ABSTRACT
Greek and Roman religion certainly emphasized the importance of divine favor, but also used religion to highlight the lack of human control and to exemplify certain kinds of pleasure. The great religions that arose in India and the Middle East were somewhat different, certainly more elaborate and ultimately capable of winning far wider adherence. The religions all introduced a clearer role for hope, in balancing recognition of the shortcomings in daily life with an expectation that there were better things to come. They might provide particular consolation for those who most suffered from inequality and deprivation. The major religions certainly repeated a number of the recommendations of the classical philosophers, with some direct borrowing from the Greeks in Christianity and Islam. All four of the religions, seeking to appeal to a diverse audience, worked to balance the ultimate spiritual aims with practical recommendations about gaining some happiness and relieving anxiety in ordinary life.
