Philosophy and Religion - Ancient History: Greece

In the Greek mythology of Hesiod, women are portrayed as evil beings sent by Zeus to punish man. This is a common trope of paternalistic societies, that women are portrayed as temptresses who can lure men into evil. Hesiod describes how the original woman, Pandora, opened a box which released evil and sin into the previously peaceful world of man. This idea was caused by the paternal nature of ancient Greek society, but also continued to reinforce and justify this paternalism.

A major pre-Socratic philosopher, Thales held that water as the unifying principle or system by which the universe operated. Thus, he believed that all parts of life came from water. This principle extended to his cosmological belief that the Earth itself floated on water.

Pythagoreanism is the set of beliefs outlined by later philosophers, like Plato and Aristotle, ascribed to followers of Pythagorus of Samos, widely credited as the discoverer of the Pythagorean theorem. Knowing this, one might be tempted into the answer stating that "all of life was strictly dependent on mathematics." Pythagoreanism, however, emphasized math as an example of the kind of harmony people should seek in all aspects of life. The school of thought, while heavily invested in mathematics as a guiding philosophical principle, was not exclusive in its emphasis on mathematical harmony.

Leucippus is widely credited with the development of the pre-Socratic theory of atomism. Atomism was a materialist philosophy whose first principle was that the world was composed of tiny indivisible parts, called atoms.

Diogenes Laertius was a historiographer and biographer of philosophers who actually disputed the historical existence of Leucippus. Epicurus is a later philosopher, and rather obviously, is more associated with Epicurean philosophy rather than atomism.

Although ancient Greek philosophy is usually associated with Athens more than any other city-state, it actually first emerged among the Ionian Greeks (living in modern-day Turkey). The Ionians were the center of Greek culture and wealth in the seventh century BCE. It was here that Pre-Socratic philosophy, as it is generally referred to, was first developed.

In the ancient Greek pantheon, Hephaestus was the God of blacksmiths and craftsmen. Hephaestus is generally presented as physically handicapped and is often mistreated by the other Gods as a result.

In the ancient Greek religion there was an extensive pantheon of Gods. Each God or Goddess was associated with certain areas of life, occupations, and ideals. All of these Gods are correctly paired with the areas of life they were said to watch over, except Poseidon. Poseidon was the God of sailors, horses and the sea.

Anaximander, Thales of Miletus, and Anaximenes are the three main figures in the so-called “Ionian Awakening.” They were the first three major philosophers in ancient Greek history and were all part of the Milesian school of thinkers. Parmenides, on the other hand, lived in southern Italy and founded the Eleatic school of philosophy.

The philosophical tradition of atomism, or the belief that all things are composed of atoms, was first developed by the ancient Greek Democritus. Democritus and Leucippus developed the original atomic theory of the universe. They argued that everything was composed of atoms, which were indivisible and indestructible.

Of these ancient Greek Gods only Mars is incorrect. Mars was the Roman name for the ancient Greek God of war, Ares. The Romans adopted the same pantheon of Gods as the ancient Greeks, although all their Gods had different names.

In Greek mythology, as told by Hesiod in The Theogony, Zeus comes to power by overthrowing his father, Kronos. Kronos himself came to power by overthrowing the God Sky. In Greek mythology, the Gods experience a very-human existence, full of power struggles, violence, love, and betrayal.

Lyric poetry first emerged in Greece during the Archaic Era. Lyric poetry was distinct from the earlier narrative epics of Homer and Hesiod in several ways. Firstly, it was much shorter and employed different types of rhythm and meter. Secondly, lyric poetry was generally accompanied by music and often performed by large groups of people.

Lyric poetry was often accompanied by music and was much shorter than the epics of Homer and Hesiod. It is also generally characterized by a rhythmic diversity that was unprecedented at the time. Additionally, whilst the earlier narrative epics of Homer and Hesiod were primarily concerned with mankind’s relationship with the Gods, lyric poetry was more concerned with the feelings and motivations of individual Greeks. In this sense, lyric poetry may be understood as part of a greater cultural awakening of the importance of the individual in the Greek world (the legacy of which is still relevant in the modern western world).

During the Archaic Era there were many massive developments in the way that Greek thinkers understood the world around them. One such development was the revolutionary belief that nature operates according to a set of universal laws that are neither random nor esoteric. This represents a radical departure from earlier understanding which declared that nature operated according to the caprice of the Gods and was governed by seemingly random forces.

Sappho is one of the most famous lyric poets of the Archaic Era. Her poems focus heavily on romance and love and emphasize the feelings and motivations of individuals. In this sense she is indicative of a wider philosophical change going on in the Greek-speaking world during the Archaic Era — namely the celebration of the individual and the assertion of an individual’s rights and power.

Sophistry went on to become a somewhat pejorative designation for certain kinds of philosophy and logic. As a social group, however, Sophists were simply traveling intellectuals who taught rich Greek youths for money.

Diogenes of Sinope is a noted cynic more remembered for his prominent role in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche and various stories about him than his actually enumerated philosophical thinking. Diogenes rejected the academic life, and was never a member of Plato's Academy. In fact, Diogenes' most notable interaction with Plato came when Diogenes humiliated Plato by disproving Plato's definition of a man. While Diogenes did wander between cities, he was not a religious ascetic.

It is true that Diogenes lived in an empty wine bucket by choice. For some time his only possession was a wooden bowl, which he destroyed after seeing a peasant boy eat with his hands. He would also wander the streets in broad daylight carrying a lantern and shouting that he was looking for a just man.

In his most famous work The Republic, Plato presents his idea of a government ruled by “Philosopher Kings.” Plato believed that in order for society to be ruled benevolently and most effectively either philosophers needed to rule or kings needed to embrace philosophy.

In the ancient Greek pantheon, Hermes was the messenger God. Hermes often appears in Greek mythology as a guide for heroes and assists them in their quests.