Beliefs About Ghosts in Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, beliefs about ghosts were very strong and changed throughout the course of its history.
They were so strong that they were mentioned in books by Homer such as the Odyssey and the Illiad where they were described as vapor, making noise, as they descended into the earth.
Homer's ghosts actuallly did not interact much with the living and were only called upon for advice or a prophecy.
They did not seem to be feared by the living world either, unlike how we feel about ghosts in present-day.
Ghosts in the classical world, however, appeared in the form of vapor or smoke.
They were described as appearing exactly like they had at their time of death, all the way down to the wounds that killed them, just like how most ghosts are reported today.
The ancient Greek beliefs about ghosts changed by 5th century B.C., though.
Much like in the modern world, classical Greek ghosts somehow became scary, fearful creatures that could haunt places and either work for good or evil purposes.
They believe that the spirits of the dead hovered near the resting places of their corpses and that cemetaries were a place the living avoided, another belief people also have today.
The dead would also be mourned in a public ceremony where they would be sacrificed or liberated and were said to return to haunt their families. This is also the case in what people most recently think about cemetaries. Instead of peaceful places where the dead could rest, they were (,and still are), seen as frightening places that spirits haunt.
The ancient Greeks held yearly festivals to honor the spirits of the dead too. Imagine knowing that you were going to be surrounded by the spirits of your dead ancestors while you were eating. I would have freaked out.
Family ghosts were invited to join the feasts but were firmly asked to leave until the next year when the eating was over, though.
The ancient Greek ideas about ghosts changed so much throughout the coarse of its history, that it most likely helped shape what we believe about ghosts today.
They were so strong that they were mentioned in books by Homer such as the Odyssey and the Illiad where they were described as vapor, making noise, as they descended into the earth.
Homer's ghosts actuallly did not interact much with the living and were only called upon for advice or a prophecy.
They did not seem to be feared by the living world either, unlike how we feel about ghosts in present-day.
Ghosts in the classical world, however, appeared in the form of vapor or smoke.
They were described as appearing exactly like they had at their time of death, all the way down to the wounds that killed them, just like how most ghosts are reported today.
The ancient Greek beliefs about ghosts changed by 5th century B.C., though.
Much like in the modern world, classical Greek ghosts somehow became scary, fearful creatures that could haunt places and either work for good or evil purposes.
They believe that the spirits of the dead hovered near the resting places of their corpses and that cemetaries were a place the living avoided, another belief people also have today.
The dead would also be mourned in a public ceremony where they would be sacrificed or liberated and were said to return to haunt their families. This is also the case in what people most recently think about cemetaries. Instead of peaceful places where the dead could rest, they were (,and still are), seen as frightening places that spirits haunt.
The ancient Greeks held yearly festivals to honor the spirits of the dead too. Imagine knowing that you were going to be surrounded by the spirits of your dead ancestors while you were eating. I would have freaked out.
Family ghosts were invited to join the feasts but were firmly asked to leave until the next year when the eating was over, though.
The ancient Greek ideas about ghosts changed so much throughout the coarse of its history, that it most likely helped shape what we believe about ghosts today.