Gods and Religions

Introduction

The formation of cities is regarded as a major step in human development, but what makes a civilization a civilization? How did the human mind change at the end of the Neolithic period to cause the formation of permanent settlements in certain parts of the world, giving rise to what we call civilization? The fields of Anthropology and Archaeology have sought to answer these questions for many years by intensively studying what these early peoples left behind.[1] From these studies, many explanations have been given for the rise of civilizations, and they can be broken down into broad categories, which include but are not limited to: the invention and usage of writing and languages, the use of weaponry in warfare, practical architecture, and religion.

This is the exhibit showcasing artefacts relevant to gods and religion. Please view the three companion exhibits on the other aspects of civilization.

Introduction - Gods and Religion

Religion was a part of life in the ancient world. Since it was so embedded in society, religious customs doubled as societal customs, and there was no concept of “atheism” as it is understood today. Religion served an essential purpose in the development of early civilization, as it served to bring together communities through shared belief, laying the foundations for cultural identity.[2]

Greek and Roman religion is polytheistic, meaning they worshipped a multitude of gods that each held dominion over different aspects of civic life, nature, and divine order. Often a family or a city state would have a patron deity that they worshipped more than the others, such as the worship of Athena in Athens, Artemis in Ephesus, and the Julii family’s claimed descendancy from Venus in Rome.

The methods of showing one’s reverence to each god also differed slightly in methods of ritual and sacrifice. Some of these methods will be seen in the following virtual exhibit on Gods and Religions.

Sources

[1] Fagan, B. 1986. People of the Earth: An Introduction to World Prehistory: Fifth Edition. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 349.

[2] Fagan 1986: 319.