When our group discussed the Greek Gods like Zeus, Hera, Apollo, etc, we agreed that one of the most obvious traits about them was their humanistic nature. But not only were they like people, they encompassed immorality. From cheating, to killing, to seducing, all of the Gods seemed more imperfect than any one of us. They were treated almost like celebrities, much like on a favorite TV show. Imagine if Snooki could make you fall in love?
They were adored, feared and worshipped. We wonder, for what?
1) Why were the Greek Gods so humanistic?
2) Who was it to question the Olympic Gods' existence to begin with?
Factual question: Who questioned the Olympic God's existence? It was Philosophers, like Socrates, who made the Greek people think and question their devotion to their former Gods.
ReplyDeleteDiscussion: Why were the Greek Gods so humanistic? There are many different reasons why they were so human like but I think it's because it was a way for the Greek people to make excuses for things. The Gods commit murder and adultery just like the people that worshiped them and those people could use the Gods as an excuse for their own sins.
NEXT WEEK:
1) What was the main focus of the Hellenistic Age?
2)DO you believe that life is "good vs evil" or "order vs chaos"?
1. I believe that humans needed a reason to explain the phenomenons of everyday life that they could not know. For example, when someone begins to feel the strange emotions of falling in love, they could simply blame Cupid's arrow. It helped them relate to a world that was not their own.
ReplyDelete2. It was Socrates. Right after he read Homer and Hesoid's description of the "Gods", he felt like they were too human, and silly to be worshiped or real.
Next:
1. What was the conclusion many Hellenistic philosophers came to after their numerous debates?
2. Is it better to accept life as a question, and remain in the dark, or is it better to search constantly for answers?
I do not have 100% certainty that I am doing this right, but let's give it a whirl, shall we?
ReplyDeleteI'm Daniel, and I'm in this group, so I guess that entails that I must respond to this post with 1) my own viewpoint of the aforementioned conversation we had last Thursday, 2) a response to the above questions and 3) a discussion question pertaining to today's topic of conversation for our group (The Hellenistic Age and Euhemerus). Am I correct? (probably not. Oh, well)
So number 1: My stance on the conversation of the ancient Greek (and Roman) Gods.
As Jennifer Michael Hecht states in "Doubt: A History", "The Olympian gods were not very remote from humanity. They hadn't created human beings. They were immortal but not eternal. They were often heroic, but they were not particularly honorable in their dealings with one another or with human beings. They were imminent in human life and in the environment: they brought meaningful dreams to sleepers and threw thunderbolts when they were angry. They even lived nearby, on Mount Olympus. They also gave an external cause for human inconsistency or illogic, such as the mystery of why certain people find each other attractive and lovable - as if struck by an arrow.... At the height of their cult, the Olympic gods of the Greeks were thought of as very real - not at all the equivalent of parables or half-believed fairy tales."
In reference to the above excerpt from pages 2 and 3 of "Doubt" it is easy to correlate the similarities between the Hollywood Elite and the Almighty Gods of Olympus. "The Olympian Gods were not very remote from humanity." Hollywood is only a 2 hour flight away (maybe a layover in Denver if it's particularly busy in the skyways). "They hadn't created human beings..." I seriously doubt Kim Kardashian created the whole of humanity. "They were immortal but not eternal." Lucille Ball lived and died a phenomenal actress. While she may not be with us any longer, her legacy remains forevermore.
So in conclusion to part 1, I completely agree that the Gods were just glorified celebrities to the ancient Greeks and Romans, only differing in that they had occult powers; Zeus could throw a thunderbolt as a result of a temper tantrum and be completely justified. Apollo was responsible for the rising and setting of the sun, Cupid for the physical and emotional attraction between two persons.
Quick off-topic comment: I apologize for this miniature essay. I just have a lot to say. Whoops.
I had to split all this up because it was too long. WHOOPS. :P
ReplyDeletePart 2 my responses to the questions.
Question 1) Why were the Greek Gods so humanistic?
In my opinion, the Greek Gods were so alike humans to make it easier to relate to them. As someone who was raised in the Christian faith (although I no longer hold that faith, but that is a story for a different day), I always found it magnificently difficult to relate to God, on a personal level. The reasoning for this is that in the Christian faith, it is taught that God is an almighty being who has complete and utter control over everything that goes on in the universe at all times, day or night, rain or shine. That's a little intense. The Greek Gods, however, were multitudinous, splitting up these almighty powers between many entities, resulting in the individual gods having "specialties." Neptune, the ruler of the seas; okay, so I guess he just has power over all bodies of water? Yep. Simple as that. WELL THEN, that makes it so much easier to relate to him! He's a normal person EXCEPT for the fact that he has the all-encompassing power over water. Cool beans, Ferdinand.
Question 2) Who was it to question the Olympic Gods' existence to begin with?
In Chapter one of "Doubt" section "The Mechanism of the Universe" right off the bat JMH begins discussing the development of new thought processes in the minds of Plato and Aristotle who were attempting to "explain the universe by thinking it through rather than relying on handed-down tradition." So I guess my answer for who first began to "Think Different", to quote an Apple Computer ad campaign, would be Plato and Aristotle, although I'm most positive they were not alone in that boat.
AAAND Part 3: A discussion question based on Today's reading: "The Hellenistic Age and Euhemerus."
Were the Greek Poleis (city-states) crumbling because of the increase in doubt and rational thinking, or was it just their "god-given" time to exist no longer?
Alright. So I think I did this right. Hopefully. Albeit a "bit" descriptive. I feel like I just wrote a novella. Pardon my wordiness. :)
Oh wait. I need a factual question!! Ok, here's one: What is the time period for the Hellenistic Age?
ReplyDeleteAnswer to the Factual Question: 323 BCE - 31 BCE
ReplyDelete