the gods, and ruler of science and invention. Poseidon was the god of the sea, and he ruled a group of lesser sea gods. Last but not least, Demeter was the goddess of agriculture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Greeks had many other lesser gods to go with the 12 chief gods. Their concept of the gods is very complex. They believed their gods were immortal and controlled all aspects of nature. The Greeks acknowledged that thier well being rested on the will of the gods. The Gods severly punished mortals who showed unacceptable behavior. However, the general relations between people and gods were friendly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each Greek City devoted itself to a god(s). Often citizens of these citys would build temples of worship for their god(s). Children would learn about the gods in their home, and they would conduct worship inside their home. However, different parts of the home were reserved for prayer to different gods. The Greek civilization had a god for almost everything physical and emotional.