The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, each with a distinct

personality and domain. Greek myths explained the origins of the gods
and their individual relations with mankind. The art of

Archaic
and
Classical Greece
illustrates many mythological episodes, including an established iconography of attributes that
identify each god. There were twelve principal deities in the Greek pantheon. Foremost was
Zeus, the sky god and father of the gods, to whom the ox and the oak tree were sacred; his two
brothers, Hades and Poseidon, reigned over the
Underworld
and the sea, respectively. Hera, Zeus’s sister and wife, was queen of the gods; she is frequently
depicted wearing a tall crown, or polos. Wise Athena, the patron goddess of Athens (
1996.178
), who typically appears in full armor with her aegis (a goatskin with a snaky fringe), helmet, and
spear (
07.286.79
), was also the patroness of weaving and carpentry. The owl and the olive tree were sacred to her.
Youthful Apollo (
53.224
), who is often represented with the
kithara
, was the god of
music
and prophecy. Judging from his many
cult
sites, he was one of the most important gods in Greek religion. His main sanctuary at Delphi,
where Greeks came to ask questions of the oracle, was considered to be the center of the universe
(
63.11.6
). Apollo’s twin sister Artemis, patroness of hunting, often carried a bow and quiver. Hermes (
25.78.2
), with his winged sandals and elaborate herald’s staff, the kerykeion, was the messenger god.
Other important deities were Aphrodite, the goddess of love; Dionysos, the god of
wine
and
theater
; Ares, the god of
war
; and the lame Hephaistos, the god of metalworking. The ancient Greeks believed that Mount
Olympus, the highest mountain in mainland Greece, was the home of the gods.
Ancient Greek religious practice, essentially conservative in nature,
was based on time-honored observances, many rooted in the Bronze
Age (3000–1050 B.C.), or even earlier. Although the Iliad and
the Odyssey of Homer, believed to have been composed around the
eighth century B.C., were powerful influences on Greek thought, the
ancient Greeks had no single guiding work of scripture like the Jewish
Torah, the Christian Bible, or the Muslim Qu’ran. Nor did they have a
strict priestly caste. The relationship between human be ings and
deities was based on the concept of exchange: gods and goddesses were
expected to give gifts. Votive offerings, which have been excavated
from sanctuaries by the thousands, were a physical expression of
thanks on the part of individual worshippers.

The Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries located, according to the nature

of the particular deity, either within the city or in the countryside. A
sanctuary was a well-defined sacred space set apart usually by an
enclosure wall. This sacred precinct, also known as a temenos,
contained the

temple
with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues and votive offerings to the
gods, and often features of landscape such as sacred trees or springs. Many temples benefited
from their natural surroundings, which helped to express the character of the divinities. For
instance, the temple at Sounion dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea, commands a spectacular
view of the water on three sides, and the Parthenon on the rocky Athenian Akropolis celebrates
the indomitable might of the goddess Athena.

The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially
of oxen, goats, and sheep. Sacrifices took place within the sanct uary,
usually at an altar in front of the temple, with the assembled
participants consuming the entrails and meat of the victim. Liquid
offerings, or libations (

1979.11.15
), were also commonly made. Religious festivals, literally feast days, filled the year. The four
most famous festivals, each with its own procession, athletic competitions (
14.130.12
), and sacrifices, were held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. These
Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world. Many
other festivals were celebrated locally, and in the case of
mystery cults
, such as the one at Eleusis near Athens, only initiates could participate.