Why Did The Ancient Greeks Stop Believing In The Gods On Mount Olympus?

The ancient Greeks had a fascinating and sophisticated religion and belief system. Much of western culture is built upon the myths and stories of the Olympian gods. I realize that the major historical reason is the rise of Christianity.

Legend states that they lived on the top of Mount Olympus. That is the tallest peak in Greece. It’s approx 10 000 ft tall.

The first person who finally climbed mount Olympus must have been really confused when he/she found no gods living there.

I wonder what impact this event had on the beliefs of the ancient Greeks. Perhaps they amended thier beliefs to now say that the gods symbolically lived on Mount Olympus, but not literally. This is a great example of how beliefs can morph after new information. Some facts radically shake the foundation of people’s beliefs. That doesn’t mean that people no longer believe, but it definitely makes faith and metaphor more important than ever.

Mount Olympus photo is from google images.