Greek religion was characterized by being polytheistic, anthropomorphic and pantheistic. Ancient Roman Beliefs. Few if any could strictly be called atheist philosophers, but they … Ancient Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology originating in ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Below are some of the major Greek gods.
Hellenism (or Hellenismos) is the most common term, used chiefly as a name for the modern religion by its adherents today, though it can also refer to the ancient Greek religion and culture. As of today, about 98% of the country’s population is Christian Orthodox. Ancient Greece was an exciting time for ideas and philosophy — perhaps for the first time, there developed a social system sufficiently advanced to let people sit around and think about difficult topics for a living. Ancient Greek religious practice, essentially conservative in nature, was based on time-honored observances, many rooted in the Bronze Age (3000–1050 B.C. Most ancient Greeks recognized the twelve major Olympian gods and goddesses—Zeus, Hera, …

), or even earlier. Greek mythology consists of all the stories and tales about the Greek gods, goddesses, and heroes. They believed that natural phenomena like the sun, the air, and the sea had been created by superior beings dwelling in Mount Olympus, who they called gods. It is also the religion of Ancient Greece as the Greeks built temples and offered sacrifices to their major gods. It's no surprise that people thought about traditional notions of gods and religion, but not everyone decided in favor of tradition. According to the history of Orthodoxy, Saint Paul was the first to come into Greece to preach Christianity, back in 49 AD. Ancient Greek Religion provides an introduction to the fundamental beliefs, practices, and major deities of Greek religion. In 1054 AD, Christianity was divided into Eastern and Western Church, the Orthodox and the Catholics. The essential fact about the gods of Greek religion is that each god was worshipped in a unique form at one or another particular shrine by a group of worshippers more or less definite. Orthodox Church and the Greek Nation. The major gods and goddesses: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Ares, Dionysus,... Zeus is the mightiest of all gods.. known for its art, architecture and philosophy. The ancient Greeks believed that Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in mainland Greece, was the home of the gods. Focuses on Athens in the classical period; Includes detailed discussion of Greek gods and heroes, myth and cult, and vivid descriptions of Greek religion as it was practiced Religion in Greece The founders. The Schism. Ancient Greek Religious Beliefs Ancient Greek Religion. It is considered by most historians to be the foundational cultureof Western civilization. It was polytheistic as they worshiped many gods. The Greeks had numerous gods and many stories and myths that surrounded them. The term Hellenismos originally stems from a 4th-century AD systematization and revival of Greek religion by the Roman Emperor Julian . Greek culture was a powerful influence in the Roman Empire, which carried a version of it to many parts of Europe. Ancient Greeceis the period in Greek history that lasted for around one thousand years and ended with the rise of Christianity. These groups varied enough for it to be possible to speak of Greek religions or "cults" in the plural, though most of them shared similarities. They are considered, however, to be more free and have less restrictions than other denominations of Christianity.

Other gods and goddesses sometimes included in the roster of Olympians are: Hades (Pluto): god of the underworld Hestia (Vesta): goddess of home and family Eros (Cupid): god of sex and minion to Aphrodite The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years 700-480 B.C., not the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.)