Helen Morales – Ancient Greek Religion

Helen Morales, Anacapa parent and professor of the classics at UCSB, shared the dynamic world of the Ancient Greeks. Helen compared and contrasted the key distinctions between the ancient Greek religion and many of the religions of today. Firstly, the ancient Greek religion was polytheistic with many gods and goddesses, each with their individual domains and roles. Secondly, gods were subject to human emotions and personalities, often resulting in vengeance, infidelity, or jealousy – characteristics that many modern religions would hesitate to assign to a god figure. Lastly, Helen emphasized that personal belief in a god or goddess was not as important as adherence to public religious rituals. In the end, Helen and the students reflected on the ways in which this ancient belief system still pervades modern society, such as through the Olympic Games and iconography in the Starbucks logo.