Who is credited with the practice of cremation as it is understood today?

The practice of cremation as it is understood today can largely be credited to the Ancient Greeks. They were among the first cultures to adopt cremation on a wide scale, incorporating it into their burial customs and spiritual beliefs around the 8th century BCE. The Greeks saw cremation as a way to honor the dead and believed that it facilitated departure of the soul from the body, thereby ensuring a peaceful afterlife.

This practice was detailed in various literary works, notably in Homer’s epics, where funerals complete with cremation were depicted. The establishment of formal cremation sites and the further development of the process laid foundational practices that influenced how cremation evolved in subsequent cultures, including the Romans.

Cremation was often performed alongside elaborate ceremonies, which indicated the importance of the ritual in Ancient Greek society. Consequently, the adoption and adaptation of cremation practices by later cultures, such as the Romans and Medieval Europeans, were heavily influenced by these early Greek customs.