Classical Greece

#3History 126

Dr. Anita Fisher

Religious Beliefs &

Practices of Greeks•No organization church

or doctrines•Rituals important not beliefs

•Defilement not sin•Polytheistic•Divination – to determine will of deities

Gaia Mother

goddess

Goddess Artemis

Temple to Artemis at Ephesus

Temple to

Artemis

Artemis’ Temple Today

Aphrodite’s Temple

Delphi Oracle

•Pythia Spoke in Voice of Apollo

Delphi

Pythia – Delphi Oracle

Athenian

Treasury at

Delphi

Delphi Oracle

Mystery Religions•Eleusian mysteries

– In honor of Demeter & Persephone

•Dionysus– God of wine and song

Eleusian Mysteries

Goddess

Demeter

Greek Drama

•Great tragedians of 5th c Athens– Aeschylus

• Prometheus bound, Agamemnon

– Sophocles• Antigone, Oedipus Rex

– Euripides• Medea

Trojan Women

•Great satirical comedy– Aristophanes

• Lysistrata, Frogs, Clouds, The Knights

Dionysus

Festival of Dionysus

Greek Theater

Frieze Showing Characters in Greek Plays

Aeschylus

Euripides

Medea

Aristophanes

Lysistrata

Hippocrates

Aesculapius God of Medicine

His staff or

caduceus

Aesculapius & Caduceus