Ancient Greeks worshipped several gods where each had a distinct domain and personality. Greek myths were used to explain the origin of the gods and their relations with mankind. The art of Classical and Archaic Greece was used to establish iconography of attributes which identify each god. One of the primary deities in the Greek pantheon was Zeus, the sky god and father of the gods. The ox and oak tree were sacred to Zeus. Zeus had two brothers Hades and Poseidon that reigned over the underworld and the sea. Hera was Zeus’s sister and wife and was the queen of other gods. She is often depicted wearing a tall crown or polos.
Other Greek Gods include Wise Athena, with the patron goddess of Athens, who appeared in full armor with a spear and helmet. Youthful Apollo was often represented as the god of prophecy and music. There are several cult sites for this god and was arguably one of the most important gods in the Greek religion (Johnston, 2004). Apollo had a twin sister known as Artemis that was the patroness of hunting and often carried a quiver and bow. There were other gods that included Aphrodite, the goddess of love, Ares, the god of war, and Dionysos, the god of wine and theater. The ancient Greeks had a belief that Mount Olympos was the home of the gods because it was the highest mountain within the mainland Greece.
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Greek religion was understood to have probably come about as a result of the mingling of several religious beliefs and practices. The religious practices were thus conservative in nature and were based on time-honored observances. These observances were rooted in the Bronze Age between 3000 and 1050 B.C. However, the Odyssey of Homer and Iliad were believed that they were composed in the 8th century B.C. These became powerful influences towards the Greek thought. The ancient Greek had no single guiding work such as the Christian Bible, the Jewish Torah, and the Muslim Quran. The relationship between men and deities was based on the concept of exchange, gods and goddesses were expected to give gifts to human beings. This was through votive offerings that were excavated from the sanctuaries by thousands of people. They became a physical expression of thanks to the individual worshippers.
Greek religion had an influence on their architecture in the way they constructed their temples and other public buildings. One of the top priorities in the architecture was to show how impressive and big their way of living was. This included temples, public buildings, and houses. The most distinctive aspect of the Greek architecture was the temple that was built on a large hill and had various architectural designs. The materials that were mostly used by Greeks in constructing their structures mainly consisted of wood, limestone and marble, and metals and terracotta. These supplies are predominantly used today by contractors in constructing recreational, political, or religious structures.
The most dominant architectural designs that are present today include the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles. Modern Greek architecture is commonly defined as one that has followed these cultural designs and trends. They had significant publicity and existence after the country’s declaration of independence in 1821 (Jenkins, 2006). The Doric architecture is distinguished by the use of vertical columns and a plain roof. Buildings today that make use of such vertical columns taken from ancient Greek. Another style is known as the Ionic order. This style can be described as intricate, delicate, and more elegant compared to the Doric architecture. They are believed to have become dominant during the Hellenistic time. The Corinthian style of architecture is perceived to be an altered version of the Ionic style. However, it provides a much more significant detail.
References
Jenkins, I. (2006). Greek architecture and its sculpture . Harvard University Press.
Johnston, S. I. (2004). Religions of the ancient world: A guide . Harvard University Press.
