Classical Studies 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Croesus, Thyestes, Western Greece

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 1000
• Professor: Brown Jason

Document Summary

Religion was a much bigger part of ancient daily life, relative to moderns. Greeks didn"t have a simple word for what we call religion. instead, their language recognized words that had god roots (theia, therapeia, etc. ), and there were terms that identified both reverence and fear (e. g. eusebeia). So there is a recognition of gods and their power, but not an overall belief system like a. There was no distinction between matter and spirit. For the greeks, the world was filled with signs of life in varying degrees (e. g. movement, like fire or earthquakes) Recognized supernatural powers or gods in matter of all kinds. No single transcendent deity (thales quote: all things are filled with gods ) The ever-present supernatural powers can effect us everywhere. Early christianity was a rejection of the pagan polytheism that surrounded it. Numerous discrete, individual deities informed and effected the everyday life of greek pagans.