INTERMEDIARY DIVINITIES AND PERSONAL PIETY IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ...
CASSIDY, WILLIAM J., III
ProQuest Dissertations and Theses; 1985; ProQuest Dissertations
There is evidence of personal piety in religions, beyond the formalities of ritual, in example dedications in both ancient Greece and Mesopotamia.-
the warm reciprocal relationship between man and divinity.
this relationship is more evident in the intermediary divinities rather than the main State ones- the tendency sis to rely on mystery cults or philosophy to discuss this matter while discussions about heroes seems to be about mythic, sacrificial rather than devotional aspects.
p v ecstatic experiences were not seen as the normal in ancient Greek life. Mesopotamia- it is more about personal gods.
p.1 there is no word for religion in ancient Greek. Eusbia means regular performance of due worship.
hosiotes means ritual purity and piety.. For the Greeks attitude was more important than conviction. It was a unified system but these are traditional rather than historical as it is rooted in society and culture.
there is no revelation or founder, humans were not often holy men or prophets- it was merely through human tradition.
p 3 the gulf between human and immortal was too great for a personal relationship with the divine. Gods do not honour people- they are entertained by us and people who deemed above this station, ended up in the pit in Tartaros. Life on earth was struggle that ended up in tragic defeat.
One was born into the system of ancestor's worship of the gods and even initiation into a new cult co-existed with the old cults in a conservative all embracing culture., it was immensely pluralistic.
p. 4
there were no holy books
The Greek myth served the function of speculation about the origins and functions of the gods, they re narratives, not logical argument. and as such they changed over time in the retelling of the oral tradition.
p 11 the gnomai, opinions, pithy sayings- eg to know thyself. Socrates moved it from understanding that you were human,not not, to exploring your soul.
Herakleitos had many gnomai, many of which remain obscure to this day.
p 19 when formerly independent districts merged into poleis during the Archaic period, families surrendered their religion as well as their political sovereignty to the local basileus. His family cult became the State cult, but the other gods and cults were maintained as well.
p 20 there were no priestly colleges, some priesthood were familial, and it was often an annual appointment so he could live in his own house and although he was paid it was a civic duty.- there was no requirement for morality, spirituality or ethical guidance. Purity lay at the responsibility of the lay person. There was no separation of sacred and secular, no separate hierarchies or organisation.
p 31 the notion of an ordered universe of cosmos was fundamental.
p 32 events were predestined. Hesiod was one of many theogonies that sought to collect the many cults and organise them into a unified polytheism. Fate is personified as the 3 moraie, daughters of Zeus, by Themis ( the goddess of order)
p 33 although humans still had free will in the mortal and divine spheres
p 37 man was sprung from the earth, or stones for no purposes and not created by the gods. Women was created to be a punishment and curse to men.
p 42 the mystery cults were personal and individualism, participation was voluntary and not related to the family or oikos.
p 43 the Pythagorians sought purification through diet and intellectual , spiritual exercises. As vegetraians they excluded themselves from the collective sacrifices
p 58 transmigration of souls, across 3 generations of purity and freedom from sins for a good after life- Orphic. and the sins of the father were placed on the child.
There is evidence of personal piety in religions, beyond the formalities of ritual, in example dedications in both ancient Greece and Mesopotamia.-
the warm reciprocal relationship between man and divinity.
this relationship is more evident in the intermediary divinities rather than the main State ones- the tendency sis to rely on mystery cults or philosophy to discuss this matter while discussions about heroes seems to be about mythic, sacrificial rather than devotional aspects.
p v ecstatic experiences were not seen as the normal in ancient Greek life. Mesopotamia- it is more about personal gods.
p.1 there is no word for religion in ancient Greek. Eusbia means regular performance of due worship.
hosiotes means ritual purity and piety.. For the Greeks attitude was more important than conviction. It was a unified system but these are traditional rather than historical as it is rooted in society and culture.
there is no revelation or founder, humans were not often holy men or prophets- it was merely through human tradition.
p 3 the gulf between human and immortal was too great for a personal relationship with the divine. Gods do not honour people- they are entertained by us and people who deemed above this station, ended up in the pit in Tartaros. Life on earth was struggle that ended up in tragic defeat.
One was born into the system of ancestor's worship of the gods and even initiation into a new cult co-existed with the old cults in a conservative all embracing culture., it was immensely pluralistic.
p. 4
there were no holy books
The Greek myth served the function of speculation about the origins and functions of the gods, they re narratives, not logical argument. and as such they changed over time in the retelling of the oral tradition.
p 11 the gnomai, opinions, pithy sayings- eg to know thyself. Socrates moved it from understanding that you were human,not not, to exploring your soul.
Herakleitos had many gnomai, many of which remain obscure to this day.
p 19 when formerly independent districts merged into poleis during the Archaic period, families surrendered their religion as well as their political sovereignty to the local basileus. His family cult became the State cult, but the other gods and cults were maintained as well.
p 20 there were no priestly colleges, some priesthood were familial, and it was often an annual appointment so he could live in his own house and although he was paid it was a civic duty.- there was no requirement for morality, spirituality or ethical guidance. Purity lay at the responsibility of the lay person. There was no separation of sacred and secular, no separate hierarchies or organisation.
p 31 the notion of an ordered universe of cosmos was fundamental.
p 32 events were predestined. Hesiod was one of many theogonies that sought to collect the many cults and organise them into a unified polytheism. Fate is personified as the 3 moraie, daughters of Zeus, by Themis ( the goddess of order)
p 33 although humans still had free will in the mortal and divine spheres
p 37 man was sprung from the earth, or stones for no purposes and not created by the gods. Women was created to be a punishment and curse to men.
p 42 the mystery cults were personal and individualism, participation was voluntary and not related to the family or oikos.
p 43 the Pythagorians sought purification through diet and intellectual , spiritual exercises. As vegetraians they excluded themselves from the collective sacrifices
p 58 transmigration of souls, across 3 generations of purity and freedom from sins for a good after life- Orphic. and the sins of the father were placed on the child.
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