An Old Grimoire on Hellenismos

[hellenismosonline]

Basics of Hellenism: The Philosophy of Pythagoras

Pythagoras of Samos was a Pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived from 570BCE-495 BCE and founded of the school of Pythagoreanism in philosophy. The teaching that is most securely identified with him is metempsychosis, or the “transmigration of souls,” which states that all souls are immortal and, upon the death of a person, their soul moves into a new body. He is credited with the doctrine of musica universalis, “universal music,” which states that the planets move according to mathematical equations and therefore produce an inaudible symphony of music. There is question about whether or not the mathematical and numerological teachings attributed to him are actually his, or if they are the work of his later followers like Philolaus of Croton. He is said to have influenced Xenophanes, Plato, and Empedocles. 

It is said that Plato was the first man to call himself a philosopher (lit. “lover of wisdom”) and that he developed the concepts of the five regular solids, the theory of proportions, the Pythagorean theorem, the identification of the morning and evening stars as the planet Venus, the sphericity of the Earth, and the five climactic zones. His conception of mathematical perfection further impacted Ancient Greek art. 

Metempsychosis

Metempsychosis is the belief that all souls are immortal. Further, it is the belief that all souls, after death, transfer to new bodies. This concept is referenced by Xenophanes, Ion of Chios, and Herodotus, though there is nothing known about the nature or mechanism by which Pythagoras believed it to occur. He supposedly told people that his soul had lived multiple previous lives, four of which he could remember in detail. He said that his first life was as Aethalides, the son of Hermes, who granted him the ability to remember all of his past incarnations. The second was Euphorbus, a Trojan War hero briefly mentioned in the Iliad. Third was the philosopher Hermotimus, and lastly was as Pyrrhus, a fisherman from Delos. 

Mysticism

Pythagoras developed the “harmony of spheres,” which argued that the planets and the stars move according to mathematical equations, which correspond to musical notes, producing an inaudible symphony. Pythagoras supposedly taught that the seven Muses were actually the seven planets singing together. Aristotle, in his Protrepticus, quotes Pythagoras as saying that the reason that humans exist is “to observe the heavens,” and that he was an observer of nature because of this. 

Pythagoras was also said to practice divination and prophecy, appearing in his visits to different places as a religious man or as a lawgiver. 

Numerology

Aristotle claims that Pythagoreans--those who followed the teachings of Pythagoras--used mathematics for mystical reasons that were devoid of practical applications. 

Pythagoreans believed that all things were made of numbers. 

The number one, the monad, represented the origin of all things. The number two, the dyad, represented matter. The number three was said to be an “ideal” number because it had a beginning, middle, and an end, and it was the smallest number of points that could be used to define a plane triangle, a revered symbol of Apollo among Pythagoreans. The number four signified the four seasons and the four elements. The number five symbolized marriage, because it was the sum of two and three. Odd numbers were considered masculine, and even numbers were considered feminine. The number seven was considered exceptionally sacred because it was the number of planets in the universe, the number of strings on a lyre, and the number of the day of the month that Apollo’s birthday was celebrated. 

Ten was considered the most sacred number, the “perfect number” and as such, the Pythagoreans honored it by never gathering in groups that were larger than ten. Pythagoras is credited with devising the tetractys, a triangular figure of four rows which add up to ten and was regarded as a symbol of utmost mystical importance. According to Iamblichus, tetractys was “so admirable, and so divinised by those who understood [it]” that Pythagoreans would swear oaths by it. 

Image: tetractys triangle that is comprised of four rows of dots: four on the bottom, three on the second row, two on the third row, and one at the top. Each row has a series of triangles that in total add up to 9 triangles on the inside of the larger triangle. 

Communal Lifestyles of Pythagoreanism

Pythagoras was most well-known in ancient times for his foundation of a new way of life in Ancient Greece. Pythagoras founded a school in Croton that, really, was more of a monastery. Those who came to the school were bound by a vow to Pythagoras and to each other that they were there to pursue religious and ascetic observances and study Pythagoras’ religious and philosophical theories. All possessions were shared between members and were devoted to the exclusion of outsiders. Like the Spartans, Pythagoreans ate meals in common. One of the most important Pythagorean maxims was “All things in common among friends.”

Pythagoreanism, in its early stages, was divided into two groups: methematikoi (the learners), and akousmatikoi (the listeners). The akousmatikoi were considered the “old believers” in mysticism, numerology, and religious teachings, whereas the methematikoi were traditionally identified as a more intellectual, modernist faction who were more rationalist and scientific. 

Pythagoreans believed that music was a purification for the soul, just as medicine is a purification for the body. They placed emphasis on the importance of physical exercise, and therapeutic dancing, daily morning walks, and athletics were major components of the lifestyle of Pythagoreans. 

Pythagorean teachings were called “symbola,” or symbols, and members of the Pythagorean school took a vow of silence to not reveal the symbola to non-members of the school. Anyone who was part of the school who did not follow the community laws was expelled and treated by the school as if they were dead. 

Pythagorean Maxims

The Pythagorean maxims were a series of rules, or symbola, that Pythagoreans were required to live by in order to achieve a good and pure life according to Pythagoras and his early followers. While the meanings of many of the maxims have likely been lost to time, there are some which are easily understood even today.

Go not beyond the balance

Sit down not on the bushel

Tear not to pieces the crown

Eat not the heart

Do not poke the fire with a sword

Having arrived at the frontiers, turn not back

Do not go by the popular route

Suffer no swallows around thy house

Wear not the image of deity on thy ring

Do not unload people, but load them up.

Do not easily shake hands with anyone.

Leave not the least imprint of the pot on the ashes.

Sow mallows, but never eat them

Wipe not out the place of the torch

Wear not a tight ring

Feed not the animals with crooked claws

Abstain from voting with beans

Eat not fish whose tails are black

Never eat the Gunard fish

Eat not the womb of animals

Abstain from flesh of animals that die of themselves

Abstain from eating animals

Always place salt on the table

Never parcel off the loaf

Do not spill oil on the seat

Put no food in a foul vessel

Feed the cock, but sacrifice it not, for it is sacred to the sun and the mood

Break not the teeth

Keep far from thyself the vinegar cruet

Spit upon the clippings of thy nails, and on the trimmings of thy hair. 

Do not urinate against the sun

Speak not in the face of the sun

Do not sleep at noon

Make the bed as soon as ye arise, leaving no imprint of thy body

Never sing without harp accompaniment

Always keep thy things packed up

Quit not thy post without thy overseer’s order

Cut not wood on a public road

Roast not what is boiled

Avoid the two-edged sword

Pick not up what has fallen from the table

Abstain even from the cypress chest

To the celestial gods offer an odd number of oblations, but to the infernal an even

Offer not to the deities the wine of an unpruned vine

Never sacrifice without cakes

Adore the deities, and sacrifice barefoot

Turn around when ye worship

Sit down when ye worship

Pare not thy nails during the sacrifice

When it thunders, touch the ground

Do not primp by torch light

One, two

Honor symbols of dignity, the throne, and the ternary

When the wind blows, adore echo

Eat not in the chariot

Put on thy right shoe first, and wash the left foot first

Eat not the brain

Plant not the palm tree

Make thy libations to the deities by the ear

Never catch the Cuttlefish

Hesitate not at the threshold

Give way to a flock that goes by

Avoid the weasel

Refuse the weapons a woman offers thee

Kill not the serpent who chances to fall within thy walls

It is a crime to throw stones into fountains

Feed not thyself with thy left hand

It is a horrible crime to wipe off the seat with iron

Stick not iron into footsteps

Sleep not on a grave

Lay not the whole log on the fire

Leap not from a vehicle with thy feet close together

Threaten not the stars

Place not the candle against the wall

Write not in the snow

[hellenismosonline]

Hellenism Basics: The Philosophy of Xenophanes of Colophon

Xenophanes of Colophon was an ancient Greek poet and philosopher who lived from 570BCE-478BCE. He was a critic of religious polytheism, and is seen as one of the most important pre-Socratic philosophers. He is credited with founding the line of philosophy that culminated in Pyrrhonism (explained here). He is said to have influenced Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Democritus, Protagoras, Pyrrho, Timon of Phlius, and Karl Popper. Knowledge of his views and philosophies come primarily from fragments of his poetry that are quoted by later Greek writers. 

A large part of his work focused on the critique of Hesiod and Homer, polytheism, and the veneration of athleticism in Greece. He is the earliest Greek poet who explicitly states that he is writing for future generations, saying that he was creating “fame that will reach all of Greece, and never die while the Greek kind of song survives.”

Xenophanes and Epistemology

Xenophanes is known for his denial of the criterion of truth (the measure of the truthfulness and reliability of our knowledge. It is the basis for determining how correct our concepts, perceptions, and ideas accord with objective reality) and is credited with being one of the first philosophers to distinguish between true belief and knowledge. 

Epistemology asserts that knowledge is a form of belief, but not all forms of belief are knowledge. Belief is necessary, but not sufficient, for knowledge, because sometimes we are mistaken in our beliefs. As we work to acquire knowledge, we work to increase our true beliefs while minimizing our false beliefs. 

Xenophanes argued that you can know something, but not really know it--that is, you can know it but not necessarily understand it. We lack much of Xenophanes works--having no whole works of his--so his views are difficult to interpret often, so our understandings of his work may not be accurate. The implication of knowing something more deeply, or something being a “clearer truth” may have implications that we are unaware of, or it may simply mean that we cannot know something simply by looking at it. He did, however, believe that the surest way to prove a theory was to have the most and widest variety of evidence possible. 

Xenophanes’ epistemology, which is still influential today, held that there exists a truth to reality, but humans--being mortals--are unable to know it, which is why his views are considered a precursor to Pyrrhonism and, subsequently, Western Skepticism. His views are best summed up in these quotes:

“The gods have not, of course, revealed all things to mortals from the beginning; but rather, seeking in the course of time, they discover what is better.”

“Yet, with respect to the gods and what I declare about all things, no man has seen what is clear nor ever will any man know it. Nay, for even should he chance to affirm what is really existent, he himself knoweth it not; for all is swayed by opining.”

Theology

Xenophanes displayed a skepticism of the Greek religious beliefs that became far more commonly expressed in the fourth century BCE. He satirized a significant portion of traditional religious views as human projections, and aimed his critiques at the conception of the gods as fundamentally anthropomorphic. Though his work critiques a significant portion of Greek religion, we are able to use his work to help reconstruct some key aspects of Hellenism. 

Primarily, Xenophanes’ critiques on Greek religious beliefs impart upon us that the divine, whether one or multiple, is to be held in high regard and viewed as that which creates the entire universe. Xenophanes’ divine is a divine that is not anthropomorphic, nor does this divine move, but it controls the world with its thought, and it thinks, sees, and hears everything. 

Ultimately, Xenophanes’ theology revolved around his beliefs in epistemology: humanity cannot know everything, so nobody truly knows what the divine looks like or is like, arguing that we may all be correct, or we may all be absolutely wrong about what we believe in. 

[hellenismosonline]

Basics of Hellenism: The Philosophy of Anaximander

Anaximander was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher who lived from 610 BCE-546BCE in Miletus in what is now modern Turkey. He was the first to develop a cosmology, a systematic philosophical view of the world. His influence stretches though all of pre-Socratic philosophy, but in particular he influenced Anaximenes, Pythagoras, Democritus, Heidegger, and Greek astronomy. 

There is little of his work which remains available today, but it is said that he was the first philosopher to write down his studies, even though only one fragment of his work remains. He was a scientist in that he tried to observe and explain different aspects of the universe through laws and rules. He created a map of the world that contributed greatly to the advancement of geography. 

Anaximander was heavily influenced by Greek mythical traditions and the civilization of Babylon. In his desires to find universal principles, he assumed--like traditional religion--that there was a cosmic order in existence, and his ideas used the language of Greek religious texts often to explain the various spheres of reality. 

Apeiron

He is attributed with being among the first to use the word apeiron to designate the original principle. Apeiron signifies “infinite” or “limitless”. He was the first philosopher to philosophically employ the term arche to signify a substance or primary element rather than a beginning or origin. Where Thales argued that the principle of things was a single, tangible element--water--Anaximander argued that the principle of things was not at all an element or tangible, but that the principle was a substance that could explain the opposites of wet and dry, hot and cold, earth and air. This substance, he said, was called apeiron. 

Anaximander looked to explain the four elements of ancient physics as a product of apeiron, understanding the beginnings of the universe as a sort of primal chaos. He claimed that the universe originated in the separation of opposites in the primordial matter. He further claimed that this primordial matter, this chaos, embraces the opposites of cold and hot, dry and wet, and directs the movement of all things, which allows for the growth of entire hosts of shapes and differences that are found in all of the worlds. He was known to believe that there were many worlds. 

According to Historia Philosophiae Graecae section 16b,

Anaximander taught, then, that there was an eternal. The indestructible something out of which everything arises, and into which everything returns; a boundless stock from which the waste of existence is continually made good, “elements.” That is the only natural development of thought we have ascribed to Thales, and there can be no doubt that Anaximander at least formulated it distinctly. Indeed, we can still follow to some extent the reasoning which led him to do so. Thales had regarded water as the most likely thing to be that of which all others are forms; Anaximander appears to have asked how the primary substance could be one of these particular things. His argument seems to be preserved by Aristotle, who has the following passage in his discussion of the Infinite: “Further, there cannot be a single, simple body which is infinite, either, as some hold, one distinct from the elements, which they then derive from it, or without this qualification. For there are some who make this (i.e. a body distinct from the elements) the infinite, and not air or water, in order that the other things may not be destroyed by their infinity. They are in opposition one to another. Air is cold, water moist, and fire hot. And therefore, if any one of them were infinite, the rest would have ceased to be by this time. Accordingly they say that what is infinite is something other than the elements, and from it the elements arise.”

All dying things, according to Anaximander, are returning to the element from which they came. That is, they are all returning to apeiron. The one surviving fragment of his writing deals with this matter. Transmitted as a quotation through Simplicius, Anaximander is quoted saying

“Whence things have their origin,

Thence also their destruction happens,

According to necessity;

For they give to each other justice and recompense

For their injustice

In conformity with the ordinance of Time.”

This concept of returning to the element of origin is revisited often by later philosophers, notably Aristotle, and by Euripides in his tragedies.

Cosmology

Anaximander distinguishes him heavily from the cosmologies of Hesiod and other previous cosmology writers. He is often called the “Father of Cosmology” for his writing a document about the Universe and the origins of life. He was the first to conceive a mechanical model of the world, which states that the Earth floats very still in the center of the infinite, unsupported by anything. He stated that Earth remains “in the same place because of its indifference,” which Aristotle calls ingenious, but false. The Universe, according to Anaximander, is said to be a cylinder with a height that is one-third of its diameter. 

Anaximander’s conclusion that the Earth floats freely without falling, and does not need to be resting on something, has been named the first cosmological revolution and the very starting point of scientific thinking. Karl Popper suggests that this idea is “one of the boldest, most revolutionary, and most portentous ideas in the whole history of human thinking.” This concept allowed celestial bodies to pass under the Earth, rather than circle it entirely, which opened the door for Greek astronomy. 

According to Anaximander, the Earth is surrounded by a system of hollow concentric wheels, all of which are filled with fire, whose rims are pierced by holes like those of a flute. The Sun, subsequently, was the fire that one could see through a hole the same size as the earth on the furthest wheel from Earth, and eclipses were caused when there was an occlusion of the hole. The diameter of the solar wheel was 27 or 28 (depending on the sources) times larger than the diameter of the Earth. The second wheel, the lunar wheel, also held a fire, but a far less intense fire, whose diameter was only 18 or 19 (depending on the sources) times larger than the diameter of the Earth. The lunar wheel’s hole could change shapes, which explained the lunar phases. The stars and planets were said to be on closer, smaller wheels that also rotated around the Earth.

He was the first astronomer to consider the Sun as a huge mass, subsequently realizing how far from Earth it might actually be. 

Multiplicity of Worlds

Anaximander often speculated the plurality of worlds, believing that there was an eternal, unstoppable movement of worlds. These worlds appeared and disappeared for a while, and while some are born some perish. From the infinite comes the principle of beings, which come from the heavens and the worlds. He supposedly attributed different gods to different worlds. 

Origins of Humankind

Anaximander spoke on the beginnings of human and animal life, suggesting that humans came from other animals in the waters. According to his evolutionary theory, animals sprang out of the sea, born trapped in a spiny skin, but as they got older the skin would dry and become crackable and the animals would break through it. As the early humidity of the Earth began to dry up, dry land emerged and humankind came into existence. He put forward that the humans spent the majority of their early life, pre-puberty, in the mouths of big fish to protect themselves from the Earth’s climate until they could come out into the open air, losing their spiny, scaly skins. This idea came from his observations about the length of human infancy, which he claimed would make it impossible for humanity to exist in the primeval world in the same way in which we do now. 

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

Poem to Athena from Dark-Vowelled

Weaver, mistress of the loom and web,

your touch on the threads is delicate

and sure; none can hope to match your skill.

.

Under your hands, threads become beauty,

fine-woven cloth depicting stories

of the gods or all nature's glory.

.

I know what happened when that woman

raised her voice, chose pride over prudence.

She deserves all eight of her new legs.

.

Goddess of skill and crafts, I worship

through the arts you taught, the woven string,

the pattern, the coil on your altar

.

of colored cord, dedicated with

prayers and recitations of your names.

Praise can be as metered as weaving.

.

Cool-headed and cool-hearted, grey-eyed,

you are demanding, imperious--

how not? I love to be led by you.

.

Pattern my steps as you wish, lady.

I follow the warp and weft you set;

I weave my life always to your will.

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

Devotional Acts:

Physical Devotional Acts

Weave, knit, or crochet

Designate specific clothes as “armor” and ask Athena to bless them with courage

Try your hand at pottery

Find a hobby that involves craftiness

Wear something with snakes on it

Visit Athens if you’re able

Eat olives and/or use olive oil

Light candles and incense in her honor

Dedicate part of your meal to her

Mental Devotional Acts

Spend time thinking your problems through when you have them. Approach them from every angle, as a battle strategist would. Dedicate the time you spent and the decisions you make to Athena

Put effort into everything you do, dedicate your projects to her 

Study and learn from your books and your mistakes. View other people’s mistakes as to not make them yourself. Learn from those around you. 

Learn about Athena in her myths

Think ahead, do things that will benefit you in the future. Dedicate the tough decisions to her. 

Enroll in classes that you know will challenge--but not overpower--you. Dedicate your grades and accomplishments to Athena

Study science

Body Devotional Acts (Acts that you do when you’re literally just existing and walking around)

Wear clothes that allow you to move around

Owl accessories

Snake accessories

Helmets, shields, and armor motifs 

Wear olive green, gold, and/or white

Hold yourself proudly, but humbly. Be observant but polite. 

Be thoughtful and decide how you want to outwardly portray yourself. 

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

"On one level, Athena, as the protector of the citadel, maintains her virginity as a symbolic reference to the inviolability of the polis: Just as she is not penetrated, neither are the city walls. Perhaps more significantly, Athena's character is functionally androgynous; that is to say, while her sex is female, her gender is strongly masculine. Although she does partake of the feminine task of weaving especially, she is a goddess of warfare and strategy, and protector of the citadel. In the mundane lives of the Greek mortals, such activities were properly in the realm of men. Athena, then, had a strong masculine overlay upon her female sex, such that it was not conceivable for her to submit to a male sexually, or to be distracted with pregnancy and maternity. Furthermore, as she herself states to the audience in Aeschylus' Eumenides (11. 735-738), "I approve the male in all things--except marriage--with all my heart." Athena is a guide and comrade to the male, his companion in the field and, one might say, at the drawing board. But she cannot fulfill such a function and be liable to eroticism: She does not submit to males, sexually or otherwise, because she is one of them, and their superior at that, being a goddess."

-Artemis by Stephanie Budin

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

Goddess Athena's Vow by Dyrr Keusseyan

I present to you here, probably to your dismay;

unobscured by thrive and rivalry; a message to all I convey;

sincere hearts I hold dearly;

I speak to any Sentient Being faithfully;

conceit & evil; which of mine I have washed away;

left behind me, buried & heal; I destroyed that past of mine one day;

many with arrogance pray;

cold wishes to send a good soul to harm and slaughter;

yet I present a better weapon here;

a sword of enlightenment; of any tradition; clan or order

a sword of wisdom; well guarded made to slay the wicked, evil and against the light;

to heal the past wounds of those weak in spirit;

to stand back up! Muster strength and fight!

In a quick moment; inspiration can rise from forces unseen;

yet don’t be deceived; some evil rose from an ancient light;

a moment even our Creator had not foreseen;

whom is proficient & wise; clever yet not foul;

has many chanced;

one graceful act fuels the spirit of many;

whom is simple yet no fool;

a good heart yet nobody’s tool;

has a spirit to fight aplenty;

we are the prisoners of an act;

a cult of words to blame;

someday, we’ll have our chance;

I await our sword of flame...

[hellenismosonline]

Basics of Hellenism: The Philosophy of Thales of Miletus

Thales of Miletus was one of the Seven Sages of Greece and lived from 624-548 BC. He is recognized primarily for breaking from the use of mythology to explain the world and the universe. Instead, he explained natural phenomena using naturalistic theories and hypotheses. Almost all other pre-Socratic philosophers followed in his footsteps and Aristotle regarded him as the founder of the Ionian School of philosophy. 

His primary accomplishments were in the areas of geometry and science, using deductive reasoning applied to geometry and he is the first known individual to whom a mathematical discovery has been attributed. His primary hypothesis was that the originating principle of nature and the nature of matter was a singular material substance: water.

He was a hylozoist, meaning he believed all matter was alive and contained souls. His innovative use of geometry defined a lot of subsequent mathematicians. 

While his personal contributions to modern Hellenic philosophies are fairly minimal, his foundational theories are the basis of the work of Pythagoras, Anaximander, Anaximenes, and Xenophanes, which is why he is still included in the list of important Hellenic philosophers. 

[hellenismosonline]

Basics of Hellenism: Philosophy Introduction

A significant portion of Hellenism rests on the philosophy of ancient Greek philosophers. Modern Hellenism's core tenants come from the following philosophers:

Thales of Miletus

Anaximander

Xenophanes

Pythagoras

Heraclitus

Parmenides of Elea

Zeno of Elea

Leucippus

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

Antisthenes

Aristippus of Cyrene

Pyrrho of Elis

Epicurus

Zeno of Citium

Arcesilaus

Antiochus of Ascalon

Plotinus

There are a number of schools of philosophy that modern Hellenism draws from, all of which come from the above philosophers. These schools are:

Milesian School

Xenophanes

Pythagoreanism

Heraclitus School

Eleatic Philosophy

Pluralism and Atomism

Sophism

Cynicism

Cyrenaicism

Pyrrhonism

Epicureanism

Stoicism

Platonism (Academic Skepticism, Middle Platonism, and Neoplatonism)

[hellenismosonline]

General Definitions

Adicus; ἄδικος: Unjust

Adikia; ἀδικία; an injustice

Aenaretes; αἰναρέτης: great bravery

Alitros; ἀλιτρός; wicked, vicious

Andreia; ἀνδρεία; manliness, courage

Antipeponthus; ἀντιπεπονθός; reciprocity in a legal sense, a subject of justice

Apatheia; ἀπάθεια; apathy, freedom from emotion and the passions

Aphegesis; ἐπίκλησις; Narratio, establishment of qualifications in seeking the deity, “story”

Arete; ἀρετή; virtue, excellence

Aretephorus; ἀρετηφόρος; virtuous

Aretoomae; ἀρετόομαι; to progress, to grow in virtue

Aristeia; ἀριστεία; excellence, synonym for Arete

Chrestoetheia; χρηστοήθεια; goodness of heart

Chrestotes; χρηστότης; good character

Deesis; θεολογία; prayer proper

Despoina; Δέσποινα; mistress, queen

Dicaeosyne; δικαιοσύνη; righteousness, justice

Eleos; ἔλεος; empathy, compassion

Epikeia; ἐπιείκεια; fairness, reasonableness

Epiklesis; ἐπίκλησις; invocation

Episteme; ἐπιστήμη; scientific knowledge

Ergon; ἔργον; function, work

Eudaimonia; εὐδαιμονία; happiness, flourishing 

Euphron; εὔφρων; good cheer

Katharmos; Καθαρμός; practice of purification

Khernibeion; Χερνῐβεῖον; bowl of lustral water

Megalopsychia; μεγαλοψυχία; pride, magnanimity, the mid-point between vanity and timidity

Mestoes; μεσότης; the mean, the middle point

Miasma; Μίασμα; “pollution,” uncleanliness

Nous; νοῦς; mind, intuition, intelligence

Orexis; ὄρεξις; desire

Osia; Ὁσία; divine law, natural law

Osiotis; ὁσιότης; reverence to the Gods, piety, deference to divine law

Pathos; πάθος; passion, the kind of passion that comes upon you independent of your will

Philotes; φιλότης; friendship

Phronisis; φρόνησις; practical wisdom, prudence

Pitura; πίτυρα; small pellets of incense

Proaeresis; προαίρεσις; conscious choice, volition of choice, deliberative desire

Sophia; Σοφία; elevated wisdom, theory

Sophrosyne; σωφροσύνη; common sense, self-discipline, moderation, temperance

Techne; τέχνη; art, applied knowledge, the creative ability

Telos; τέλος; the end, the purpose of action, consummation, the final cause, the understanding of things by means of their ultimate function or goal

Thrasos; θράσος; manliness, courage

Zetaretesiades; ζηταρετησιάδης; one who tries to achieve 

[hellenismosonline]

Delphic Maxims

The Delphic Maxims are a collection of 147 maxims (truths, rules of conduct) said to have been delivered by Apollo himself to the Oracle at Delphi. The Oracle inspired the Seven Sages to write them down at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The Seven Sages were early 6th-century BCE philosophers, mystics, politicians, and law-givers who wrote the maxims down.

The maxims are said to provide a framework for an honest, worthy way of living. They are not absolutes. Rather, they are guidelines and advice. Because the ability to act and think for yourself is such a crucial part of the gifts from the Gods, it is important to remind yourself that you do not have to follow them all exactly as they are written. Some of the Delphic Maxims are also specific to ritual or time period, not to morality, and this should be taken into account as well.

As Hellenismos is an oral tradition first and foremost, these rules are still open to interpretation. Oral tradition has reinterpreted these maxims time and time again throughout history, there is nothing wrong with them continuing to evolve.

There are three maxims that are inscribed on a column in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. These were:

Know thyself

Nothing in excess

Surety brings ruin

The rest of the Delphic Maxims are traditionally translated as follows:

Follow the Gods

Obey the law

Respect the Gods/Worship the Gods

Respect your parents/Obey the virtuous 

Be ruled by justice/Be overcome by justice

Know by learning/Know what you have learned

Listen and understand/Perceive what you have heard

Know yourself/Be yourself

Set out to be married/Intend to get married

Know your opportunity

Think mortal thoughts/Think as a mortal/Live without sorrow

Know when you are an outsider/If you are a stranger, act like one

Honor the hearth/Honor Hestia/Avoid that which is unjust

Be in control of yourself/Control yourself/Testify what is right

Help your friends/Control pleasure

Control your temper/Control anger

Exercise prudence

Honor forethought/Honor providence

Do not use an oath

Embrace friendship/Love friendship

Cling to education/Cling to discipline

Pursue honor/Praise virtue

Be eager for wisdom/Long for wisdom

Praise the good

Find fault with no one

Praise virtue

Practice what is just/Train your relatives

Show favor to your friends/Be kind to friends

Ward off your enemies/Watch out for your enemies

Exercise nobility of character

Shun evil

Be impartial

Guard what is yours

Shun what belongs to others

Listen to all/Listen to everyone

Be fair of speech/Be religiously silent

Look after your own/Do a favor for a friend

Nothing in excess

Save time/Use time sparingly

Look to the future/Foresee the future

Despise insolence

Have respect for suppliants

Be accommodating to all/Be accommodating in everything

Educate your sons

If you have, give/Give what you have

Fear deceit

Speak well of everyone

Be a seeker of wisdom

Choose what is holy/Choose what is divine

Act from knowledge/Act when you know

Shun murder

Pray for what is possible

Consult the wise

Test your character/Test the character

If you have received, give back/Give back what you have received/Believe in time

Look down on none/Down-look no one/Receive for the pleasure

Make use of expertise/Use your skill/Prostrate before the divine

Give what you aim to give/Do what you mean to do

Honor generosity/Honor a benefaction

Envy no one/Be jealous of no one/Do not boast in might

Be on your guard

Praise hope/Use the one who has the same interests as you

Despise slander/Despise a slanderer

Gain possessions justly/Be embarrassed to lie

Honor good people

Know who is the judge/Know the judge/If you believe in something do not be scared to act for it

Control your marriages/Master wedding-feasts

Recognize fortune/Be firm on what has been agreed

Don’t make risky promises/Flee a pledge

Speak plainly

Associate with likeminded people/Associate with your peers

Control your expenditure/Govern your expenses

Be happy with what you have

Revere a sense of shame

Repay favors/Fulfill a favor

Pray for success/Pray for happiness

Embrace your fate/Be fond of fortune

Listen and observe/Observe what you have heard

Work for what you can own

Despise strife

Detest disgrace

Restrain your tongue

Shun violence/Keep yourself from insolence

Make just judgements

Use what you have

Judge incorruptibly

Make accusations face to face/Accuse one who is present

Speak from knowledge/Tell when you know

Have no truck with violence/Do not depend on violence

Live free of sorrow/Live without sorrow

Have kindly interactions/Live together meekly

Complete the race and don’t chicken out/Finish the race without shrinking back

Deal kindly with everyone

Do not curse your sons

Control your wife/Rule your wife

Benefit yourself

Be courteous

Respond in a timely manner/Give a timely response

Struggle for glory/Struggle with glory

Act decisively/Act without repenting

Repent your errors/Repent of sins

Control your eye

Give timely counsel

Act without hesitation/Act quickly

Guard friendship

Be grateful

Pursue harmony

Keep secret what should be secret/Keep deeply the top secret

Fear what rules/Fear ruling

Pursue what is profitable

Accept due measure

Dissolve enmities/Do away with enmities

Accept old age

Do not boast about power/Do not boast in might

Exercise religious silence

Shun hatred/Flee enmity

Acquire wealth justly

Do not abandon honor

Despise evil

Take sensible risks/Venture into danger prudently

Never tire of learning/Do not tire of learning

Never cease being thrifty/Do not stop to be thrifty

Admire oracles

Love those whom you rear

Do not fight an absent foe/Do not oppose someone absent

Respect the old/Respect the elder

Instruct the young

Do not put your trust in wealth/Do not trust wealth

Respect yourself

Do not initiate violence/Do not begin to be insolent

Crown your ancestors

Die for your country

Do not live your life in discontent/Do not be discontented by life

Do not make fun of the dead

Share the load of the unfortunate

Gratify without harming

Have no grief/Grieve for no one

Beget good from good/Beget from noble routes

Make promises to none

Do not wrong the dead

Do as well as your mortal status permits/Be well off as a mortal

Do not put your trust in chance/Do not trust fortune

As a child, be well-behaved

As a youth, be self-disciplined

As a middle-aged person, be honest

As an old man, be sensible

At your end, be without sorrow

[hellenismosonline]

Pillars of Hellenismos

The Greeks did not have a specific set of rules for their religion, largely because they didn't really name their religion or write much about it down in regards to their worship. People learned about their religion and the morals and values that were important in Greek society through family, friends, and participation in worship. Quite literally, they were simply immersed in it. These beliefs and values were modeled through religious and ethical behavior, there was no need to really write it down or spread it in that sort of way.

However, in modern Hellenism, there are a variety of differennt values that are prized/held highly in the practice. These values are drawn from the works of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. While these values are reconstructed from philosophy and do not come in the form of specific religious texts, the general consensus is that these particular values represent the core of values in Hellenism.

According to Timothy Jay Alexander, one of the most visible Hellenists in modern times, there are seven pillars of Hellenism:

Ethike Arete: the practice of habitual excellence; ethics

Eusebia: reverence, loyalty, and a sense of duty towards the Gods

Hagneia: the maintenance of ritual purity by avoiding miasma

Nomos Arkhaios: the observence of tradition, religious law, and customs

Sophia: the pursuit of wisdom, understanding, and truth

Sophrosune: the control of self through deep contemplation

Xenia: the adherence to hospitality and the guest-host relationship

Of course, Alexander is not the only Hellenic scholar, simply the most well-known and visible. Other scholars have added onto his list or created their own lists, which include:

Akoe: learning the traditions, stories, and ideas that are the background of religion; the act of learning about the faith and the Gods so as not to blindly follow; literally "things heard"

Theurgy: the worship of the Gods

Philosophy: literally "the love of wisdom," the process of challenging your preconceptions in an endeavor to discover a more genuine truth and wisdom.

Arete: literally "virtue" or "excellence"; the harmony of soul, the consent between one's emotions and one's reason. There are four manifestations of arete: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom, which all come together to form compassion, the principle virtue; the achievement of arete is the development of perspective in relationship to one's place in the cosmos; striving to live to one's fullest potential

Kharis: giving without the expectation of something in return, gratitude for that which you are given

Katharmos: the act of being ritually clean; being ritually clean so that one can petition the Gods with a clear mind, clear conscience, and a clean body.

Epikeia: fairness, reasonableness

Episteme: scientific knowledge

Andraea: courage, bravery

Dicaeosyne: righteousness, justice

Eudaimonia: happiness, flourishing

Mesotes: nothing to excess; finding the middle ground

Ositois: reverence to the Gods, piety, a deference to divine law

Philotes: friendship

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Hera

This is a brief overview of Hera

Realm: Queen of the Gods, Goddess of marriage, women, the sky and the stars of heaven

Parents: Kronos and Rhea

Offspring:

By Zeus: Hebe, Ares, Eileithyia, Angelos, Enyo, Eris

By Dionysus: The Charities

No father: Hephaestus, Typhon

Symbols: Royal scepter, diadem, lotus-tipped staff

Colors: Yellow, gold, white, royal blue, purple, dark green, grey, silver

Offerings: Honey, flowers, incense, perfume, pomegranates, bread, chocolate, pomegranate seeds, volunteering, donations to foundations for domestic abuse victims, taking care of yourself.

Sacred Animals: Cows, lions, cuckoos, peacocks, doves, carrion-crows, snakes, dragons, crabs, snails, shelled creatures in general

Sacred Plants: Pomegranate, lilies, poppies, irises, white roses, waterlilies

Element: Earth? Air?

Metals/Stones: Pearls, garnets, citrine, amber, diamonds, star sapphires, gold, silver

Number: ?

Planet: Venus

Time: ?

Tarot Cards: The Empress, Strength, The Hierophant

Altar Ideas: Peacock feathers, peacock images, cow patterns, cow images, cuckoo bird art, cuckoo clocks, family photos, throne imagery, perfumes, silver and gold jewelry

Epithets:

Alexandros: protector of men

Aigophagos: goat-eater

Akraia: she of heights

Argeia: she of Argos

Basileia: queen

Bounala: she of the mound

Boopis: cow-eyed, cow-faced

Leukolenos: White-armed

Pais: child

Parthenos: virgin; from the Parthenius river

Teleia: Goddess of marriage, matron Goddess, woman

Chere/Chera: widowed, divorced; lady of authority

Acraea: she who has a temple on a hill

Ammonia: derived from her worship in Elis

Antheia: blooming, friend of the flowers

Game'lii: one of the deities presiding over marriage

Hi'ppia: she of the horses

Hyperche'ria: the Goddess who holds her protecting hand over something; protectress

Pharygaea: derived from her worship at Pharygae

Sa'mia: derived from the island of Samos

Zygia: presiding over marriage; yoked, married

Nympheuomene: betrothed bride

Aphrodite: of Aphrodite

Ataurote: unmarried, unbulled, virginal

Prodromia: of the pioneer

Aeromorphos: having the form of air, derived from her union with Zerfs

Exacesterius: one who averts or cures evil

Callistephanus: beautifully crowned

Chrysothronus: she who sits on a throne of gold

Cydra: glorious, illustrious, noble

Macaira: happy, blessed

Pambasileia: queen of all

Pantogenethlos: all-generating

Pancrates: all-powerful

Potnia: queen

[hellenismosonline]

A Hymn to Athena by Apollonius Sophistes

Inspire me, Muse, and fill my mind with song, So I may praise Athena, worshipped long Ago, but not forgotten through the years Of dark denial; the world's two hemispheres Beseech the Bright-eyed Maid to grant Her grace And let us gaze again upon the face That urged the heroes long ago to strive For noble deeds and glory still alive. I sing how first Athena came to view, A wondrous sight for Gods, and mortals too. The story starts with Metis, Ocean's child By Tethys, ancient Titans both, and wild Primordial Gods. Resourceful Metis was The wisest of the Gods - the Glorious Producer of the drug that did unloose From Kronos' cavernous maw Almighty Zeus. She lay in love with Brontes `neath a bough, An Ancient One who seeth from His brow, A Cyclops skilled in Subterranean ways, Who made for Zeus the lightning bolt ablaze. A seed was formed that mixed both skill and thought, And grew inside Her belly round and taut. With dread heard Zeus of Metis' pregnancy, Because He feared a grave catastrophe: His blazing lightning bolt would lose the fight, Defeated by a greater tool of light. So Zeus the pregnant Goddess tried to woo, And strove to plant His seed in Metis too. She fled from Him by shifting form and shape, First fish then fowl, and desperate to escape. But finally Metis, though in form a goose, Was mounted by a swan - almighty Zeus. The Thunderer had mixed his seed of Will With Metis' Council and with Brontes' Skill. Because He craved Her council as His own, With wiley words He won Her over; thrown Inside His Belly, Metis was received By Zeus, and thus Athena was conceived. But when approached Athena's birthing time, Arose She from His hips and climbed His spine, Her presence filled His head; He roared in pain As Insight from Athena stretched His brain. Commanded He to cleave His brow apart Hephaistos, Master of the Fiery Art. The Holy Axe the Crippled Craftsman whirled; A blast enlightened Zeus and shook the world, While from His head Athena leaped, severe In blazing bronze and brandishing a spear. The Gods were routed by Her savage cry, But then She laughed, a twinkle in Her eye, And put aside Her helmet, shield and spear, And so the Gods recovered from Their fear. Delighted, each admired the full-grown maid; Her eyes are large and owlish; none evade The vision of the Maid of Many Plans, The wisest counsel of th' Olympians. Hephaistos, Fire's Master, asked a wage As Zeus's midwife, wanting to assuage His rage at Aphrodite, and His shame When Hera dashed Him down and made Him lame. The Father, hoping to restore His pride, Agreed the Bright-eyed Maid would be His bride. Athena, though a friend of men, abhored The mother's life, and fled the Fire's Lord. They flew across the ocean, land and air, Until Hephaistos cornered Her, and there He thrust His eager sword between Her thighs, But swift She turned before He claimed His prize. Although He sprayed His seed, He missed the mark, And on Her belly fell His vital spark. Outraged, with wool she wiped, to His chagrin, The burning sap from off Her silky skin, and let the kerchief fall on Mother Earth. The Craftsman's fiery seed descended far Within the womb of Gaia. Singular The offspring: cryptic Erichthonius, A Serpent-Man, in form ambiguous. Enclosed within his crib the serpent slept, For there Athena bade that he be kept Unseen. When nurses looked and died of fright, Athena raised him to the Heaven's height. She bared Her breast and nursed the Serpent-Man, But hid him from the Gods Olympian. When he was grown She made him Athens' king, Who makes his way on serpent legs; to bring The worship of Athena was his test, The first Panathenaea, his bequest! And since that time whene'er we want to please Her heart, we pray to Her in words like these: "Athena, hear me, Aegis-bearing maid, Thou daughter of the Mighty Father, aid In every bold endeavor, standing by, Companion on whose guidance I rely. Thou knowest I've forfilled my every vow, So please, I pray, be friendly to me now, And hold thy hand above my works and give Success on this and all the days I live." So hail to Thee, Athena, Wisdom's child,

The source of thought and action reconciled,

The bright-eyed bringer of abundant wit,

Effective action's first prerequisite.

And hail to all the Goddesses of yore,

To all the ancient Gods that we adore!

Perhaps my song hath pleased thine ears; if so, Thou might on me thy fruitful gifts bestow.

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

By anonymous

stop looking at me like that,

with pity in your glassy eyes.

all I am to you is a tragedy, right?

Stop it.

Stop fucking looking at me like that.

Do you hear me?

I will break you with my bloodstained teeth.

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Athena

"Fractured Society" by Eliot C.

Running one finger along the starched collar of her shirt, Athena considers the ever changing art of war: technological advancements that allow a single man to wreck armies with the push of a button (is this not godlike in its essence? Intoxicating like the powers wielded by immortals)

She almost feels sorry for mortals, always caught between the arguments of gods. This is just another Troy, lacking Helen's splendor at its core; an ugly war that most have chosen to sit out leaving men to sort themselves out.

Hardened hearts evident by the impersonal way generals sit behind with shifting maps; enemy lines drawn, and redrawn by her hand (the ceiling is shaking now: dust and light bulbs dancing to the beat of the Luftwaffe bombardment).

They're all watching her now: the shadows cast along the metallic angles of her face, the owl-like sharpness of her gaze (they are terrified, and entranced in the presence of divinity) but she has no time for worship. Athena has a war to win.

"Now, gentlemen, shall we continue?"

[hellenismosonline]

Olympian Deities: Hephaestus

This is a brief overview of Hephaestus

Realm: God of fire, smiths, craftsmen, metalworking, stonemasonry, and sculpture

Parents: Hera (no father)

Offspring:

By Kabeiro: The Kabeiroi, The Kabeirides, Kadmilos

By Aglaia: Eukleia, Euthenia, Eupheme, Philophrosyne

By Aitna: The Palikoi

By Uknown: Thaleia

Symbols: Hammer, tongs, crescent-moon axe, cane

Colors: Red, black, bronze, grey

Offerings: Greek and Italian wine, pure water, coffee, olive oil, metals, frankincense, learn new things, support local artists, things you've built, do self-care in his honor, dedicate calming activities to him

Sacred Animals: Crabs, snakes, donkeys, guard dogs, cranes

Sacred Plants: Fennel

Element: Fire

Metal/Stones: Bronze, steel, clay,

Number: 9

Planet: The Sun in antiquity? In modern astrology, Hephaistos 2212 (a minor planet)

Time: Chalceia

Tarot Cards: The Devil, Strength

Altar Ideas: Smith's tools, snake imagery, mermaid imagery, seashells, imagery of donkeys, woodwork, pottery, nails, screws, jewelry, anything associated with Achilles, things you've built, fruits of self-care, fire, anything fire-related

Epithets:

Clytus: Renowned, famed, glorious

Periclytus: Very famous, glorious

Agaclytus: Very famous, glorious

Clytometis: Famed for skill, crafts

Clytotechnes: Famed worker, for crafts

Polytechnes: Of many crafts

Polyphron: Ingenious, inventive

Polymetis: Resourceful, of many crafts

Aethalois Theus: Sooty God

Chalceus: Bronze-, Copper-smith

Cyllopodium: Crooked-foot, dragging feet

Amphigyeis: Lame one, halting in both feet