CLASSICS 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Xenophanes
2 Feb 2016
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Religion and the gods were everywhere in the greek world. The greeks had no word for religion and didn"t need one, because it wasn"t so much a religion as just how life was lived. The existence of the gods and their involvement in everyday life was taken as a given. It was necessary to satisfy the gods with correct behaviour. The right actions depending upon the god and what you wanted to be accomplished. It was not always clear what actions would appease the gods. The greeks kept the best meat and the gods got the bones. Real reason: sacrifices were the main opportunity for greeks to eat meat. The greeks often interrupted their wars for important panhellenic festivals. The focus of the festivals varied (athletics, music, etc. ) Festivals fostered feelings of community (among neighbours, citizens of a polis or the. One did not aspire to live like the gods; the gods were to be feared and appeased.
