Religion was the central role to every aspect of life in ancient Greece. People believed that the gods were everywhere and that they oversaw all human activities, from planting crops to waging war. God’s and goddesses were consulted by everyone for a simple activity they needed guidance in. People thought as long as they respected the gods they would receive some sort of support from them.

Religious belief was not based on any kind of text, but myths alone. They myths informed Greeks as to where their deities came from. They also informed how all of the gods and goddesses were related, and how they interacted. Many of the myths informed how all of these gods or goddesses were heroes. Other myths involved an afterlife that was th

e underworld, where the souls of the dead lived. Many also thought that different gods performed different roles in human activities. Such as Ares, the god of war, as well as Demeter, the goddess of grain. Greeks believed that they had to offer sacrifices,

during war. They could not have a family, own property, and they had no legal or political rights. Slaves were simply seen as living tools that people could freely use. Children of slaves were also slaves themselves. Most families owned slaves as household servants and laborers, even poor people. City-states and gods also legally owned slaves. Public slaves enjoyed a measure of independence, living on their own and performing specialized tasks.

The Greek system of priesthoods and religious practices developed over a long period. Priests ensured that religious rituals were performed perfectly and that they followed the customs of there ancestors. Many Greeks read omens as one of their methods for divination. Omens were messages from the gods about the future. Any chance could be considered an omen. Rituals were supposed to be used to communicate with the gods and gain their goodwill.

prayers, and gifts to receive benefits from gods. They also had to respect where the god’s

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