Such were the principal theological views of the Greek philosophers.  With the exception of the last, and that of the Sceptics, they were either monotheistic or consistent with monotheism.  They were, on the whole, far higher than the legends of the poets or the visions of the artists.  They were, as the Christian Fathers were fond of saying, a preparation for Christianity.  No doubt one cause of the success of this monotheistic religion among the Greek-speaking nations was that Greek philosophy had undermined faith in Greek polytheism.

This we shall consider in another section.

Sec. 7.  The Worship of Greece.

The public worship of Greece, as of other ancient nations, consisted of sacrifices, prayers, and public festivals.  The sacrifices were for victories over their enemies, for plentiful harvests, to avert the anger of some offended deity, for success in any enterprise, and those specially commanded by the oracles.

In the earliest times fruits and plants were all that were offered.  Afterward the sacrifices were libations, incense, and victims.  The libation consisted of a cup brimming with wine, which was emptied upon the altars.  The incense, at first, was merely fragrant leaves or wood, burnt upon the altar; afterward myrrh and frankincense were used.  The victims were sheep, oxen, or other animals.  To Hecate they offered a dog, to Venus a dove, to Mars some wild animal, to Ceres the sow, because it rooted up the corn.  But it was forbidden to sacrifice the ploughing ox.  The sacrifices of men, which were common among barbarous nations, were very rare in Greece.

On great occasions large sacrifices were offered of numerous victims,—­as the hecatomb, which means a hundred oxen.  It is a curious fact that they had a vessel of holy water at the entrance of the temples, consecrated by putting into it a burning torch from the altar, with which or with a branch of laurel the worshippers were sprinkled on entering.  The worshippers were also expected to wash their bodies, or at least their hands and feet, before going into the temple; a custom common also among the Jews and other nations.  So Ezekiel says:  “I will sprinkle you with clean water and you shall be clean.”  And the Apostle Paul says, in allusion to this custom:  “Let us draw near, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

All these customs had a natural origin.  The natural offering to the gods is that which we like best ourselves.  The Greeks, eminently a social people, in the enjoyment of their feasts, wished to give a part of everything to the gods.  Loving wine, perfumes, and animal food, they offered these.  As it was proper to wash before feasting with each other, it seemed only proper to do the same before offering the feast to the gods.

The essential part of the sacrifice was catching and pouring out the blood of the victim; for, in the view of the ancients, blood was the seat of life.  Part of the victim was burned, and this was the portion supposed to be consumed by the god.  Another part was eaten by the worshippers, who thus sat at table with the deity as his friends and companions.  The joyful character of Greek worship also appeared in the use of garlands of flowers, religious dances and songs.