Polytheism Polytheism of the Ancient Worldof the Ancient World

1. I can list examples of early polytheistic civilizations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas;

2. I can explain how classical societies used mythology to interpret daily events and experiences;

3. I can explain how polytheistic beliefs shaped the worldviews and actions of pre-modern civilizations (i.e. burial rituals, sacrifices, governance, architecture).

The origin of The origin of religion?religion?• Neanderthal burial sites

– 30,000 – 130,000 years ago– Deliberate placement of dead

bodies in carefully-dug gravesites– What do the burial sites teach us What do the burial sites teach us

about the Neanderthal culture?about the Neanderthal culture?• Burial sites teach us that

Neanderthals may have believed in an afterlife.

• If they believed in an afterlife, then they may have believed in gods.

Polytheism(belief in many gods)

poly: manythe/theo: godism: doctrine, belief in, practice

Most early civilizations practiced polytheism.

(advanced human society)

Asia: The Asia: The SumeriansSumerians

• 1st civilization of Mesopotamia (in the Fertile Crescent)• Meso – middle, between; Potamia – rivers• Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run through SW Asia

Africa: The Africa: The EgyptiansEgyptians

Egypt is “the gift

of the Nile.”Empties into the

Mediterranean Sea.

Europe: Europe: Greeks Greeks

and and RomansRomans

……the will of the the will of the gods…gods…

QUICK FACTSQUICK FACTS

- Most powerful city in ancient - Most powerful city in ancient Greece: AthensGreece: Athens

- Rome’s position on the Italian - Rome’s position on the Italian Peninsula gave Peninsula gave the city many economic the city many economic advantages.advantages.

America: America: MesoameriMesoamericanscans

Major civilizations of Mesoamerica

OLMECSMAYANSMAYANSAZTECSAZTECSINCAS

1. Gods were active in 1. Gods were active in human life.human life.• Greek gods of Mt. Olympus• Roman pantheon

– Roman gods had Latin namesPan = allTheos = gods

Greeks and Romans developed a mythology (a collection of stories) that explained who the gods were and how they were connected to daily life. People prayed to specific gods for specific things.

MYTHOLOGYMYTHOLOGY

2. Gods caused natural 2. Gods caused natural phenomena.phenomena.• Sumerians faced disastrous

floods– Tigris & Euphrates Rivers

• Flooded without warning• Sumerians suffered major losses

– Mud-brick homes and food harvests

– How do you think these floods affected the Sumerians’ attitudes toward their gods?

MUDMUD

2. Gods caused natural 2. Gods caused natural phenomena.phenomena.• Floods of Egypt’s Nile River

– Nile floods: Gifts of the gods• The god of the afterlife sent

floods at the same time each year.• Floods left good soil, called silt,

on the farmland. • Helped the farmers grow a large

food surplus (extra food) – Egyptians able to build a strong

civilization that lasted for centuries

MIRACLEMIRACLE

Gift of the NileGift of the Nile

• Connections: Floods and gods– The miracle of Osiris: Resurrection

– The predictable Nile floods resurrected Nile farmland from drought – the floods brought the farmland back to life.

– With fertilized soil, farmers grew a surplus that resurrected the strength of ancient Egypt.

MIRACLEMIRACLE

3. Gods create and destroy 3. Gods create and destroy life.life.• MayansMayans (Mesoamerica)

– Creation story: The gods made men out of mud, but the mud men could not move or speak. Then the gods built men out of wood, but the creatures had no souls, no blood, and no memories of the gods. Finally, the gods created men out of maize (corn).• “After that they began to talk about the creation

and the making of our first mother and father; of yellow corn and of white corn they made their flesh; of cornmeal dough they made the arms and the legs of man. Only dough of corn meal went into the flesh of our first fathers, the four men, who were created.” ***

***Translation of the Popol Vuh by D. Goetz and S. Morely, 1950.

BLOODBLOOD

3. Gods create and destroy 3. Gods create and destroy life.life.• Aztecs Aztecs (Mesoamerica)

– Legend of the Five Suns• The gods sacrificed themselves so that

people could live: “Life is because of the gods; with their sacrifice they gave us life… They produce our sustenance…which nourishes life.”***

• Aztecs believed the gods were present in all things, including the sun.

• The sun had five lifecycles… and the Aztecs believed the existing sun was the last.

***H. Nicholson, Handbook of Middle American Indians, 1971.

BLOODBLOOD

How did people How did people respond to the gods?respond to the gods?• Ceremonies to please

gods– Aztec New Fire Ceremony

• Every 52 years• Sacrifices gave gods

strength• If the sun did not receive

enough human sacrifice, then it would die a final time, and it’s 5th death would destroy the universe.

1. Greeks built the ParthenonParthenon in Athens.2. Romans built the PantheonPantheon in Rome.3. Mesoamericans built giant step-

pyramids.4. Sumerians step-pyramids were called

zigguratsziggurats.5. Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for

pharaohspharaohs.– Pharaohs were the kings of Egypt. – Egyptians thought the pharaohs were gods.

How did people How did people respond to the gods?respond to the gods?

Why did people care so Why did people care so much?much?• People worried about the afterlifeafterlife

– Mesoamerica: Death determined afterlife• Death by war, sacrifice, childbirth… best

afterlife

– Egypt: Actions determined afterlife• Egyptians built tombs for the ruling Pharaohs.

– Pharaohs were considered gods

• To work for the pharaohs was to work for the gods.

– If I help build a tomb, then the gods will bring me back to life in the good afterworld.

Journeying to the afterlifeJourneying to the afterlife

• Egyptian burial practices– Necessary ritualsrituals (actions, practices)

• Mummification Mummification – Preserved the body for the afterlife– Organs stored in canopic jars

• Book of the Dead – Provided instructions for safe passage to

the afterlife.

• Burial goods