Cult, myth, and art were religious tools used in Sunium to worship the god Poseidon. Ritualistic aspects of worship are prominent and can be seen by some of the standards set in Greek religion. Being “polluted” ritually is an example of the cult, ritualistic aspects of Greek religion (Mikalson, 8). If one had been in the house of someone giving birth they could not go inside the temenos . Little things like that show how Greeks were very ritualistic in the way they lived and worshiped. While ritual provides a vague rule system in which to worship the gods, myth and literature were the stories about the gods. Myths usually were very regional things for the most part with specific groups of people believing in the gods in a wide range of capacities. While myths are mostly thought of as poetic literature they could be any type of divine belief associated with reality. The gods of the Greeks did not have a set “code for human behavior” which allowed for many interpretations and diverse belief among the ancient Greek people. I would argue that ritual is more prominent just because there are more consistencies and less diverse beliefs when it comes to them. An example being that all altars faced east or that altar to gods in the sky had to be outside. Myths on the other hand are up for interpretation and had a more diverse range of beliefs associated with it.

The way art enhances cult worship is due to the wonderful nature of art and the meaning behind its creation. Just like the reading when there were statues built after the war with the Persians serving the purpose of thanking the gods but also reminding the people of them and their power. If everyone thanks the gods for a win in battle then future generations will follow in their belief. Art was a way for the gods presence to be felt in the reality of every day life. When most people had huts to live in, it becomes a big deal that there is a giant bronze statue of a god just down the road. Art allows for the gods to be more prominent and real so that their influence can always be felt.

So far I would say the “religiosity” of the Greeks is somewhat flawed but worked in the times that they lived in. Greeks couldn’t come up with one set of particular rules in which everyone believed because the systems to distribute those rules were not around then. Living in antiquity the Greeks focused more on daily life and what to do not to anger the gods. This comes from a completely different direction of normal religious life in which there is a “loving” God. Gods to the Greeks just needed the honor and respect of the people so that they did not have to punish them like they did Odysseus. This is partly why ritual and cult practices are so prominent because there is no set of religious beliefs with the belief system based around not offending the gods. This allows for the outward practice of faith and “religion” more so than the inner practice most people are familiar with today.