Gods, temples and cities

The gods of the Greeks thus lie at the origins of Western civilization and their attributes moved through the cultures while the names were usually changed (but the case of Αρόΐίδη/Apollo is interesting, as he is found under the same name in both Greek and Latin, as is his son Asklepios/Aesculapius [Asclepius in US English]).

The carefree existence of the gods was at least partially their own birth right, but there was also a tradition that they could be propitiated (i.e. bribed) by human offerings. Individuals could appeal to them directly and make token offerings of objects or food. Cities and rulers could build elaborate temples and fill them with treasure, along with booty won in wars where the gods were repaid for the victory they had granted. Individuals, cities and rulers could commission statues of the gods to be placed on display in the sacred areas. Statues of worthy individuals could also be erected here, but none of these should be confused with the magnificent cult images sheltered within the temples, which were viewed as representations of the god.

In this sense, the Parthenon is at once unique, typical and paradigmatic. It is unique because it represents the pinnacle of a certain type of architecture and because it represents that city which itself represents the birth of European civilization. It is typical because most cities of the ancient world had at least one temple or shrine dedicated to one single deity whom they viewed as their patron deity, and that god was tied into the larger pantheon. It is paradigmatic because it represents ancient religion, architecture and art - aside from Greece itself.

In many cities of the ancient world, the building dedicated to the chief deity was among the most impressive pieces of urban architecture. In terms of ancient religion, what has remained for the most part are these temples, constructed to house the divine images which are lost today. Virtually all of the temples with which we are familiar today are dedicated to the gods.

There are few urban shrines which leave us with the impression of merely being holy places without links to some deity, and major shrines and temples among non-urban peoples are rare. The Celts of France and Germany had a practice of excavating and maintaining enclosed square sanctuaries with a small shrine (made of flimsy materials) set in the centre, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The shrines seem to have survived into the Roman era and even to have been copied by the Germanic tribes. Yet the cults practised there remain enigmatic, never having been assigned any clear role either with regard to the pantheon of the gods or even to the society. Seemingly, the building of solid temples of stone, brick and cement is related to urban society, and to cult images which fulfil a role in both human and divine society; these then give birth to myths and legends. The gods of the urban societies filed out into the rural periphery, and in some cases temples were erected in the newly emerging cities (as in Rome and Etruria).