TELEVISION

Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity

Series: Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity
4.3
(36)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2020
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

Meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to better understand the foundational role religion played in their daily lives. This series makes a wonderful lens through which to gain a deeper knowledge of their world.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1 to 3 of 24

1. Early Pagan Religion in Mesopotamia

35m

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Explore the ways in which the ancient peoples of Mesopotamia tried to understand, worship, and cultivate supernatural forces in the world around them. Learn how the Enuma Elish, the great Mesopotamian creation myth, mirrors human concerns we still address today (power struggles, gender issues, family discord) as it explains the origin of the world, its organization, and humanity's place in it.

2. The Rigveda and the Gods of Ancient India

32m

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While most of the early religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome have been supplanted over time, the early religions of India are still thriving today. Explore the ancient Rigveda, one of the four sacred texts of modern Hinduism. An ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns, it is alive with riddles and paradoxes that leave plenty of room for stimulating speculation.

3. State Religion in Ancient Egypt

30m

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Explore how the Egyptian Book of the Dead and a pyramid inscription reveal the existence of Atum, the creator god who rose from primordial chaos to create himself and nine additional gods. But what happens to Atum when the cities of Memphis and then Karnak rise to power? Learn how political power and religion were interwoven in ancient Egypt.

4. From Myth to Religion: The Olympian Deities

32m

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While the modern world often thinks of the Greek gods and goddesses as myth, they formed the basis of religion in ancient Greece. Learn about this relationship between myth and religion and explore the fascinating puzzle of Zeus. Could Zeus have been a single god with many "persons"? Or were there many different gods, each known as Zeus?

5. Household and Local Gods in Ancient Greece

30m

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The daily life of the average ancient Athenian family wasn't dominated by the gods who lived on Mt. Olympus, but by the gods who protected their front door and hearth and blessed the marriage bed. Discover the many ways in which these household gods were woven into the fabric of daily life and who was responsible for the household religious activities.

6. Feeding the Gods: Sacrificial Religion

30m

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From the Mediterranean regions to ancient India, animal sacrifice played a central role in the relationship between people and their gods. Learn about the required elements for a proper honorific, atoning, or sacramental animal sacrifice. Discover the many ways in which the sacrifice benefitted the peoples involved, and what the gods required of the animal.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

The Great Coursesdirector
The Great Coursesproducer
Hans-Friedrich Muelleractor