Zeus
Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. "These accounts were initially fashioned and disseminated in an oral-poetic tradition; our surviving sources of Greek mythology are literary reworkings of this oral tradition. Greek mythology was also reflected in artifacts, some of them works of art, notably the repertory of vase-painters."
The Greeks themselves referred to the myths and associated artworks to throw light on cult practices and ritual traditions that were already ancient and, at times, poorly understood.The span of stories and characters in Greek mythology ranges from the atrocities of the early gods to the brutal wars of Troy and Thebes, from the youthful pranks of Hermes to the heartfelt grief of Demeter for Persephone, all depicted in minute detail in a bewildering range of media. In addition to the above, the cast of characters includes many monsters, daemons, nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs.
The Gods and Goddeses
In the wide variety of legends and stories that constitute ancient Greek mythology, the deities that were native to the Greek peoples are described as having essentially human but ideal bodies. "Although each god's physical appearance is distinct, they have the power to take on whatever form they choose. The few composite or chimerical beings that occur, such as the Sphinx, had their origins in Anatolia or the Near East and were imported into the Greek culture.Perseus with the head of Medusa" Regardless of their underlying forms, the Greek gods have many fantastic abilities: they can disguise themselves or make themselves invisible to humans, they can instantly transport themselves to any location, and are able to act through the words and deeds of humans, often without the knowledge of the human through whom the gods act. Most significantly, the gods are not affected by disease, can be wounded only under highly unusual circumstances, and are immortal. Even though each of the gods was born, most of them growing from infancy to adulthood, once they reach their physical peak of maturity they do not age beyond that point.
Each god descends from his or her own genealogy, pursues differing interests, has a certain area of expertise, and is governed by a unique personality; however, these descriptions arise from a multiplicity of archaic local variants, which do not always agree with one another. When these gods were called upon in poetry, prayer or cult, they are referred to by a combination of their name and epithets, that identify them by these distinctions from other manifestations of themselves. A Greek deity's epithet may reflect a particular aspect of that god's role, as Apollo Musagetes is Apollo, [as] leader of the Muses. "Alternatively the epithet may identify a particular and localized aspect of the god, sometimes thought to be already ancient during the classical epoch of Greece.In such mythic narratives, we are told that the gods are all part of a huge family, spanning multiple generations. The oldest of the gods were responsible for the creation of the world, but younger gods usurped their power." In many familiar epic poems set in the "age of heroes," the twelve Olympians are said to have appeared in person. In order to help out the Greeks' primitive ancestors, the gods performed miracles, instructed them in various areas of practical knowledge, taught them proper methods of worship, rewarded good behavior and chastised immorality, and even had children with them.
The major gods are
Greek Worship
The Greek worship formula was do ut des, it meant, I give sacrifices so that God will reward me in return. "The ancient Greeks considered sacrifice as the appropriate method to worship God. Public worships were held to obtain public blessings, rain, good harvest, military victories, etc. Private sacrifices were offered for fulfillment of personal goals, wishes and victories." (4) Blood sacrifices of animals such as oxen, sheep, horses, swine, dogs, birds, fish, fowl etc were common in the temple of Gods. The Greek temples were part slaughterhouse and part barbecue. During sacrifices, the people offered the blood, bones and hides of the slaughter animal to the God, the remaining portions were used up as food for themselves.
"Greek prayers were held in a highly formulaic and ritualized manner in temples. The Greek temples were small buildings that contained the cult idol of the deity. Most of these temples did not have a professional or full time clergy or priest".(4)The greeks where in the ebd one of the most sophisticated cultures to have a complex yet eloquent religion with many gods and goddeses. Tough the greeks are the most commonlyly known, other religions like Bhudism, and Hinduism, also worshiped many gods.