Polytheism means the worship of multiple deities at the same time. These often embody forces of nature, and are responsible for the weather, fertility, or death. Other deities are closely connected to their places of origin.

Polytheistic deities are not mutually exclusive. People from different regions often identify gods with similar responsibilities as equivalents. Through cultural exchange and contact, pantheons from various origins merge and influence each other. In the Near East, the Greek world and the Roman Empire, recognition of religious diversity and foreign deities was essential for the integration of migrants.