"Aristotle, like all the ancients, was a polytheist, that is, he believed in a plurality of gods, and “practised” his religion, that is, he prayed to the gods and made vows, as can be seen from his will. However, he criticised the anthropomorphic aspects of polytheism, interpreting the gods as the driving forces of the heavens, and recognised a “first” among them, thus paving the way, later taken up by the Stoics, towards monotheism."