OCR Classical Civilisation Greek Religion: a complete overview of the option

OCR Classical Civilisation Greek Religion (H408/31) is a Beliefs and Ideas option that studies the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks, using both literary and material evidence. This overview ties together the main themes. Each section has a matching dot-point page.

How the paper works

Greek Religion is examined in 1 hour 45 minutes for 75 marks (30% of the A-level). It uses the standard five question types: a short-answer question, a 10-mark stimulus question on a printed source or image, a 10-mark idea question, a 20-mark essay and a 30-mark essay. You must handle both literary sources (Homer, Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns) and material sources (the Parthenon, sanctuaries, sacrifice vases).

The nature of the gods

The Greek gods were anthropomorphic: in human form, with human emotions and failings, but immortal and powerful. The chief gods were the twelve Olympians, each with their spheres, while chthonic deities such as Hades governed the underworld with darker rites. The relationship between gods and mortals was largely reciprocal (do ut des), and philosophers such as Xenophanes criticised the traditional gods.

Worship: sacrifice and ritual

Greek religion was a religion of ritual action. The central act was animal sacrifice (thysia), the inedible parts burnt for the gods and the meat shared in a communal feast. Other constant acts were libations, prayer and votive offerings, performed in both the home and the polis.

Sacred space, temples and festivals

Worship happened in sacred space: the temenos with its altar and often a temple, the house of the god's statue (worship took place at the open-air altar). The Parthenon is the prime example, and the Panhellenic sanctuaries of Delphi and Olympia drew worshippers from across Greece. Great festivals (the Panathenaia, the City Dionysia, the Olympic Games) combined procession, sacrifice and competition, serving the gods and the community at once.

Communicating with the gods and beliefs about death

The Greeks consulted the gods through oracles (above all Delphi and the Pythia), divination (omens, dreams, seers), and the mystery cults (the Eleusinian Mysteries), which offered a personal hope for the afterlife. The ordinary view of death was a gloomy existence as a shade in the underworld, which made proper burial a sacred duty and gave special honour to heroes through hero cult.

How to revise

Build a grid of the main themes and the prescribed sources for each. Learn to describe and evaluate key visual sources and to cite literary ones, using the correct technical terms.