Greek Gods Essay

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Travel back to the time of gods wielding thunder bolts and the power to move the Sun across the sky. Gladiator’s fought for blood in monumental arenas and men ran faster than thought possible. Where a crown of olive branches was worth more than a wagon-load of gold. A time when men combined their strength to lift tons of stone more than 50 feet in the air to construct immense temples and monuments that would last thousands of years to come. This is Ancient Greece during its Golden Age. The worship of gods was not just a practice for the Ancient Greeks it was a passion and they took it very seriously. Huge temples were built across the Peloponnesus and beyond that honored their respective gods in the Greek religion. Parades, sacrifices, banquets, and week long celebrations were held in honor of these gods that the Greeks based nearly their entire society off of. The Greeks would offer their lives, their family’s lives, all of their possessions to please the gods. Possibly one of the greatest testaments to the Greeks passion for their gods is the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Greece. “. . . temple after temple, each more gorgeous and more perfect than the one before, rose all over the Greek main land, to reach a final climax in the Athenian Parthenon . . .” (Hamlin 124). Here Hamlin explains the greatness of what was achieved in Athens at the Acropolis and how nothing beyond that point could compare. The giant religious complex that is the Acropolis served as a communal religious center not only for the Athenians but all Greeks. Rivaling none in its grandeur the Acropolis serves as the high point in Athens both physically and figuratively. HISTORY OF THE ACROPOLIS The Acropolis sits on top of an ancient ... ... middle of paper ... ...les are also important to the Acropolis. The many statue and sculptures of the gods nearly match the beauty of the temples. The bronze statue of Athena inside of the Propylaea is one of the largest and most famous of the statues in the Acropolis. All of the sculptures have a meaning. This could either be a portrayal of a god or goddess or of moments in Greek history. CONCLUSION The Acropolis in Athens is the site of one of the greatest architectural achievements in the history of mankind. With a rich history and a beautiful design the Acropolis projects man’s ability to create a lasting monument to its strength and intellect. The Acropolis has survived foreign contamination, bombshells, and years of rebuilding but through all this time it has managed to still be the cornerstone of Greek culture in the eyes of the world and will continue to be for years to come.

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