Answer:
While new philosophies were challenging old religious ideas, many people still believed that the gods of Olympus had a direct influence on the lives of mortal beings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Old Greeks were polytheists, which means they believed in many gods, not just one. Their gods lived on Mount Olympus and included Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, etc. They believed that gods had an immediate effect on their lives and that their fates were controlled by them.
A bit later, during Sophocles's time, people started turning themselves towards innovation, politics, and philosophy more than religion, especially their old, polytheistic one.