This article delves into the worship of Zeus in ancient Greece, focusing on the temples dedicated to him, the rituals and festivals held in his honor, and the cultural significance of this religion. The religion of ancient Greece was a complex and vibrant system that influenced every aspect of Greek life, from their beliefs and rituals to the worship of a diverse pantheon of gods and goddesses. The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially of oxen, goats, and sheep, which took place within the sanctuary, usually at an altar in front of the temple. Offerings such as food, wine, incense, and precious items were presented as symbols of devotion and gratitude, believed to strengthen the bond between the people.
The chapter examines the religious contexts of ancient Greece, with particular emphasis on the articulation and original functions of altars and temples. Gods became patrons of cities, such as Aphrodite for Corinth and Helios for Rhodes, and were called upon for help in particular. Greek ceremonies and rituals were mainly performed at altars, which were never inside temples but often just outside or standing by themselves. These altars were typically devoted to one or a few gods and supported a statue of the particular deity.
The temple interiors did not serve as meeting places, as the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the deity took place outside them, within the wider Greek community. The orientation of Greek temples has attracted much interest due to their open air, open-air nature, and the location of sanctuaries, either within the city or in the countryside.
📹 The Greeks Who Pray to Zeus: VICE INTL (Greece)
Even though Greece is a predominately Christian Orthodox country, there are some people in this country who still believe in the …
Where was the altar in the temple?
The second altar, the Altar of Incense, was an indoor structure in front of the Holy of Holies, a sacred space in the Tabernacle. It was made of shittim wood and covered in pure gold, measuring one cubit wide, one cubit deep, and two cubits high. The altar had a “horn” on each corner, a gold border around the top, and rings on opposite sides for poles to pass through. Moses consecrated the altar with anointing oil when the Tabernacle was dedicated.
Incense was burned daily on this altar during morning and evening sacrifices, using coals from the Altar of Burnt Offerings. The incense used had to be made according to a specific formula, and no other incense was permitted. According to Jewish tradition, the incense was made by the Avtinas family, who closely guarded its secret. The offering of incense also had to be seasoned with salt.
Do people still worship Greek gods today?
Hellenism is a pluralistic religion with beliefs ranging from polytheism, animism, and monism. It is primarily centered around polytheistic and animistic worship, honoring the Greek gods, including the Twelve Olympians, nature spirits, underworld deities, and heroes. The gods are universal and local, manifesting themselves in particular places. Some Hellenists may enrich their beliefs through metaphysical schools or frameworks of Ancient Greece and the Hellenistic world with developed cosmological systems, such as neoplatonism and stoicism.
Hellenism also celebrates various festivals throughout the year, often set by the lunisolar Attic calendar. These festivals commemorate events in Greek history, honor deities, and connote spiritual themes. These celebrations include religious themes, arts, sacrifices, offerings, family gatherings, and feasts. Popular sacred days include Deipnon, Noumenia, and Agathos Daimon.
Which Greek god is associated with the theatre and its rituals?
Dionysus, a god in ancient Greek religion and myth, is known for his role in wine-making, orchards, fruit, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus, a name later adopted by the Romans. Dionysus Eleutherius, or the liberator, is known for his wine, music, and ecstatic dance, which free his followers from self-conscious fear and subvert oppressive restraints.
His thyrsus, a fennel-stem sceptre, is a beneficent wand and weapon used to destroy those who oppose his cult and the freedoms he represents. Those who partake in his mysteries are believed to become possessed and empowered by the god himself.
His origins are uncertain, and his cults took many forms, with some described as Thracian and others as Greek. He was believed to be the son of Zeus and Persephone, a chthonic or underworld aspect of Zeus, or the twice-born son of Zeus and the mortal Semele. Most accounts suggest he was born in Thrace, traveled abroad, and arrived in Greece as a foreigner.
Wine was a religious focus in Dionysus’ cult, as it could ease suffering, bring joy, and inspire divine madness. Festivals of Dionysus included sacred dramas enacting his myths, which drove the development of theatre in Western culture. Dionysus is also considered a “cult of the souls”, feeding the dead through blood-offerings and acting as a divine communicant between the living and the dead.
Where were Greek plays performed?
The Theatre of Dionysus in Athens, constructed in the 5th century, was the site of the inaugural theatrical performances. The popularity of theatres resulted in their proliferation throughout Greece. The genre of drama was further subdivided into three categories: comedy, tragedy, and satyr plays.
Did most Greek religious rituals took place inside a temple?
Greek ceremonies and rituals were primarily performed at altars, which were outside temples or standing alone, and were devoted to one or a few gods. Votive deposits, such as food, drinks, and precious objects, were left at the altar, and sometimes animal sacrifices were performed. Liquations, often of wine, were offered to the gods, not only at shrines but also in everyday life.
One rite of passage was amphidromia, celebrated on the fifth or seventh day after a child’s birth. Childbirth was highly significant to Athenians, especially if the baby was a boy. Another ceremony was pharmakos, involving expelling a symbolic scapegoat from a city or village during a time of hardship. Worship in Greece typically consisted of sacrificing domestic animals at the altar with hymn and prayer. The animal, decorated with garlands, led in procession to the altar, and after various rituals, the animal was slaughtered over the altar.
The blood was collected and poured over the altar, and internal organs, bones, and other inedible parts were burned as the deity’s portion of the offering. The temple usually kept the skin to sell to tanners. The fact that humans got more use from the sacrifice than the deity was often the subject of humor in Greek comedy.
Why did people stop worshipping Greek gods?
The Greco-Roman polytheism, which initially declined due to its syncretic nature, assimilated beliefs and practices from various foreign religious traditions as the Roman Empire expanded. Ancient Greece had a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, including popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of “religion” to ancient cultures has been questioned as anachronistic. The ancient Greeks did not have a word for “religion” in the modern sense, and no Greek writer classified gods or cult practices into separate “religions”.
Most ancient Greeks recognized the twelve major Olympian gods and goddesses, but philosophies like Stoicism and some forms of Platonism used language that assumed a single transcendent deity. The worship of these deities was found across the Greek world, often with different epithets that distinguished aspects of the deity. The religious practices of the Greeks extended beyond mainland Greece to the islands and coasts of Ionia in Asia Minor, Magna Graecia in Sicily and southern Italy, and scattered Greek colonies in the Western Mediterranean. Early Italian religions, such as the Etruscan religion, were influenced by Greek religion and subsequently influenced much of the ancient Roman religion.
How did people worship in Greece?
The Ancient Greeks believed in gods and goddesses who controlled every aspect of people’s lives. They believed in praying to these gods for help and protection, as they would punish those who were unhappy. They created special places in their homes and temples for praying to statues and leaving gifts for the gods. The Greeks had different gods for almost everything, with each god living as a family on Mount Olympus.
The gods were depicted as arguing, falling in love, jealous, and making mistakes. Zeus, the leader, was responsible for rain and the sky, while Hera was the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Other gods included Poseidon, Aphrodite, Hades, and Ares.
What god did the Greeks worship at the festivals where the plays were performed?
Dionysus, a prominent deity in Greek theatre, was celebrated in a multitude of ancient Greek festivals.
Where were ancient Greek Rituals held?
Ancient Greeks worshipped in sanctuaries, which were well-defined sacred spaces set apart by an enclosure wall. These sanctuary precincts, also known as temenos, contained temples with a monumental cult image of the deity, an outdoor altar, statues, votive offerings, and often features of landscape such as sacred trees or springs. Many temples benefited from their natural surroundings, which helped to express the character of the divinities. The central ritual act in ancient Greece was animal sacrifice, especially of oxen, goats, and sheep, which took place within the sanctuary, usually at an altar in front of the temple.
Liquid offerings or libations were also commonly made. Religious festivals filled the year, with the four most famous festivals held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. These Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world, while many other festivals were celebrated locally. In the case of mystery cults, only initiates could participate.
Where did Greek people perform?
Greek tragedies and comedies were traditionally performed in outdoor theaters, with early theaters being small open areas in city centers or hillsides. From the late 6th century BC to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, theater structures evolved towards more elaborate designs. The major components of Greek theater include the orchestra, a circular space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with actors. The earliest orchestras were made of hard earth, but some were paved with marble and other materials.
The center of the orchestra was often an athymele, or altar. Theatron, the viewing-place, was usually part of a hillside overlooking the orchestra and often wrapped around a large portion. By the fourth century, many Greek theaters had marble seats, and spectators sat on cushions or boards.
📹 Understanding Ancient Greek Religion: Myths, Gods, and Rituals
Explore the rich and complex world of Ancient Greek religion, from their beliefs about nature to their worship of gods and heroes.
I’m an atheist, but who am I to say that these people are morally wrong? That one woman had so much faith she was crying about her religions hymns being brought back once more. The Greek gods and goddesses are what made the Greeks heritage so rich. Some of their inventions have been modified throughout history, and we wouldn’t have these inventions without their minds. If we let this couture die, the understanding of their knowledge does with them. I find it ironic that the people who started voting and having the peoples voice heard over the government, is doing the opposite of that. As long as they aren’t hurting people and they aren’t forcing people to believe what they do, what is the harm?
Even though I am an atheist, and very much an anti-theist this brought a tear to my eye. I’ve always been extremely fascinated by Hellenism/Olympianism. The Gods and culture of Ancient Greece are so unbelievably interesting and intricate. The ceremony was beautiful; the chanting, the white dresses and the offerings. I’ve been studying the societies of Ancient Sparta & Athens and have been loving every bit of it. I think this documentary mainly should’ve been focusing on their practices and beliefs rather than the politics about it. I also found the reporter to be quite disrespectful, especially towards the end.
Hearing that sweet lady speak of speaking her hymn to Poseidon, in a sacred place where it hadn’t spoken in around 2000 years, was very touching. I find what these people are doing here, to be very beautiful! It’d be lovely to see more people embrace the ways that were lost, forsaken and stolen from their/our ancestors.
As a Hindu I support them. The Greeks, The Romans, The Egyptians & lastly the Norse were some of my favorite faiths/ Religions growing up! We heard so many great tales about the ancient gods/Goddesses. Such beautiful culture & traditions. Not to mention there are a lot of similarities between our gods as well. Those were the times of boldness, glory & valor. Today’s society is weak.Olympus awaits my fellow Greeks, Reclaim what is yours!!
Devu — Indian god Deus — Persian god Zeus — Greek god Tiwus — Germanic god Same God, changed pronunciation as the mythology travelled… ‘Tues’ in Tuesday is based on Tiwus — the Germanic god of war. He is also called the God of Mars. In India, Tuesday is called ‘Mangal’, which was the Indian word for Mars. The world was way more connected back in the day than what history has been taught to us. Cheers.
As an Indian, should I be glad that my culture and my traditions have been protected for thousands of years? Even though we had Arabs invade our land, and convert few people into Muslims. British colonized us and tried to convert few people into Christians. They did fail to consume our country and make it another Egypt, Persia(where they are just Wannabe-Arabs in the country) or Greece. Persians had their own religion, Zoroastrianism. We rarely have people who believe in Norse mythology or Greek mythology. It’s good to see Greeks trying to protect their culture.
All the old religions, believes and cultures are demolished by the two ‘peace’ proclaiming religions but they could not destroy Hindus. We still believe in our Gods, our culture is still viving. I am very happy to come to know Greeks are slowly returning to their root. All the ancient religion must be followed again.🙏🌿🙏
I am Serbian, of distant Greek origin, and all since late high school, I have considered myself very close to the beliefs of the Greek Pantheon. When I lived in Canada, I was filling a form, a questionnaire. I had to circle the religion I belonged to. There were many world’s religions listed. And there was the option “Other” with an empty line. I circled “Other” and wrote “Greek Pantheon” in the empty line. That was in 2003. I am so happy to see that this now really exists. I am so proud of my Greek origin.
This makes my heart feel so seen. I’m a Hellenic Polytheist in the United States, and I don’t often get to interact with people of the same religion. My only option is to interact with others online, but seeing people communing together in person to honor the Gods so beautifully is very special to me. I’m very grateful this article and the people in it exist; and, as always, to the Gods for the beauty they fill our existence with.
I absolutely adored this article. Im Hellenic myself and the Theoi have helped me work through so much in my life. I’m getting help for mental illness, I feel happier, my grades are improving and i’m becoming more motivated to stay healthy. The practice has lead me to so much comfort and for me was much better than atheism. I recommend to anyone to try spirituality if it sparks their interest. Its hard to believe starting out. You will feel like you are talking to no one, but as time goes on you will feel Their presence.
The comments are all positive, but why are there so many Christians arguing in the replies. They act as if people worshipping their own religion is threatening them on an existential level. Edit: I know not all Christians act like this, it’s good that they can at least respect them, or leave them alone.
I am Hindu Durga(form of Parvati) (Goddess of Strength) Murugan (God of War) Ares(Mars) (God of War) Ganesha (God of Wisdom) Athena(Minerva) (Goddess of Wisdom) Indra (God of Lighting & king of the god) Zeus(Jupiter) (God of the Lightning) indra of wife Shachi (Goddess of beauty) Zeus of wife Hera(juno) (Goddess of Women) Varun (God of the Water) Poseidon(Neptune) (God of the sea) Annapurna(form of Parvati) (Goddess of Grain, food) Demeter(Ceres) (Goddess of Agriculture, Grains) Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge, art, Music) Apollo (God of Music) Bhadra (Goddess of hunting) Artemis(Diana) (Goddess of the hunt) Kamadev (God of Love) Aphrodite(Venus) (Goddess of Love) Agni (God of Fire) Hephaestus(Vulcan)(God of Fire) Narada (News, Music, Travel) Hermes (messenger of the god) Yama (God of Death) Hades (God of Death)
It’s very good news Greece people’s starting to follow there real culture, and religion..please try to save your religion’s . I’m Hindu we also trying to save Hinduism in original way. I have respect for all religions but it’s true Islam and Christianity both want to destroy all old religion and cultures .
A similar movement has been happening in the Scandinavian countries, the rebirth of Asatru, the religion of the Vikings, the worship of Odin, Thor etc: Asatru became an officially recognized religion in Iceland in 1973, and in Denmark in 2003. Asatru temples have recently been built in these countries, the first ones in almost 1000 years.
So muslims can pray in 1400 yr old mosks? christians can pray in 2000 yr old churches… but the ‘native’ greece people cant pray in there temples and stuff….. Thats BS !, not that i could ever believe in this acient religion but still, if anyone has the right to pray in those places its them XD would be another thing if say a group americans would go move to greece and start praying there, but these are the native people following there own native acient religion, cant see nothing wrong with that.
I wanna visit Greece someday 😍 I’ve watched a documentary about Greece here in the Philippines by a Filipino journalist because they said that Greeks are so warm-hearted, very friendly and aren’t fake towards people plus they have a tasteful Greek cuisines including seafood (my grandmas likes seafood tho) And also the history.. it is so colorful
I believe in Greek gods because one of them connect me, her name is Athene. I live in a country that locate in the border of pacific ocean, very far away from greek.I’m from Myanmar(Burma).I found that in our tradition, there is some gods called Dewata(Sky gods) who stories are very similar to greek mythology. I think that they are the same gods but different names.
I am a sinhalese buddhist. My people have been interacting with ancient greeks and romans during ancient times. The greeks and romans treated ancient sri lanka with great respect. They studied our philosophies, and we studied theirs. It was proof that ancient white people were not racist. The only racist religions are islam and christianity. They were the only religions that ever existed that enslaved people because of their race.
Absolutely wonderful to see. It just amazing they put the initial offerings on the “rocks” where the original altar would have been bc it was worn away with time. I like that people are exploring what their culture was before it was destroyed and christianized. I also enjoy the kind people in the comments of different religions, especially christians, that respect other people’s beliefs. Definitely not something you usually see.
These people are exceptionally brave to face the scorn of the orthodox and catholic church to fight for their gods and beliefs. Even if there isn’t a State religion in theory, organizations such as the Catholic and Orthodox Church still hold massive power and influence and it’s not easy to openly give up the religion that your family, boss, and friends still worship to openly embrace what many people consider just a dead cult. I really hope that more and more people will start to openly worship our ancient gods. Love and respect from Italy 🇬🇷♥️🇮🇹
My beloved pagan brothers and sisters from around the world, receive my support. I’m so glad to witness the resurrection of our ancient believes and how the world is being awakened. They want us to forget our own greatness. But our roots are stronger than all that. Let’s unite with respect and brotherhood all reconstructionists from the around the globe: from Khemet, to Bharat, from Hellada to Anahuac.
I am greek and i study history for a long time and i can tell that Greek history is very big and I am very proud of it. Ancient Greeks were known for there amazing culture and for the amazing people like Periclis, Socrates, Platon etc who gave people around the world values. As a Greek the religion of the twelve gods is a part of the Greek history of many years but every culture evolves . Christianity also became part of our history of many years. (Like in 1821 when church help Greek people in there revolution )In conclusion I think that every people have the right to believe in every religion they want . In Greece the religion of the twelve gods is not official religion because the majority of Greek believe that they are myths (for example ancient Greeks thought that when there was a storm and lightning this means that Zeus are angry, they didn’t know the scientific reason. )
As an American classicist, I find this so fascinating and inspiring. Everything I learn about antiquity is from primary texts or other textbooks, but obviously there is not a culture of Ancient Greek paganism here. They’re actual living, breathing history and practicing the beliefs of their ancient ancestors. It’s so beautiful.
What an interesting coincidence that I spent the last few days looking at Wikipedia articles on the christianization of Greece and Italy and subsequent banning of the imperial cults and pagan rituals. Some horrible things happened in those days. The once prosecuted Christians started killing anyone who still prayed to the old gods.
I’m all for it, as long as it doesn’t preach any harmful message or violent, I’m totally ok with it. Beside if you can’t prove your god is real, then these guys are totally allowed to believe in their gods. Besides I’m moooooooooore then ok with the possibility of seeing Ancient Greek Temples being built again.
I think it’s good to see people keeping their ancient cultures alive through-out the world when it is challenged by an extreme majority culture, such as Christianity. And as long as they do no violence for the sake of religion, I see no reason why people should ridicule them, or exclude them from their right to worship. And from the article, I can see that they are not violent or nationalistic, they are just peacefully practicing the ways of their old culture.
I have to say this as an indian man who is also spiritual (Sanatana Dharma/Hinduism), i hope that most people especially people who follow abrahamic faiths understand that THIS IS NOT PAGANISM, this is a centuries old ancient culture, tradition and faith. The people of today are following in the footsteps of their ancestors and continuing their traditions and faith. It should not have to be said but i shall say it nonetheless,😂 the same way how people who follow abrahamic faiths truly believe and feel about their own religion, others (Hindu, Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc) will also feel the same way about theirs and will have strong unyielding faith aswell. Cheers and God Bless these amazing Greeks may their culture, tradition and faith be preserved and strong.
Wow so much hate in the comment section. I thought Atheist were “free minded people” why do you guys waste your life in the comment section arguing? It seems like your minds aren’t free as the vast majority of your time is spent hating and thinking about people who believe in God, or more particularly Christians. Spending your life talking about God after you’ve “set your self free from religion” is analogous to asking a kidnapper to stay in touch with you after he/she let you go. Maybe some of you are still intellectually enslaved if your time spent in cogitation/on the internet, is dedicated towards hating God. Go out and enjoy your “freedom”.
Dear film makers, just a correction: it is not “National Greeks,” but “ethnic Hellenes,” (“εθνικοί Έλληνες”) which simply means Hellenic by ethos. Or Hellenes Ethnikoi (“”Έλληνες εθνικοί”). For example, the Greek name of YSEE is translated into english as “Supreme Council of ethnic Hellenes” or as “Supreme Council of Hellenes Ethnikoi” (you could translate the word ethnikos as “heathen,” but it just means “belonging to ethnicity”). So, either “ethnic Hellenes” or “Hellenes Ethnikoi”; both designations are legitimate. But in the English-speaking world, most of them call themselves ethnic Hellenes. Both designations are old, known in the literature (though often interpreted as “idolaters”) and, regarding the original semantics and etymology of “ethnikos,” right. For more informations: Supreme Council of ethnic Hellenes (official website of the group you see on the stream) ysee.gr/index-english.html Indigeneity and Religious Revitalization in Modern Greece by Dr. Evgenia Fotiou ysee.gr/article/Fotiou_WearetheIndiansofGreece_2014.pdf
I’m proud that our hindu religion still survives even after 600 years muslim occupation and later 200 years Christians occupation kings like krishna dev raya and king shivaji saved us for islamic conversions and our freedom fighters and saints from Christians conversions today we proud to tell that only ancient polytestic religion which still survives
I live in Germany and was in church once, but when I started reading the old myths of the Greeks, I started believing what was standing there. Many of you will not understand it, because you grow up like me-with a completely other religion. But my most dearest dream was to travel to Greece once and when I was there with my class in May 2018, I felt these old myths were still alive. I never believe again in that one mercyful God, because after all I went through I find it much better to believe in God’s I can’t have to high expectations in. I often heart how can you believe in such a shit, but this is a question I could ask back. I don’t care about people who say I can’t believe in the old gods. I let them have there religion, even if there always forget, that their cannot know what is true, just like I can’t know, if what I believe is true. Who of us is right we will see after death. (Maybe both of us are right or Noone of us)… 🤷🏼♀️
Hellenism has the potential to fill the gap left by the vast hordes that are leaving monotheism, Christianity is a foreign religion to Europe after all, Christianity is a Jewish sect from the middle east but of course even Christianity has a massive amount of Hellenism at it’s core, the 12 apostles being just one example.
As a Hindu I am extremely happy that the Greeks are finding their faith again! Greek, Norse, Egyptian and Roman religions are so beautiful, just like in Hinduism women are worshipped and unlike in Abrahamic religions the view of God isn’t black n white! I can’t wait for the Greeks to rise again! The woman who was crying tells us how pure her worship is! ❤
I am greek myself.I wont discuss about religion.The only think I would like to say is that these religion should be respected aswell and why not give them some temples to perform their rituals?Anyway the only thing I didn’t like was the journalist’s attitude.She was direspectful towards those people.Have a great day everyone 🙂
I believe every religion must be respected I myself am a “catholic” and if you take the time and effort they all point to one center “the divine” no matter what religion you follow in Hinduism they have one “ultimate reality” called “Brahman” they have countless of gods and goddesses that manifest itself in many ways,many forms and countless of names and is present in every religion. And I see no difference is this one either truth is one paths are many
Sadly, I was born an atheist, and just never really changed. But if I were to join a belief system, I would go straight to the Greek Pantheon. The stories, the ritual, the history, and the tradition are all so beautiful. Not always the most pleasant, mind you, but certainly beautiful overall. Is being a “cultural Hellenist” a thing? lol
this is just beautiful!…and culturally just right!..as a filipino we also have pagan gods and religion mostly associated with nature and elements, we call them Diwatas! and it came from the Sankskrit word Devatas meaning…dieties, and to give you an idea on what they looked like just look at those bass reliefs on Angkor Wat in Cambodia. even heavily christianized, pagan beliefs in the philippines are still existing particularly on tribal groups and in remote islands and places.
Glad to see other cultures bring back their old pagan ways. The world was a place of discovery, knowledge, wonder, tolerance, love and sex, love of nature and everything else that makes us human. Then the Abrahamic religions came and along came intolerance, murder, deceit, torture, fear and disgust of everything that makes us human beings.
That guy called Greece a secular state and then immediately contradicted himself. Also, the pouring of milk and honey over the rock alter reminded me of the Hindu Shiva Lingam ceremony, and I am also seeing similarities with Babylonian and Canaanite practices…I am sure there is an ancient connection there originating in Anatolia and/or the upper Levant in late Neolithic times.
When i was 6 years old my uncle lost his life in an accident during his service in the Greek military ! In my family we are Christian orthodox like the 98% of the Greeks! But in my uncles funeral i remember my father ( his brother) placing two coins upon his eyes ! I was so young and i couldn’t understand why he did that ! When i asked him,he said “for the boatman” ! As i was growing up i was so much into history and mythology! And i found out that Ancient Greeks believed that Acheron river in Epirus region was the gate to the underworld ! And that a boatman was taking the dead to the underworld with his boat and the coins were supposed to be for his service! After 21 years, when i think of the phrase,the story behind and uncles funeral i just burst into tears ! I wanted to end up that Ancient Greece still lives among us with ways, traditions,phrases like these …is so beautiful
I’m part Greek (Cyprus) but I’m from America trying my hardest to worship like my ancestors did. This truly gives me hope and that woman’s emotional statement of hearing Lord Poseidon’s hymn just touched my heart. Though I’m not in the mainland Greece, I shall honor my Gods and ancestors best I can in America may the gods guide me as such.
Greek mythology is very much similar to Hindu mythology, Even for Hindus we believe in multiple god’s, And in Hinduism too we have 3 Major powerful god, Greek Religion and Hinduism are the oldest religion they exist since time immemorial. Go guys just follow your religion and mythology, Respect from India ✌
I’m not trying to insult anybody,but as a greek,I feel the need to inform all the people in the comment section who are saying that we should be able to practice our “indigenous religion”,that we’ve been Orthodox Christians since the Byzantine era,no one forced it upon us,so therefore we do not have to be “aloud” to do anything.Also,some people had the audacity to insult Christianism,for they do not obviously have a knowledge neither of Orthodox Christianism or Paganism or Polytheism.The majority of us are Orthodox Christians,and polytheists are a minority-not that it matters,because they should also have the right to believe in whatever they want.But my point is that most of our traditions and our culture in general revolves around our faith,as it’s a huge part of the greek identity.Nevertheless,we should all have the right to believe in whatever we want,and we should all RESPECT one another.
Great Jupiter, Dies Pater, King of the Gods And Lord of Lords! You are Justice, you are Law, you are Truth, You who pushes aside chaos and darkness, You who banished the Titans into the Tartaros, Thus creating Order and Harmony for all Beings, Under whose reign and guidance all Life blossoms, Wherever men gather and create Civilization, Law and Justice, they do under your name and guidance! You are Jove of Ancient Rome, You are Zeus of Mount Olympus, You are the daylight sky, Father of all Beings, Highest Lord of the Heavens! You are the LOGOS, the very Heart of Creation, From whose will all things came forth! You wield Lighting and Thunder as weapons, To smite the forces of Darkness and Evil! You are the Protector of all who are Just and Free! You are the Eagle, the Swan, the Bull, You are JUPITER OPTIMUS MAXIMUS, The Sky-Father, from which all that is Good cometh! You are JUPITER CAPITOLINUS, Who created the great Civilization of Old, You are JUPITER STRATOR Who halts the evil doer, You are JUPITER TONANS the Thunderer And JUPITER PLUVIUS who blesses us. Dies Pater Jupiter! Grant us your guidance to justice and enlightenment, Watch over us with generosity and With fatherly love, We who are all thy Sons and Daughters, Grand us Justice and Abundance in life, As we act, so let it be done to us, As you give Justice, so tech us to act in Justice, As we seek thy blessing in generosity, So let us be generous in turn! You are the Origin of all things, And the center of the cosmos, So let us all revere thee above all else.
This article is from 2014…and then few years later: The Greek State, through a decision of the Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, recognizes the Hellenic Religion as a “Known Religion,” according to paragraph 17, the only form of recognition for a religion in Greece. The paragraph includes the permission to build a temple as well as the right of public liturgies of any recognized religion. The recognition of Hellenic Religion as a ‘Known Religion’ is only the first step towards a general recognition of Hellenism. <3 😎
Im a muslim and i find this interesting,so i tend to look up or read about this to satisfy my curiosity. A few things im wondering about is : 1. How is it possible that the faces of Greek gods depicted in a certain way ? When the statues were carved were the faces taken from the faces of humans? Or the carvers carved to theiir imagination of how the gods will look like 2. If im not mistaken the personality of gods differ slightly during Roman times so when people worship do they worship both gods in Greek and Rome or they only worship one of them ? # No hate intended im just curious 🙂
This comment section is full of people who hate christians… What the fuck is your problem with us?? Dont insult our religion!! In my opinion one should have something holy and above him. We like our religion let us be. and also all religions are peaceful, but they aren’t idiotproof .You can blame religion but the actual problem is human stupidity, and as Einstein said ”Two things are infinite: The universe and human stupidity and I am not so sure about the universe” have a good day
It’s sad what a state Greece’s original culture is in just because of evangelical exclusive religions. They cannot even worship in their ancient pilgrimage sites, those places are now just postcards for tourism. Those who continue to follow their ancient customs are seen as weird or hippie. I’m so proud as an Indian that india resisted these conversions for so long and hence our ancient temples stand in which we worship. I hope Greece reclaims it’s past.
I’m Greek and I have been working with one Greek Goddess for over a year now, for anyone asking if they could worship or work with Greek Gods, please feel free to do so! It’s by all means not cultural appropriation, I personally work with an Egyptian God and honestly as long as you try to learn more about them and refrain from disrespecting you’re good to go. And yes you can have multiple Gods from different cultures, as long as they call out to you or you call out to them and they accept you! Lots of love ❤️❤️
It’s interesting seeing these people start worshipping their ancient religion again. I decided to search up and see if people still worshipped Greek gods because I recently started reading the Percy jackson books and I’m really into them. I love these books. As a Muslim, I hope these people can worship their gods and religion in peace. We’re living in a different world now. We have to respect each other’s beliefs and not discriminate each other. I am a pretty religious Muslim and I live in America where freedom of religion is accepted. So I’m fine with people from different religious backgrounds
There’s a pagan revival going on right now, and I think it’s great. I hope monotheistic religious leaders don’t feel threatened by this and retaliate. I want to see more diversity and definitely more than one value system. Some don’t even know there can be anything different to Christian values. I think the #1 value of ancient pagans that would be useful in the world right now is the value of taking care of one’s health, exercising and caring about our body. Many of us are pretty sedentary, I think this mindset would do us a lot of good.
You all Christians here that think anyone will listen to you preaching about God and Jesus, think a little before doing it. They do not harm anyone, the are not rude or mean, nor do they spread any lies (except what you would consider “false religion” or something like that). Stop trying to preach to people who are not interested in listening. (I am not referring to the respectful Christians around here, but the ones that post Bible verses or say things like “you should be ashamed”)
The polytheists of the antiquity were so peaceful and lived in harmony. They had thair unique culture, tradition and had thair own way of life. They worked hard to develop in social, cultural and scientific aspects. They indeed had Marvelous discoveries and innovations in mathematics, physics, chemistry and even in astronomy . They never fought or ruthlessly killed in the name of religion. They lived and worked together to develop the society,to make progress economically, socially and culturally, to make the world a better place to live in. But as soon as the abrahamic religions came, the seed of hatred, animosity, religious supremacy and intolerance to diversity was sown. Which eventually wiped out the peace of the world.
I am a Hindu from India and I believe that no religion is better than the other. Every Religion many good things and few controversial things in it. We are Human and we have consciousness so we must use our intelligence to differentiate between right and wrong. Every person living in this world should have the right to exercise their religion which they have faith in it.
The same day I watched this article I happen to hear about a piece of news which stated that 50% of europeans don’t make any sport or exercice; I will always naturally praise ancient Greece for some of its healthy habits as physical activities, hygiene, etc… they worked and did sport naked whereas obscurantists christians considered the body as sin : they covered and hid it, they harmed it. If we pay attention to nature and science, in some aspects, we’ll discover that ancient Greece was closer to reality than christianity. “It only lacked Christ to be perfect to have been Apolonian” (replicating what said Sidonius Apollinaris).
Old Greek and Egyptian religion are absolutely advanced in everything along with Norse mythology…I’m a Sanatani or say hindu and it sad how these beautiful religion fade off because of abrahmic religious like Christianity and Islam….now only hinduism is left with polyethism along with Japan Shinto religion we have so many similarities with each other I miss those times ..plz don’t let it die olampians…the oldest religion are dying,but most needed for people nowadays
Zeus and the other gods were not actual humans the ancient people in the balkans believed in. The gods were names that portrayed natural disasters ect. So basically if you would say “Zeus help me” you would “pray” to the whole universe and life itself. And there are still people who believe in this, such in Greece, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and others. It’s better than the Christian and Muslim religion anyways.
I love that when they wear the dress its so beautiful, i love that dress I want to buy or create one. But I also see how devoted they are to their God, iron their clothes before ritual, preparing the best, its inspiring and triggering for me who doing my prayer like I am not prepare my self as best as I can.
I’m a Christian, but know for a fact that most of my ancestors were not. Odds are they were forcibly converted. I hate the way Christianity and other Abrahamic religions were forcibly imposed on the Greeks and other peoples. Religion should never be forced on anyone. Which gods one chooses to worship their own business. If one is forcibly converted, is it a true conversion? I think not.
This is fantastic. Im glad to see this. So are these people aware they can grow their numbers organically, with help from home? They should be looking into certain technologies, like vertical stack farming. And renewable water sources. It would grow their numbers fantastically organically and all from home. Which would save each family money.
I am Greek and I love both the Orthodox Cristianity and respect and love the faith of my ancestors, a faith that I don’t think modern Greeks deeply understand or perceive as our great great grandfathers did. Just like the greatest Greek Heroes of all, the Heroes of the Greek War for Independence, against the muslim turk occupiers. My blood is Greek and my ancestors were both Christians and believers of the old Gods. Both religions served our bloodline in times of need during the past and so I love them both. We Greeks need to protect them bo.
As a hindu which also is a polythiestic religion I’m so glad that greeks r returning to their ancient religion. also thank god for that we managed to protet our religion despite 800 yrs of brutal mughal(islamic) rule n 200 yrs of british colonial rule (christian),still some fanatics from these two abrahmic eligion try to feed to call us pagans n heathens which is condescending . Also eastern religions (dharmic ) like hinduism,buddhism,jainism, sikhism r more tolerant infact r mutually respective in terms of their practise n philosophy . hindu philosophy from Vedas say that all religions lead to one god ..which means there is one divine but different ways n names to approaching that one divine. thus making way for coexistence,respect n a progressive society,abrahmic religions need to get over their condescending n superior thinking of imposing the belief of only one god on others n stop calling nature worshiping n polythiestic religions as pagans n heathens..also stop calling our stories as mythology..so u have any proof of jesus’s resurrection or prophet mhammad going on a horse then what right do they have of calling our religion as myths !