Ancient Greece was not a single country, nor did it have a single cultural tradition nor a single language. The ancient Greeks were a divided people with many religious traditions. In general, the religious traditions of ancient Greece were polytheistic with many different anthropomorphic gods. There were many sacred places; both geographic features, such as mountains and springs, and sanctuaries dedicated to specific gods. These places were the foci of pilgrimages, places where pilgrims could communicate directly with the gods.
One of the sacred sites which attracted pilgrims was Mount Lykaion, the mountain where the god Zeus was born. In an article in Archaeology, Jason Urbanus reports:
“Throughout antiquity, the mountain was revered as hallowed ground where the cult of Zeus Lykaios performed solemn rituals in the god’s honor. Pilgrims from all over Greece came to bestow offerings by burning animal bones, pouring libations of wine, or proffering gifts. These rites were even rumored to include human sacrifice.”
As in many traditions, both ancient and modern, one of the functions of religion is divination, the ability to forecast the future. Probably the most famous of the Greek pilgrimage sites is Delphi, an oracle site and the principle sanctuary of the god Apollo. The site is on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus. Richard Greenfield, in the Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece, writes of the importance of oracles in ancient Greek religion:
“Oracular prophecy undoubtedly enjoyed the highest cultural esteem in the ancient Greek world. It was conducted at all manner of holy places, some of which transcended state boundaries and were highly institutionalized, although most were very local, catering to small communities and individuals.”
With regard to the oracle at Delphi, H.A. Shapiro, in a chapter in The Oxford Companion to Archaeology, writes:
“Delphi had the Oracle of Apollo, the most respected and influential in Greece, attracting pilgrims from all over the Greek world and even foreign dynasts like Croesus of Lydia.”
In addition to divination, the Greeks also made pilgrimages for healing. In an article in Archaeology, Benjamin Leonard reports:
“Ancient visitors to the sanctuary of Aclepius at Epidaurus in the northeastern Peloponnese traveled from all across Greece to be healed by the god.”
Ramps were installed at the sanctuary to facilitate mobility-impaired visitors. By the 4th century BCE, there were eleven stone ramps providing access to the temples and other public spaces.
Sometime in the sixth century BCE, a new kind of religion developed in Greece: the mystery cult. In his chapter on mysticism in the Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece, Marcus Plested writes:
“Alongside the anthropomorphic polytheism of Greek religion there was an alternative form of religion represented by the mystery cults. These offered a direct apprehension of the divine unattainable within the civil religion.”
One of the pilgrimage sites associated with a mystery culture was the Sanctuary of the Theoi Megaloi (Great Gods) on Mount Fengari on the rocky island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean Sea. In an article in Archaeology, Benjamin Leonard writes:
“Pilgrims traveled by ships from across Greece, the Black Sea region, Asia Minor, and Rome for initiation, which was offered whenever a sufficient number of participants arrived on the island during the sailing season, from April through October.”
In mystery cults, the nature of the religious rites is kept secret. We do know that the pilgrims walked from the nearby ancient city, now known as Palaecopolis, to the sanctuary. Under the cover of darkness, and perhaps with the use of blindfolds, the pilgrims may have obtained an altered state of consciousness in preparation for their initiation.
Religion 101
This series explores religious topics relating to both ancient and modern religions and includes religions which are not based on the worship of gods. More from this series—
Religion 102: Good/Evil Dualism
Religion 102: Christianity and the flat earth
Religion 101: The Irish monastic tradition
Religion 102: Some Norse (Viking) gods
Religion 102: Some Pre-Christian Irish deities
Religion 101: Beliefs and Creeds