THE TOPIC OF GREEK RELIGION

In order to understand ancient Greek religion it may be wise to put aside all expectations of a single uniform cultural phenomenon. When we speak of ancient Greek religion we are, in fact, dealing with anything but a homogeneous field of cultural manifestations. Even so, local traditions of different sorts did in fact become interconnected through the Greek language which, though consisting of various dialects, was the main unifying factor. In historical times, following the Dorian invasion and the Ionic settlements (1050–950 BCE), we have a common language spoken by all Greeks (panhellenoi), transmitted through oral traditions and later written down in literary works (perhaps as early as in the eighth century BCE). Even if dialects such as Aeolic and Ionic, as well as certain archaisms, are discernible in the works of Homer, it is fair to assume that the Iliad and the Odyssey comprise a tradition of myth and language comprehensible to all Greek-speaking people.

Still, the ancient Greeks were competitive people in various respects and the local tribes, which grew into the well-known city-states, poleis, from around the middle of the eighth century BCE, often went to war against each other over various conflicts (for instance territorial boundaries, trade routes or scarce resources).