Axial Age theory posits that there should be major transformations in Greece （as elsewhere） in the middle of the first millennium BCE. One could point to the creation of the world＇s first democracy in Athens in the...Axial Age theory posits that there should be major transformations in Greece （as elsewhere） in the middle of the first millennium BCE. One could point to the creation of the world＇s first democracy in Athens in the years around 508. Equally important, and not unrelated to the democracy, was a re-conceptualizing of the role of religion and worship in society, for which Athens provides especially striking archeological evidence. The physical setting for religious expression changed markedly around the end of the sixth century, especially at Athens. The Agora was filled with cults, temples, and shrines of gods and heroes, laid out along with the establishment of the democracy and adapted to the changing political and social needs of the community. Conversely, the Acropolis, which had been strictly the domain of the goddess Athena, takes on a more civic character in the late sixth century with a radical change in the nature of votives dedicated to her. Thus, in the Greek version of axial breakthrough, religion is not set aside or diluted, but put in the service of a new political order.展开更多
文摘Axial Age theory posits that there should be major transformations in Greece （as elsewhere） in the middle of the first millennium BCE. One could point to the creation of the world＇s first democracy in Athens in the years around 508. Equally important, and not unrelated to the democracy, was a re-conceptualizing of the role of religion and worship in society, for which Athens provides especially striking archeological evidence. The physical setting for religious expression changed markedly around the end of the sixth century, especially at Athens. The Agora was filled with cults, temples, and shrines of gods and heroes, laid out along with the establishment of the democracy and adapted to the changing political and social needs of the community. Conversely, the Acropolis, which had been strictly the domain of the goddess Athena, takes on a more civic character in the late sixth century with a radical change in the nature of votives dedicated to her. Thus, in the Greek version of axial breakthrough, religion is not set aside or diluted, but put in the service of a new political order.
