ACADEMIC TALK
Watch the lecture by Dr Greensmith below and don’t forget to take a look at the extra resources and have a go at the activity at the end.
Getting to Grips with the Gods: Re-Thinking Religion in Ancient Greek Literature
Dr Emma Greensmith
How can we use poetry and drama to find out more about ancient Greek understandings of the gods? In this academic talk, Dr Emma Greensmith tells us about the huge role that ancient Greek poets such as Homer played in shaping people’s ideas of the gods – both in their time and long after their deaths! She helps us decode a papyrus fragment (found inside an Egyptian mummy!), which makes a case for the existence of atheism in the ancient world. Whether or not you have studied Classics before, this talk will help you develop knowledge and essential skills for subjects including religious studies, literature, and languages.
Further resources
- For more on Homer’s Iliad, read this article on the BBC website.
- The Antigone Journal, an Open Access online journal which promotes the study of Classics
- Book on ancient atheism (written for a general audience): Tim Whitmarsh, Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World (Faber & Faber, 2015).
- Book on the gods and fate in Homer (written for university students and academics): Denis Feeney, The Gods in Epic (Oxford University Press, 1991).
Why do we say that the Iliad was composed rather than written?
What is the setting of the Iliad? What events does it account for?
‘Sing, Muse, of the wrath of Achilles, Peleus’ son, that destructive wrath which brought countless woes upon the Achaeans (Greeks) and sent for to Hades many valiant souls of heroes and made themselves spoil for dogs and every bird; thus, the plan of Zeus was fulfilled.’ – Iliad 1:1-4.
What does this passage say about the role of the gods in the Iliad?
‘Zeus, gazing down on them, felt pity, and spoke to Hera his wife: “Alas that Sarpedon so dear to me, is fated to die at the hands of Patroclus! Even now I am undecided, whether to snatch him up and set him down alive in his rich land of Lycia, far from this sad war, or allow him to fall to this son of Menoetius (Patroclus)’ – Iliad 16:431-432
What does this passage say about the power of the gods with relation to fate?
What roles do you think the gods play in the Iliad?
Consider how Aphrodite saves her son Aeneas or how Apollo causes a plague to fall upon the Greeks.
Ancient Atheism
As shown above, the gods played a significant role in Greek culture. They often are placed as justifiers for the existence of a state and their existence/deeds were inculcated in the Greek mind through the production and reproduction of these Homeric Epics among temple worship, statues and further mythological tales which would speak of the deeds of the gods.
Was it possible, then, to be an atheist in this culture?
Many argue that it was effectively impossible within Greek culture to properly be an atheist. The presence of the gods was always everywhere. It seemed to be a staple of ancient Greek culture that they were just a given.
However, we can see that this is not necessarily the case.
In Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus declares his woe at succumbing to the prophecy that he has killed his father and married his mother declaring: νῦν δ᾽ ἄθεος μέν εἰμ᾽
Which translates roughly to: Now, I am ἄθεος
What does ‘ἄθεος’ mean?
Well, let me transliterate it into English: atheos. This word is the origin of our word ‘atheist’. To be with ‘a’ meaning ‘no’ or ‘without’, ‘theos’ meaning ‘God’.
Yet, for the Greeks, being ‘without God’ might mean ‘Godless’ but it also could mean ‘forsaken by God’. There is ambiguity in which translation we ought to prefer here.
Which translation do you prefer?
Try and picture yourself as an audience member in 5th century Athens and see how you would react to each reading of the passage.
