The way people who are fans of media inspired by Greek mythology act as if Mediterraneans don't exist is veeeery odd.
“Apollo's actor can't be white because he's the god of the sun and he should be tanned”. You know Greek people can be tanned and they're white as well, right? Or do you think every white person looks Anglo-Saxon? And why is it controversial to say that?
I don't wanna be rude but the fact that you didn't fully understand my original point proves it.
I'm not saying Apollo shouldn't be tanned. A lot of Greeks are, in fact, tanned. The skin of most people in the Mediterranean basin has evolved to tanned super quick and also get paler relatively quick because we live in an area where the difference between summer and winter is very stark.
My point is a lot of you (mostly USAmericans) have no idea what a Southern European/north Mediterraneans looks like. You assume that just because we're European we have to look like Germans or Brits or Swedes. Which is just as nonsensical as, for example, saying that a South East Asian person looks like someone from East Asia.
Saying Apollo can't be Greek because he's tanned and Greeks are European is just as bad as when white supremacists say he can't be Greek because he goes to Hyperborea so he has to be Nordic. It's erasing Greeks and Mediterraneans from their own culture.
The way people who are fans of media inspired by Greek mythology act as if Mediterraneans don't exist is veeeery odd.
“Apollo's actor can't be white because he's the god of the sun and he should be tanned”. You know Greek people can be tanned and they're white as well, right? Or do you think every white person looks Anglo-Saxon? And why is it controversial to say that?
I've been having some mental fog that's kept me from following my usual practice during the past 5 months or so. But still I took the time today to cook lentil stew to share with the divine twins as an offering. It was very nice.
Photos from the protests against government crimes in Thessaloniki (1) and Athens (2+3), showing part of the crowd. Elderly and children are also present.
The government itself tried to put those down those peaceful protests with violence but people still persist!
Stop Treating Greek Mythology Like Just Another Fictional Franchise
I am honestly tired of seeing people lump Greek mythology into the same category as DC Comics, anime, or any other modern fictional universe. There’s this frustrating trend where people discuss figures like Odysseus or Achilles in the same breath as Batman or Goku, as if they’re just characters in a long-running franchise rather than deeply rooted cultural and literary icons from one of the most influential civilizations in history.
Yes, myths contain fantastical elements—gods turning into animals, heroes slaying monsters, mortals being punished or rewarded in ways that defy logic. But that does not mean Greek mythology is the same as a modern fantasy novel. These myths were part of an entire civilization’s identity. The ancient Greeks didn’t just tell these stories for entertainment; they used them to explain the world, explore human nature, justify traditions, and even shape their religious practices. The Odyssey isn’t just an adventurous tale about a guy struggling to get home—it’s a reflection of Greek values, an exploration of heroism, fate, and the gods' role in human life. When people treat it as nothing more than “fiction,” they erase the cultural weight it carried for the people who created it.
Greek mythology functioned in antiquity—these were their sacred stories, their way of making sense of the universe. And yet, people will still argue that the Odyssey is no different from a DC Elseworlds story, as if it was just an early attempt at serialized storytelling rather than a cornerstone of Western literature.
Part of the problem comes from how myths have been adapted in modern media. Hollywood and pop culture have turned Greek mythology into a shallow aesthetic, cherry-picking elements for the sake of spectacle while stripping away any historical or cultural depth. Movies like Clash of the Titans or games like God of War reimagine the myths in ways that make them feel like superhero stories—cool battles, flashy gods, exaggerated personalities. And while those adaptations can be fun, they’ve also contributed to this weird idea that Greek myths are just another IP (intellectual property) that anyone can rewrite however they want, without considering their original context.
This becomes especially frustrating when people defend radical reinterpretations of Greek mythology under the “it’s just fiction” excuse. No, Greek mythology is not just fiction! It’s cultural heritage. It’s part of history. It’s literature. It’s philosophy. If someone drastically rewrote a Shakespearean play and justified it by saying, “Well, it’s just an old story,” people would push back. If someone did the same to the Mahabharata or The Tale of Genji , there would be outrage. But when it happens to Greek myths? Suddenly, it’s “just fiction,” and any criticism is dismissed as overreacting.
I am not saying mythology should be untouchable. Reinterpretation and adaptation have always been a part of how these stories survive—Euripides retold myths differently from Homer, and Ovid gave his own spin on Greek legends in his Metamorphoses. The difference is that those ancient reinterpretations still respected the source material as cultural history, rather than treating it as some creative sandbox where anything goes. When people defend blatant inaccuracies in modern adaptations by saying, “It’s just a story, why does it matter?” they are ignoring the fact that these myths are a major link to an ancient civilization that shaped so much of what we call Western culture today.
Ultimately, Greek mythology deserves the same level of respect as any major historical and literary tradition. It’s not a superhero franchise. It’s not a random fantasy series. It’s the legacy of a civilization that continues to influence philosophy, literature, art, and even modern storytelling itself. So let’s stop treating it like disposable entertainment and start appreciating it for the depth, complexity, and significance it truly holds.
HELP! EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! PLEASE JUST 5 MINUTES ARE ENOUGH FOR THE BETTER OF MY COUNTRY! SIGN THIS PETITION AND SHARE IT WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN!
Like today, a year ago, in Tempi, nearby where I live, two trains crashed. They were moving in the same road, opposite to one another for 12 minutes and nobody knew about it, until the two trains crashed...
57 people died, most of them being students, around 18-25 years old.
They said it was the station master's fault, he didn't realise that he put the trains in the same rail. But they are hiding the truth...
Our trains were bought from Switzerland, and those trains were used by the Swiss for almost 2 months and they were about to be destroyed, because they were considered to be a danger for everyone.
Our trains, for almost 24 years are moving around the country manually. No train has a GPS system. The systems were bought by the Greek government in 1999 and till today, 2024 they have not been installed....
The railways do not have signal lights, radar, monitoring center and station masters....
We Greeks move like this, for about 20 years....
Until 28 of February 2023, that this terrible train crash happened....
Today, a year later, our politicians lie to us, make empty promises and reassure us that everything is under control. The truth is that nothing is under control. A year later they have done nothing...
The railways are still malfunctioning, no GPS, no monitoring centers and no lights....
And the only one who payed for it was the station master, who did a fatal mistake, but he was just the front person that behind him hid the politicians, that do not take any responsibilities...
The next day after the train crash, the minister of the Ministry of Transportations quit his place! Can you believe it?
The European Union has condemned Greece for ignoring the laws and pointed out the greed of our Prime Minister, which hasn't stated anything of that matter for over a year....
Greeks are devastated! No one hears us, the government is killing us!
Greeks want our politicians to take responsibility. It is in our hands to do it, but we also need help.
Please, spend 5 minutes signing this petition.
Signing this states that you want a constitutional change, which will lift over the political immunity that protect the politicians!
Your help is so much needed. The families of those people suffer and want justice for their children!
PLEASE! WE NEED YOUR HELP, WE CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS!
ΤΡΑΓΩΔΙΑ -ΤΕΜΠΗ 2023
Sign this petition please! You can chose to ignore the tiping fees. It is only fair that they pay for what they did!
According to the app Earthquake (Σεισμός in its Greek language version) with international coverage (if you live in a seismic country download it right now), as I am writing this at 16:00 there have been 220 earthquakes since midnight, occurring around Santorini and the South Cyclades islands, across the Aegean arc (also known as Hellenic arc). While many scientists say the cause is tectonic and not volcanic, some scientists from Greece and abroad support they are indeed volcanic warnings.
It’s not good news either way…
The earthquakes seem to slowly increase in magnitude with the biggest one at 5.0 R two hours ago. There have been small landfalls reported in Santorini, an island with hilltop built towns.
The last explosion of the Thira (Santorini) volcano occurred in 1950.
The local population is evacuating the island with ships and airplanes just to be sure.
every time i see the concept of "a god hating a worshiper of theirs" in the helpol community i have the uncontrollable urge to fall down on my knees and start screaming
I wish more people could understand that the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece were not just fictional characters that they wrote stories and plays and songs about. They were part of their religion. They were worshipped, prayed to, given sacrifices. The temples were not just there for looks. They were functioning aspects of the religious fabric of the Greek world.
I think it is amazing that so many young people (I.e., teens and young adults) are finding religious comfort and fulfillment in Hellenic Polytheism.
In the same vein, however, I think that there is a lack of seriousness in certain pockets of this community (and I don’t mean to just single out young people, I’ve seen this with people my age and older as well).
Like, yeah, it’s super fun to make posts about your “head cannons” for your deities - and it’s not hurting anyone so who really cares - but it does rub me the wrong way. As someone who has a deep reverence for their Gods, and who takes their beliefs very seriously, I find it somewhat isolating when everyone around me seems to be bordering on (or sometimes fully) treating this religion like a fandom.
I wish I saw more people talking about the existential nature of the divine, or talking about identifying and experiencing the liminality of modern spiritual life. Just as an example, the hymns I write aren’t just fun writing exercises - my whole heart is in them because I see my writing abilities as a gift from Lord Apollo and The Mousai. I can never properly thank my Gods for all the blessings in my life and for all the years they waited for me to return home to this faith, and so I write.
I’ll admit that I haven’t been active in this faith nearly as long as some - but even in the short timeframe I’ve been here I’ve seen people come and go from the faith. Seen people throw their practice away like it’s some hyper-fixation that they’re done with and don’t want anymore. But when I contemplate the future of my faith - I think about my Italian and Mediterranean ancestors. These families whose names I cannot know, who (probably) worshipped the same Theoi that I do now. I think about how many generations it has been since my blood has built Kharis with the divine, and how long they must have been waiting for someone of my lineage to return home to them.
This isn’t ’Greek Mythology, but as a religion’ to me - it’s so, so, much more than that.
Religion and spirituality can be fun, it can be silly, it doesn’t always have to be ‘serious’ - but I do think there is some maturity missing in some practitioners.
These are just my own thoughts and opinions and I’m not trying to shame anyone or call out anyone specifically - take everything I’ve said here with a grain of salt.
Many people in the modern day pagan/polytheist communities are young. As such, a majority of them are neurodivergent, like I am. For me, that means a majority of the language used in resources is difficult to understand. This was originally going to be a post about that, but the more I wrote, the more I realised that many people, neurodivergent or not, just... don't know how to study resources. So, if you are someone that also struggles, I now present to you... my full guide on how to study resources.
Little disclaimer: I myself am a hellenic polytheist, but this guide is for anyone that struggles with understanding information from resources, whether you are a hellenic polytheist, norse polytheist, kemetic polytheist, etc. Though do understand that I am writing from the perspective of a hellenic polytheist, so I am bound to make mistakes when it comes to religions I am less educated on. You are always welcome to adjust anything I say here to fit your own religion accordingly.
Let's get started.
Firstly, you have to find resources. Many people happen to get stuck here, unfortunately.
How do I know what to research to begin with? When starting out, the general consensus among the polytheist/pagan communities is to research the related historical practice. How the deities were worshipped, what contexts they were worshipped in, the history of the deities, etc etc... all of these are very important factors to consider as a beginner. Only by knowing the history can you then delve deeper into specific terms and specific paths that may be right for you!
How do I find resources? Unfortunately, a lot of resources are behind paywalls or just plain hard to find. Here is a list of websites that I personally use and recommend:
scholar.google.com
academia.edu
pdfdrive.com
library.memoryoftheworld.org
libcom.org
libretexts.org
standardebooks.org
By the way, just a reminder that if you find a resource but there is a pesky paywall in your way, you can probably find it on archive.org for free!
How do I choose a resource though? If you are part of hellenic polytheism, then theoi.com is a great resource, but I always like to add primary sources into my research + not everyone reading this will be part of helpol. Try to find primary sources, first and foremost. Then read historical accounts. Then read secondary sources. Also, make sure your author is reliable! (that link is only for hellenic polytheism though, apologies. If you are not part of hellenic polytheism, then looking into who the author is/was as a person and what sort of contributions they made and beliefs they held never failed me personally!)
Found your resource? Made sure the author is reliable? Wonderful! Now what?
This is usually where the procrastination hits for me. Either that, or I get hyperfocused for a while but never complete it and then lose interest.
To avoid that, break things down and establish a routine. You do not have to finish a book in a day, or understand everything you read straight away. Setting those kinds of expectations for yourself will only make things so much more difficult.
Instead, make a routine for yourself. Outlined below is my routine:
Getting into the mindset. I always like to get myself into the mindset of studying by praying, whether this is studying for school or studying a resource. Since my entire life is devoted to lord Apollon, I pray to Him for it. However, if I am researching a specific god, I will typically pray to them instead. However, sometimes I do not have the spoons to write out a prayer, so I typically just adjust my surroundings instead. Turning my LED lights to a warmer colour and putting on some lofi music usually helps me! The studyblr community has great tips for this part! I also recommend I Miss My Cafe.
Reading. First, I try to read without annotating or taking notes. This is the time to take in the information, to try and grasp what I am reading. This is usually the most difficult part for me, because a lot of academic sources tend to use advanced language and sentence structures that are difficult for me to understand. Unfortunately, the only tip I have for this part is to read as slowly as you need. Do not be ashamed for taking your time. Typically, I only like to read one paragraph before I move onto the next step.
Annotation. This is where I re-read the paragraph I just read. Typically, I like to re-word the paragraph in a simpler way for me to understand. Sometimes I notice little patterns that may connect back to something I've read prior, whether in another book or earlier in the same book. When that happens, that is something I add too! Remember, you do not have to annotate. If it makes it easier, then perfect! If it does not, discard it.
Consult study tools. This is where I cross-reference with other resources. This is how the entire process repeats again. Though, you do not just have to use books for this part! YouTube videos, podcasts, online resources, etc etc...these always help too!
Application. After vetting the information, consider how it would apply to your life, if at all.
Of course, that's just my routine. You are always welcome to use it, but I also greatly encourage you to create your own routine so that you can cater it to your learning style!
I also recommend setting a time limit for yourself. If you have not completed a chapter within the time limit, that is okay! The most important thing about researching is making sure you are not guilting yourself into biting off more than you can chew. Take your time, you have a lot of it.
Research is vital to religions like ours, and research should be something everyone can do! Just because you may need some accommodations does not make you any less intelligent. We all learn differently. That is okay.
I hope this post can serve as something helpful for those who struggle in this area, and as a reminder that you are not alone in your struggles. If you have any questions or would like further clarification on some points, feel free to reach out!
Progress pictures of a modern temple to Pan being built in Arcadia, Greece. The guy spearheading the project is archaeologist Evangelos Bexis, and when it's complete it will be painted with vibrant colors, just as all temples were in ancient times.
Nature is healing, and Pan returns to Arcadia. Praises and glory to the deathless gods!
Look at Emily Wilson's column to the right. Is this the translation praised as the most "accessible" and "revolutionary"? This is like a 2nd grade translation for kids! Wilson's translation strips the original of all glory, reducing a great piece of ancient literature down to the bare, dumb, bones.
It essentially tells you "Do you have mental difficulties or low education and want to experience poetic wonder and epicness? Sorry, this is an "accessible" text. Take this since you obviously can't handle anything more complicated like... many epithets, metaphors, and turns of phrase."
It also tells you "You don't have enough time in the day to experience the Epic properly? Worry not, because this translation will offer you an experience equivalent of reading a kid's book. It will cost you more than that of course. It took great effort to make the text this bland."
Fitzgerald and Fagles' translations are the best ones from the lot. Wilson lost the point completely - her translation lacks both the emotion that the text should provoke and the meaning of Homer's works. It's obvious she's not a translator because we spend our entire studies trying to emulate just that. A translation has to provoke to the foreign readers the exact same sentiments as the OG to the readers of the OG. Wilson not only does not do that, but she also diminishes the audience as "stupid". Therefore, hers is by far the worst translation, since it 1) steers far away from the original text, 2) is void of emotion (WHERE do we see the Poet asking for the divine inspiration? HOW do we feel pity and admiration for Odysseus's long journey? WHY do we not look down at the "fools" who killed Helios' cattle?), 3) disrespects the target audience.
Lawrence, too, is a good but failed effort. He tries so hard to emulate Homer's poetry that he ends up sounding artificial, too poised, and his version reads like he tries too hard - which is not good for a translated text if it sounds unnatural in the target language or as if the translator obviously struggled to get it done.
My personal favourite is Fagles because he keeps close to the original, doesn't come across as unnatural or forced and reads as nicely as the original. I love how he wrote, "Sing to me of the man, Muse", for this is the exact translation of the OG: "Άνδρα μοι εννεπε, Μουσα". Plus, he keeps the text brief (the OG is brief), he doesn't turn it into modern poetry, he keeps very close to the OG but also transfers the words of Homer in a way that doesn't feel forced or "too polished".
Now, of course translating poetry is the hardest Kind of translation there is, esp. Considering how all these translators are English native speakers, who - most likely - translate straight from Ancient Greek. Consider how the three men - most likely - worked in the pre-internet days, and Wilson's translation comes even more lazy. Honestly wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing was done via automatic translation, because it does feel like it 😅
And! Fitzgerald's version may be the longest and not that accurate but I think it's more accessible than Wilson's.
Fitzgerald adds words to the original but through this method he familiarizes the reader with the cultural context in quite a decent manner.
For example, in the first few lines he lets us know in an intermediate way that ancient Greeks saw inspiration as a divine gift, and that they didn't consider their talents entirely their own; what left the singer's lips was considered, in large, divine intervention.
Later he informs us that in this culture the Sun is thought to go around in the sky, hence creating the day. He lays his own addition down via a tasty poetic scheme, perhaps trying to communicate a meaning as potent as those found often in the original text.
and he who moves all day
through heaven
took from their eyes and
the dawn of their return
That's nice! The wordplay with day and dawn, how Helios has authority over the day and also took from them that sweet dawn they'd see their homes!
His translation takes care of you if 1) this is the only book you can ever afford about Greek mythology 2) you have little to no internet access 3) you don't have the capacity to jump between multiple books to understand all the things behind the text 4) your English proficiency level is average.
This translation educates you so appreciate the Epic. It respects potential difficulties but it doesn't treat you like someone who wouldn't want or try to understand.
Aurelia E. Iter @aureliaeiter - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
