Why do Greeks allow Cannibalism?

Answer 1

They do not now.

However, in ancient civilizations, it was a part of their religion.

Of Atreus and his bloody house, little can be added to the list of horrors which the Greeks knew so well. Perhaps at a remote period, eastern peoples who came into contact with less advanced European peoples, saw the western barbarians as meat-eating savages, at times verging on cannibalism in their ceremonial festivities. Cannibalism, except in the rare instances when it is employed to preserve starving people from dying, is usually (as Malinowski pointed out many years ago) a religious and ritual process. If this happened, then the stories about cannibalism would stem from an Eastern tradition, or from eastern peoples who were immigrating into Crete and the lands of Greece proper. We might then consider the possibility of some myths, such as the cannibalism myth we have been discussing, being constructed by peoples with Eastern origins or at least Eastern connections, but the subject material of the myths would be drawn from the substratum of the native population, who are the earlier inhabitants of Europe. It has been suggested that the name Atreus was in Hittite Attarisayas, king of the Ahhiyava (possible the Achaeans?). If this were correct to any degree, it might suggest that the history of the bloody house of Atreus was mythologized somewhere in Eastern Asia Minor by the advanced and civilized Hittites, who would be good candidates for the Eastern myth-carriers we have been hypothesizing.

Answer 2

I do not know from where you got this perfectly nonsensical idea that the Greeks allowed Cannibalism. In fact, but for their system of slavery they were the most cultured people ofthe times. But then treating the conqured people as slaves was more or less an approved practice of those times. Unlike the first Europeans who just massacred the oriinal inhabitants of the Americas the conquistidos of yore opted the vanquished people in the social scheme of things as slaves and even coopted the captured soldiers as their warriers.Please disabuse your mind of this misconception.

Answer 3

DO is present tense, and Greeks certainly do NOT allow cannibalism. Maybe DID, in the past.

Answer 4

Greek people never, ever allowed Cannibalism. Ever. What a dumb question. It never happened, I don't know who told you it did, but I hope they get hit by a bus.

Answer 5

Greeks DO not and DID NOT allow cannibalism! Who on earth told you they did or do?! How can you people be so damn ignorant?!

Answer 6

Firstly, I think we can say as a "fact" that the Greeks do not now, nor did they ever "allow" cannibalism. Since this is a mythology forum, I'll restrict my response to cannibalism in the Greek myths. From the examples I'll give, you'll clearly see that anytime one cannibalizes another human being or deity, only very bad consequences follow. Thus, the "moral of the story" is that cannibalism goes again the just rules by which we humans (or even the gods) should live.

Example 1: Kronos & Zeus

Kronos and Rhea (siblings and spouses) have children, but as Rhea gives birth, Kronos swallows the infant. He does so to prevent the fulfillment of a prophesy that one of his children will overthrow him & replace him as King of the Gods. One by one he swallows the babies, and Rhea is horrified. Finally, the the last child is about to be born, Rhea has an idea. She gives birth in secret, and when the child is born, she hides him. She takes a stone and wraps it up in a blanket just like an infant, and presents it to Kronos as their child. He takes it, and swallows it. The child who is hidden is Zeus, and he is raised to maturity in secret, his father never finding out, until the day comes when he in mature and strong enough to overthrow his father. This he does by castration. (Many details of the story vary, but the basic theme is the same.)

Example 2: Dionysos & the Titans

Zeus has a new infant son, Dionysos, who he has just declared will some day replace him as King of the Gods. The Titans, upon hearing this, become very jealous, and plan to kill the infant. One day while Dionysos is alone, the Titans disguise themselves, and bring him several toys like balls, tops and mirrors to lure him away from his home. Then, they attack him, tearing him to pieces, cook his limbs, and eat him! After they have finished their horrendous meal, the only part they have not eaten is his heart, which is found by Athena. She very carefully brings it back to Zeus, who is so uncontrollably angry that he hunts the Titans down and blasts them with his thunderbolts, killing them instantly. It is said that from the ashes Zeus created a new form of beings, humans, who are part "evil" (from the Titans) and part "divine" (from the flesh of Dionysos). (Sometimes you will see this Dionysos called Dionysos-Zagreus or simply Zagreus. Try looking up both keywords if you want to research this myth further.)

Example 3: Tantalos & Pelops

Tantalus thought himself a very clever man and wanted to trick the gods. He prepared an elaborate feast for the gods, but secretly planned to serve them human flesh to see if they would know that they were eating human, and not animal meat. For the main course Tantalos killed his own son Pelops, dismembered, cooked, and served him. The gods all came to the feast. Demeter, who was still grieving over the abduction of her daughter Persephone, really was not paying any attention to what was being served, and before any of the other gods could stop her, she took a bite of the dinner! The other gods all knew right away what Tantalos had done, and they immediately gathered up the pieces of his son Pelops and restored him to life again. The only problem was that one of his shoulders was missing-- because Demeter had eaten it! (She was of course horrified!) They created an ivory shoulder for him, and gave him divine beauty. In fact, Poseidon found him so beautiful that they became lovers ;) The gods punished Tantalos with one of the worst punishments of Greek myth. He was confined to an eternity in Tartaros, standing neck-deep in pure water, and surrounded by fruit trees. He was made to feel eternal thirst and hunger. If he tried to lower his head to drink, the water would sink just out of reach. If he tried to grab some fruit, the wind would blow the fruit just out of reach. You can actually read a description of this in the Odyssey, around line 1600. (Tantalos is also spelled Tantalus although that is the Latinized spelling.)

Hope that helps!

Answer 7

whaaa they do! lol i don't know i'm to tireddd right now to take anything seriously plus i just asked a question and i jus want to get my points back by answering, y i don't know .. r the points going to help me do they represent anything i dont knwo... but ur the only one who posted a interesting a question well kind of interesting everyone else is jus plain dumb boring racist or about sex or relationship lol anyways thanx for the 2 points. Hope some1 answers your question.

Answer 8

It so their can shoot bird or animal that their want.And also their can shoot well in war.
In so bad after that,canibal are accept like no humanity in the other human comunity (mean other world).
The best in today many them name hunter,to them that is the lowest rank in their society.

Answer 9

Cause they're manmeat eaters from way back.

And boy aren't those 19yo Greek lads tasty..

Answer 10

For a yummy Mediterranean dish!