Marriage, birth and death in the beliefs and religious customs of ancient Greeks
Marriage, birth and death in the beliefs and religious customs of ancient Greeks

Summary/Abstract: The family – in the past and today – remains the basic nuclear family. Since the topic is very extensive, only three aspects of the family life are covered: marriage, the birth of a child and the death of a family member. In these moments, an important part was the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. On the wedding day, all the rituals were carefully fulfilled. For good fortune, sacrifices were made to the gods, and on the day of the wedding at night, they wandered with torches for the joy of Hestia and to drive off the nightly spirits. When the child was born, the mother had to perform a ritual purification. But accepting a newborn child depended on the father. If he accepted the child, he walked around the hearth, the domain of Hestia. Death is an inseparable moment in every family. What were the family’s duties for the gods and deceased ancestors? They tried to provide the grave with all the important things, so that the soul would safely go to Hades. The family provided a honey cake for Cerber’s dog and an obolon for Charon. In a Greek family, religion was important and was an inseparable element in ancient Greece.

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