How did the religious practices of the Mayans differ from those of the classical Greeks?

The religious practices of the Mayans indeed featured a more complex pantheon and an elaborate system of rituals compared to those of the classical Greeks. The Mayan civilization, which thrived in Mesoamerica, practiced polytheism, worshiping numerous gods who represented various aspects of nature, agriculture, and human life. This complexity was reflected in their extensive rituals, which included offerings, ceremonies, and a detailed calendar of religious festivals linked to agricultural cycles and celestial events.

In contrast, while the Greeks were also polytheistic and revered a pantheon of gods such as Zeus, Athena, and Apollo, their religious practices were generally less ritualistic regarding offerings compared to the Mayans. Greek religious practices were tightly interwoven with civic life, focusing on community festivals and temples dedicated to specific deities, but they did not engage in the same level of ritual complexity or the intricate calendrical systems seen in Mayan religion.

This illustrates that the religious life of the Mayans was characterized by a rich and multifaceted engagement with a wide array of deities and ceremonies, distinguishing it from the Greek approach, which balanced worship with philosophical inquiry and less focus on extensive ritual practices.