Ancient Greek Civilization | Sacrifice and Greek Religion (Lecture 16)

Lecture 16: The belief systems and religious practices of the Greeks reveal a great deal about the differences between us and them. In this lecture we will examine Greek religion, giving special attention to the question of the function of religion in the ancient community. We will discuss the importance of sacrifice and the nature of various religious festivals. These ranged from initiatory rites to civic festivals. Finally, we shall also consider the popularity of mystery cults, which offered direct contact between human worshippers and their gods. The cult of Demeter and Kore and Eleusis, in particular, remained popular throughout antiquity and offered a model for Christianity as it moved from its Jewish roots to reach a wider audience.

Suggested Reading
Burkert, W. (1985) Greek Religion: Archaic and Classical. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Lecture 17: https://www.bitchute.com/video/pXdhTKkPfcld/