The Ancient Greeks established a lot of core beliefs and values in their time, and surprisingly enough,

we can relate to a lot of these values today. Most of these values are still very cherished and
important in many different societies. Although we might have different religious beliefs,
backgrounds, and upbringings, we can all agree upon the fact that these core beliefs are still being
used around the world today.

In Ancient Greeks, there were some ideas and beliefs that were held in higher esteem than in others.
In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, there are many examples of how the Ancient Greeks viewed these
certain ideals. These values are rules and traditions that the Ancient Greeks lived by in their society.

1. Loyalty

One of the most important values to the Greeks was loyalty. This meant that you had an obligation
to your family and your home, to remain loyal to both. Young boys trained to fight in war and stay
loyal to their native land. Men were expected to remain loyal to the honor of their families. Home
was seen as the most important and central part of life in Ancient Greece. The idea of
“homecoming” is a term that refers to coming home from a long adventure or journey and being
reunited with the ones you love. This ideal is first introduced in Homer’s text The Odyssey, reflecting
the Ancient Greek’s emphasis of the importance of the home, family, and loyalty in Greek life.

2. Hospitality

The second-most important value in Ancient Greece, hospitality is known as the idea of being
welcoming and giving to strangers and guests in your home. In Ancient Greece, it was a custom to
invite friends and strangers to stay in your home, offering them food, drink, and gifts. The idea of
“make yourself at home”, is a tenant of hospitality derived from Ancient Greece. It was seen as rude
if you did not treat your guests with the upmost hospitality in your home.

3. Athleticism

In Ancient Greece, boys, often as young as 12, would begin training to fight in war. As such, the ideal
of being fit and athletic was very important to the Greeks. In addition, Greeks were very competitive
by nature, so any sporting or competitions were held in high regard. Those with strength and athletic
abilities were seen as more appealing, noble, and attractive in society. The character Odysseus in
Homer’s The Odyssey is described as very strong, being the only man who can successfully string his
bow. He is respected by many of his men for his abilities and strength in war. Men were expected to
fit this ideal in Ancient Greece.

4. Teamwork

Just as important as it was for young men to train to fight in war, it was also important for them to
understand the value of teamwork. Often in battle and in intense competitions, these men has to
come together to defeat their enemies. Therefore, teamwork was held in high regard in Ancient
Greece.

5. Intuition

Intuition, or your ability to use your insight to make decisions and solve problems, was another
characteristic that was highly reveled in Ancient Greek society. The Ancient Greeks often told stories
of the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, using them as a foundation for building on these core
values. The Olympian gods and goddesses each had their own strengths, and many of them used
intuition to their advantage to solve problems.
 6. Ingenuity

Ingenuity, another core value of the Greeks, is the ability to use creativity to find your way out of
challenges or problems. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus uses his clever and cunning skills to get
out of many problems that he faces on his journey back to Ithaca. He thinks of new and inventive
ways to get out of situations, such as hiding under the bellies of the sheep to escape The Cyclops
cave. The Ancient Greeks saw the value of ingenuity as a mark of intelligence and nobility in a
person, and those with this unique talent were highly respected.

7. Justice

Justice is another core value that the Ancient Greeks lived by. Just as Hammurabi’s code states “an
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”, the Greeks has a similar viewpoint on justice. They felt that
karma had a way of catching up with people, and that those who have done wrong should be
punished by the gods with the appropriate sentence. Many stories in Ancient Greek mythology
explain how the gods punished those who did not obey their words. Those who do not mind the
gods and their advice pay the price, sometimes with their own lives.

8. Respect

The last and final value of the Ancient Greeks is respect. In many ways, this directly correlates with
their religious beliefs and the Greek gods and goddesses. If you did not have respect for the gods,
you were basically going against everything the Ancient Greeks stood for. They help the Olympian
gods and goddesses in high regard. Family and friends were also an important part of respect. If you
did not have respect for your family and your home, you were looked down upon in society and cast
off from everyone else.

Religious Beliefs and ancient Greek Culture

The religious beliefs of the ancient Greek culture were well defined. They believed that they were
watched over by Zeus and other gods. To be in favor of the gods, they had to make sacrifices.The
Greeks believed in life after death with Hades in the underworld.

The ancient Greek values were unrealistic and they thought that people would get a happy ending
after going through any sort of hardship or enduring anything. They thought that if one was brave,
then the next life of that person would be very good.