Role of Religion in Greek, Sumerian, and Roman
Society
by Barry Wright
Essay: Role of Religion in Greek, Sumerian, and Roman Society
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
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The role of religion in ancient civilizations was one of primary importance. There was no idea of a separation of
church and state. Rather, religious and political authorities were inseparable, with political and royal authority seen
as coming directly from the gods. While various ancient civilizations had different religions and different
interpretations of how those religions interacted with society, all believed that the supernatural was a part of the
everyday life. At times, as in the case of Ancient Egypt, rulers were considered to actually be gods and worshiped
as such. Thus, early systems of laws, such as Hebrew laws regarding preparation of food, were extensions of
religious belief. This idea that the influence of the supernatural was present in everyday life was also shared by the
Greeks. The Ancient Greeks believed the gods mettled in mortals' everyday lives, often appearing as mortal
humans or animals to interact with people. The Sumerians likewise believed in every day impact of the gods in life,
believing the gods to be vengeful and angry, and the explanation for natural disasters. Ancient Rome also held a
belief in the gods as being present in everyday life, with some differences, as we shall see later. In this essay, I will
examine how each of these civilization’s religions played roles in their societies.
Sumer, unlike the Egyptians, believed that their leaders were of divine descent but did not believe they were actual
gods. Sumerians believed the natural world was comprised of several gods: Nanna suen (Moon God), Utu (Sun
God) Nin-khursaga(Earth goddess), Enki(God of Waters) and Enlil(God of Air) (Backman 2013, 16). Natural events
were attributed to the gods (Backman 2013, 16). If strong gusts aro...
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