The Sacred Myth
For the ancient Greeks and Romans, myths served several purposes, one of the foremost being religion. As you know, an essential element of myth is religious significance. In classical cultures, the myth explained religious beliefs and justified religious rituals. In fact, the sacred element of mythology heavily influenced the behavior of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Protect Yourself — Pray!
The Greeks and Romans were religious people who believed that the gods and goddesses, and even the lesser deities, held vast powers over people and the world. The myths defined which god or goddess to turn to in times of need.
For example, for a safe sea voyage, they would pray to the Greek god Poseidon or the Roman god Neptune; for a successful hunt, they would pray to the Greek goddess Artemis or the Roman goddess Diana; soldiers who wanted victory in battle would pray to the Greek god Ares or the Roman god Mars.
With so many deities, the ancients had to take care to keep them all straight. If a prayer intended for the god of justice went to the god of wine instead, for example, the outcome could be disastrous — or so people believed.
Appeasing the gods and goddesses wasn't always as easy as a simple prayer. Greek and Roman deities often expected more than mere words from mankind. In ancient times, people who wanted results would often make a sacrifice or perform a specific religious rite along with their prayers.
The majority of today's religions usually understand God as steadfast and just. Greek and Roman deities weren't like that. They could be down-right moody, and they didn't always have the best interests of humankind in mind.
The ancients accepted the gods' inconsistent behavior and temperament and altered their own behavior to try to please the gods. After all, the deities wielded the powers of creation and destruction; it was best to be on their good side as much as possible.
Read Your Rites
The ancients developed religious rituals that went beyond prayer. The myths gave these rites meaning; sometimes, they even spawned new practices. One important ritual explored in several myths is sacrifice.
Prometheus, a Titan who was friendly to humans, devised the ritual of sacrifice. He was asked to settle a dispute between the gods and humanity concerning which portion of the sacrifice should be given to the gods and which kept for the people. Prometheus divided a sacrificial bull into two packets. The first packet contained the animal's flesh, wrapped in its skin and stomach lining; the second had the animal's bones, wrapped in its fat.
Prometheus then offered the packets to Zeus (ruler of the gods) and told him to choose which portion he wanted. Zeus chose the fat-wrapped packet because it looked richer and more appetizing. Of course, upon discovering the packet contained inedible bones, Zeus grew furious, but his decision had been made. Thanks to Prometheus's cleverness, the ritual of sacrifice would require people to burn the bones of an animal, letting them keep the flesh for themselves.
The Olympic Games were founded in ancient Greece. Unlike today, however, the original games were part of a huge religious festival held in honor of Zeus. Athletes offered prayer and sacrifices to the gods and goddesses. An important part of the ritual was a special sacrifice to Zeus of 100 oxen.
Of course, myths describe other rituals besides sacrifice. Some of these rituals were even created because of myths. Furthermore, certain rituals honored only one deity. For example, rites associated with the worship of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, were unlike those of any other god. These Dionysian rituals were kept secret, so not much is recorded about them. However, allusions suggest that they involved much drinking, dancing, and wild behavior.
Religious rituals were also important to social order. Because myths explained and justified these rituals and actions, the ancients relied heavily on myths to guide them along the correct path; they needed myths to tell them how to appease the gods and to maintain an orderly society.
