Did you know there was a constellation called 'the triangle'? And that the ancient Hellenes were aware of it, too? Triangulum is a small constellation in the northern sky. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the second century astronomer Ptolemy, and so named for its three brightest stars, which form a long and narrow triangle. The Ancient Hellenes called Triangulum 'Deltoton' (Δελτωτόν), after the upper-case letter delta (Δ). Hellenic astronomers such as Hipparchos and Ptolemy called it Trigonon (Τρίγωνον).
There is not a lot of mythology connected to this tiny constellation, but the lore that it has is quite important. Hyginus, in his 'Astronomica' explains the options:
"This constellation, which has three angles like the Greek letter Delta, is so named for that reason.
Mercury [Hermes] is thought to have placed it above the head of Aries, so that the dimness of Aries might be marked by its brightness, wherever it should be, and that it should form the first letter in the name of Jove [Zeus] (in Greek, Dis).
Some have said that it pictures the position of Egypt; others, that of Aethiopa and Egypt where the Nile marks their boundaries. Still others think that Sicily is pictured there.
Others, say that three angles were put there because the gods divided the universe into three parts." [II.19]
The latter is the only one that might need some explaining. Zeus, the greatest of the Olympian Gods, and the father of Gods and men, was a son of Kronos and Rhea, a brother of Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, Hera. When Zeus and His brothers drew lots for the rule of the world, Poseidon obtained the sea, Hades the lower world, and Zeus the heavens and the upper regions, but the earth belonged to them all. To quote the 'Iliad' by Hómēros:
"Poseidon was very angry and said, "Great heavens! strong as Zeus may be, he has said more than he can do if he has threatened violence against me, who am of like honour with himself. We were three brothers whom Rhea bore to Kronos--Zeus, myself, and Hades who rules the world below. Heaven and earth were divided into three parts, and each of us was to have an equal share. When we cast lots, it fell to me to have my dwelling in the sea for evermore; Hades took the darkness of the realms under the earth, while air and sky and clouds were the portion that fell to Zeus; but earth and great Olympus are the common property of all." [XV.187]
The constellation Triangulum is visible at latitudes between +90° and −60°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of December.
I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.
"I really want to start doing daily rituals but I just don't know how to start or who to worship. Can you help me?"
Daily worship can be a very rewarding practice, but it is hard to get into. In ancient Hellas, the courtyard of the home often held a bômos, a free standing, raised, altar where the majority of household worship took place. Some houses also had a wall niche, an indoor worship area, either in a room especially designated for worship, or in the main family room. These altars were used to worship the Ephestioi (Εφεστιοι), the most personal of the household Theoi. These almost always included: Hestia, Zeus Ephestios (Overseer of the Hearth), Zeus Kthesios, and Agathós Daímōn. Worship of these deities was highly personal and many other Theoi could be added to this worship list.
If you wish to get into the routine of daily worship, these Theoi can be used as a base for ritual. Add to this short list any Theoi you feel drawn to or whose influence you feel you need in your life. My list can be found here. Pro tip: start with a short list and build up once you feel comfortable and you have found your rhythm.
~~~
"How should I celebrate the Noumenia?"
The goal of the Noumenia is to start fresh and to honor the household deities. It is a day of family, family meals, and the celebration of the new month. Part of that celebration can be to prepare for the new month by planning out important events--religious or secular--and writing them down, preferably with the whole family present. Offer sacrifices of honey cakes to Apollon Noumenios, Hestia,Hermes and Zeus Kthesios and refill your kathiskos.
~~~
"Some tragic events occurred and ever since I have felt odd working with Hermes or any gods. What would be a way I could find out if Hermes still wants to work with me, and if so what things would you suggest doing to work with him (altar suggestions, etc)? Thank you."
One thing that is generally hard for people to understand is that the attention the Theoi pay us does not waver and They do not pick favourites. They accept any and all worship and They are always there. What wavers is the level of attention we pay Them or the amount of time and brainpower we have to spare for Their worship. This is miasma, this is the disconnect between the Theoi and us. Think of it as a radio signal where the Theoi are the broadcasting party: They are always on but depending on the amount of interference and obstacles on our receiving end, the reception is clear or muddled. The ancient Hellenes understood this and that is why they were adamant about a daily practice and regular, state funded, festivals. Hermes is there. He is always there. I dislike the term ‘work with’ but if you wish to honour Him, then do so by any way you have already done. Give libations and sacrifices at your household shrine, read His mythology, meditate. He will be receptive.
~~~
"Were Elves or Faeries worshiped by the Ancient Hellenes? We know that there was influence from the Celts and maybe even the Nordics in ancient Hellas. Hence the Hyperboreas."
That's a complicated question to answer. And an easy one. No, Tolkien's Elves are not found in Hellenic mythology and neither was Tinkerbell. So, the question is: how do you define 'Elves' and how do you define 'Faeries'?
An elf, mythologically speaking, is a type of supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Back then mention of them was very uncommon and served as a race to offset the Giants. An elf in classical Eddaic poetry was male and prominently associated with sexual threats, seducing people and causing them harm. Needless to say, the image has changed since then.
The concept of 'fairy' in the narrow sense is unique to English folklore, conflating Germanic elves with influences from Celtic and Romance (French) folklores, and later made 'diminutive' according to the tastes of Victorian era fairy tales for children. These Celtic roots stem mostly from the The Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of supernaturally-gifted people in Irish mythology. They are thought to represent the main deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland. Many of the Irish tales of the Tuatha Dé Danann refer to these beings as fairies, though in more ancient times they were regarded as Goddesses and Gods.
The ancient Hellenic empire was pretty large but Gaul (France and Belgium), Hispania (Spain) and Britannia (Britain) were reached mostly during the Roman occupation of these regions or provinces. Their influence did not carry over to ancient Hellas. That said, ancient Hellenic mythology does have its Dryads and Nymphs, so there are nature spirits that received worship, but no, no elves and no fairies.
~~~
"Do you use the Orphic Hymns in your practice?"
I do! I use as many ancient sources as I can, so that includes the Orphic hymns, the Homeric ones and any ohers I can find. I borrow from plays and philosophical texts as well. If it's ancient and about the Theoi, I'll use it in my rites.
Poseidon is the God of the Mediterranean seas, who can strike down His trident and create fresh water springs, or disastrous earthquakes. He is also the Lord of horses, presumably because of the foamy waves rising up like a herd of horses before crashing on the shore. He has made His home underwater, with his wifeAmphitriteand other water creatures, many of which immortal. He's a powerful God, one of three brothers who rule the sky, the sea and the underworld.
Claudius Aelianus (Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός), commonly called Aelian, was born at Praeneste around 175 AD. He was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who spoke Greek so perfectly that he was called "honey-tongued" (meliglossos). He preferred Greek authors, and wrote in a slightly archaizing Greek himself. "On the Nature of Animals" (Περὶ Ζῴων Ἰδιότητος) is a collection of seventeen books. All contain brief stories of natural history, sometimes selected with an eye to conveying allegorical moral lessons, sometimes because they are just so astonishing. He also quotes other authors and in the collection, he quotes a hymn to Poseidon I'd like to share with you today. It was originally written by Arion, son of Cycleus, it seems. He wrote the poem in thanks to Poseidon for saving his life. He focusses on dolphins. It goes as follows and probably stems from the fifth century BC:
"Highest of the Gods, Lord of the sea, Poseidon of the golden trident, earth-shaker in the swelling brine, around thee the finny monsters in a ring swim and dance, with nimble flingings of their feet leaping lightly, snub-nosed hounds with bristling neck, swift runners, music-loving dolphins, sea-nurslings of the Nereid maids divine, whom Amphitrite bore, even they that carried me, a wanderer on the Sicilian mean, to the headland of Taenarum in Pelops' land, mounting meupon their humped backs as they clove the furrow of Nereus' plain, a path untrodden, when deceitful men had cast me from their sea-faring hollow ship into the purple swell of ocean."
I'm a little short on time, so it's time for a video! This one is called "The Minotaur Island" and it's pretty cool!
"The mysterious island of Crete has always loomed large in imagination, as the home of the Minotaur -- that monstrous creature, half-man half-bull -- imprisoned in Daedalus' labyrinth. Before Crete collapsed in fire and violence, it gave birth to Europe's first civilization nearly 5,000 years ago, and boasted an advanced, prosperous Mediterranean civilization with hinged doors, flush toilets, and magnificent palaces."
Swamped, sorry! It seems like my life has been ruled by Dionysos this week and I'm going to spend my Saturday unraveling some of the mess. So, for what it's worth, here's a tribute to Dionysos for you. May he be kind!
Euripides’ Bacchae, First Chorus (part 1): 64-119
From the Asian land
After leaving sacred Tmôlos I speed— A toil for Bromios that is sweet, And a worn but happy weariness— Crying out to the Bacchic god.
Who is in the road? Who is on the road? Who is in the palace? Have every person come out! Have each one hold a quiet tongue in sacred silence.
I am hymning Dionysus In the customs that are always used. You are blessed if you are lucky To know the rites of the gods And lead a pure life; And join your soul to the band Of Bacchic revelers on the mountains In the sacred cleansing worship.
Taking care of the Great mother’s mysteries Shaking the thyrsus all about once you are wreathed in ivy, you tend to Dionysus!
Go, Bacchae, Go Bacchae, Lead on this Bromios, a divine child of a god, Dionysus
From the Phrygian mountains on To the streets of Greece, wide-enough for dances. Once, his mother went Into the forced labors of birth From Zeus’ thunder in flight She released him from her womb Too early, and lost her life At the lightning’s strike. But Zeus, Kronos’ son Immediately welcomed him Into his hands And hid him in his thigh—
He sewed him up with golden pins To keep him a secret from Hera. When the Fates made him grow, He gave birth To a bull-horned god And crowned him with wreaths of snakes. This is why the Maenads weave Beast-eating serpents in their hair.
Thebes, the nurse of Semele,
Crown yourselves with ivy!
Flourish, Grow with the green Leaves flush with fruit. Make yourselves Bacchae too With branches of oak or pine.
Adorn your clothes of stitched fawn With strands of white wool. Make sacred the arrogant wands.
Right now the whole earth will dance As Bromios leads out his bands To the mountain, to the mountain where the woman-born mob stands driven mad from their shuttles and looms by Dionysus.
The first season of this year’s excavation on the Trapeza plateau, eight kilometers southeast of Aegion (Northwest Peloponnese), has been completed, bringing to light, among other things, valuable assemblages of grave gifts and bronze swords. The site has been identified as Rhypes, a city that flourished in early historical times and participated in colonization, founding Croton in Magna Graecia.
The excavation focused on investigating the Mycenaean necropolis which extends across the plateau’s southwestern slope and is located on the ancient road that led to the acropolis of historical times. The tombs are chambered, carved into the soft sandy subsoil. Already during the Early Palace period of the Mycenaean world, their use was long and intensive, in parallel with the prosperity of the great centers of Mycenae, Tiryns and Pylos. Significant reuse of the tombs dates back to the 12th century B.C. when they were repeatedly reopened, being at once a place for conducting burials and complex ritual practices until the end of the Bronze Age in the 11th century BC.
The excavation of the necropolis has yielded valuable assemblages of grave gifts consisting of vases, a number of seal stones and all kinds of beads and tesserae of various materials – glass, faience, gold, carnelian and rock crystal – for the making of necklaces and ornaments such as the gold talismans shaped like bulls’ heads, suggesting trade relations with the eastern Aegean and Cyprus.
The rectangular shaped chamber of tomb 8, investigated this year, presented a complex stratigraphy. In the first layer of tombs of the 12th c. BC, three burials containing stirrup jars (amphorae) were investigated in situ. The bones inside the older tombs had been removed and placed reverently and very carefully in two successive piles at the back of the chamber, in contact with the walls of the tomb. Three decorated clay alabastron flasks and an amphora found on top of these bone collections, date these first burials to the Early Palace period (14th century BC).
An exceptionally well preserved bronze sword had also been placed among the bones and offerings such as carnelian and glass beads and a clay horse figurine that accompanied these earlier burials. At the base of the pile of bones two more intact bronze swords were also found with part of their wooden grips/handles. The three swords belong to different types, namely Sandars D and E, and date back to the heyday of the Mycenaean Palace period. The presence of these weapons as well as the long spears of the same time period found during the excavation in neighbouring tombs in the Trapeza necropolis is particularly important. It is distinguished from the other necropoleis of Achaia, emphasizing the direct dependence of the local community on the powerful palace centers. The weapons are products of the palace workshops, perhaps of Mycenae, thus consistent with the genre of the homeric epos and the mythological tradition handed down to us. According to the latter, Achaia belonged to the kingdom of Agamemnon who as ruler of Mycenae gathered the men of most value in neighbouring Aegion to discuss how the campaign against the state of Priam should take place.
The location of the Mycenaean settlement of Trapeza is still not entirely clear. Probably, during the early cycle of use of the necropolis, the settlement was situated on a hill about 100 meters south of Trapeza. This year, at the same time as researching the Mycenaean necropolis, the excavation of an area of the settlement revealed part of a building, perhaps a mansion. It is a wide rectangular chamber with a hearth in the center and typical pottery that dates it to the 17th century BC.
The excavation at Trapeza, Aigion (ancient Rhypes) is led by Dr. Andreas G. Vordos, archaeologist of the Achaia Ephorate of Antiquities. Participating in the interdisciplinary research programme of the Mycenaean necropolis and the prehistoric settlement is Elisabetta Borgna, Professor of Aegean Archaeology at the University of Udine with a group of students from the Universities of Udine, Trieste and Venice, as well as postgraduate students from Greek Universities. The main sponsor of the excavation at Trapeza Aigialeias (ancient Rhypes) is the A.G Leventis Foundation. The excavation work is also supported by Olympia Odos SA.
Taurus is a large and prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's winter sky. It is one of the oldest constellations, dating back to at least the Early Bronze Age when it marked the location of the Sun during the spring equinox. It's located in the northern hemisphere's winter sky, between Aries to the west and Gemini to the east; to the north lie Perseus and Auriga, to the southeast Orion, to the south Eridanos, and to the southwest Cetus. This constellation forms part of the zodiac, and hence is intersected by the ecliptic. This circle across the celestial sphere forms the apparent path of the Sun as the Earth completes its annual orbit. As the orbital plane of the Moon and the planets lie near the ecliptic, they can usually be found in the constellation Taurus during some part of each year.
In Hellenic mythology, Taurus was identified with Zeus, who assumed the form of a magnificent white bull to abduct Europa, a legendary Phoenician princess. In illustrations of Hellenic mythology, only the front portion of this constellation are depicted; this was sometimes explained as Taurus being partly submerged as he carried Europa out to sea. From Apollodorus' 'Library':
"...But some say that Europa was a daughter not of Agenor but of Phoenix. Zeus loved her, and turning himself into a tame bull, he mounted her on his back and conveyed her through the sea to Crete. There Zeus bedded with her, and she bore Minos, Sarpedon, and Rhadamanthys; but according to Homer, Sarpedon was a son of Zeus by Laodamia, daughter of Bellerophon. On the disappearance of Europa her father Agenor sent out his sons in search of her, telling them not to return until they had found Europa. With them her mother, Telephassa, and Thasus, son of Poseidon, or according to Pherecydes, of Cilix, went forth in search of her. But when, after diligent search, they could not find Europa, they gave up the thought of returning home, and took up their abode in divers places..." [3.1.1]
A second Hellenic myth portrays Taurus as Io, a mistress of Zeus. To hide his lover from his wife Hera, Zeus changed Io into the form of a heifer. From Hyginus' 'Fabulae':
"Jupiter [Zeus] loved and embraced Io, and changed her to heifer form so that Juno [Hera] would not recognize her. When Juno found out, she sent Argus, who had gleaming eyes all around to guard her. Mercury, at Jove’s command, killed him. But Juno sent a fearful shape to plague her, and out of terror of it she was driven wildly and compelled to cast herself into the sea, which is called Ionian. Thence she swam to Scythia, and the Bosporus is named from that; thence she went to Egypt where she bore Epaphus. When Jove realized that for his sake she had borne such suffering, he restored her to her own form, and made her a goddess of the Egyptians, called Isis." [145]
Greek mythographer Acusilaus marks the bull Taurus as the same that formed the myth of the Cretan Bull, one of The Twelve Labours of Hēraklēs.
There are two more myths linked to this constellation, one that relates to the Hyades, and one to the Pleiades. The Hyades were daughters of Atlas (by either Pleione or Aethra, one of the Oceanides) and sisters of Hyas in most tellings, although one version gives their parents as Hyas and Boeotia. The Hyades are sisters to the Pleiades and the Hesperides. They are a sisterhood of nymphs that bring rain. These five nymphs whose stars outline the face of the bull Taurus. They were nurses of the god Dionysus who were awarded for their service with a place amongst the stars of heaven. Their rising heralded the onset of the rainy season in Greece. Some say they were teary nymphs placed in the heavens following the death of their brother Hyas, who was killed by a lion. Presumably this Hyas and the lion were represented by the constellations Aquarius and Leo. According to Hyginus in his 'Astronomica':
"It faces towards the East, and the stars which outline the face are called Hyades. These, Pherecydes the Athenian says, are the nurses of Liber [Dionysos], seven in number, who earlier were nymphae called Dodonidae. Their names are as follows: Ambrosia, Eudora, Pedile, Coronis, Polyxo, Phyto, and Thyone. They are said to have been put to flight by Lycurgus and all except Ambrosia took refuge with Theits, as Asclepiades says. But according to Pherecydes, they brought Liber to Thebes and delivered him to Ino, and for this reason Jove expressed his thanks to them by putting them among the constellations." [II.21]
The seven nymphs whose stars form the 'tail' of the bull Taurus are called the Pleiades. The sisters were placed amongst the stars by the Zeus, after the lustful giant Orion had pursued them across the earth for seven years. Orion was also set in heaven, but doomed to continue a futile chase for all eternity. Again from Hyginus:
"The Pleiades were so named, according to Musaeaus, because fifteen daughters were born to Atlas and Aethra, daughter of Ocean. Five of them are called Hyades, he shows, because their brother was Hyas, a youth dearly beloved by his sisters. When he was killed in a lion hunt, the five we have mentioned, given over to continual lamentation, are said to have perished. Because they grieved exceedingly at his death, they are called Hyades. The remaining ten brooded over the death of their sisters, and brought death on themselves; because so may experienced the same grief, they were called Pleiades. Alexander says they were called Hyades because they were daughters of Hyas and Boeotia, Pleiades, because born of Pleio, daughter of Ocean, and Atlas.
The Pleiades are called seven in number, but only six can be seen. This reason has been advanced, that of the seven, six mated with immortals (three with Jove, two with Neptune, and one with Mars); the seventh was said to have been the wife of Sisyphus. From Electra and Jove, Dardanus was born; from Maia and Jove, Mercury; from Taygete and Jove, Ladedaemon; from Alcyone and Neptune, Hyrieus; from Celaeno and Neptune, Lycus and Nycteus. Mars by Sterope begat Oenomaus, but others call her the wife of Oenomaus. Merope, wed to Sisyphus, bore Glaucus, who, as many say, was the father of Bellerophon. On account of her other sisters she was placed among the constellations, but because she married a mortal, her star is dim. Others say Electra does not appear because the Pleiades are thought to lead the circling dance for the stars, but after Troy was captured and her descendants through Dardanus overthrown, moved by grief she left them and took her place in the circle called Arctic. From this she appears, in grief for such a long time, with her hair unbound, that, because of this, she is called a comet.
But ancient astronomers placed these Pleiades, daughters of Pleione and Atlas, as we have said, apart from the Bull. When Pleione once was travelling through Boeotia with her daughters, Orion, who was accompanying her, tried to attack her. She escaped, but Orion sought her for seven years and couldn’t find her. Jove, pitying the girls, appointed a way to the stars, and later, by some astronomers, they were called the Bull’s tail. And so up to this time Orion seems to be following them as they flee towards the west. Our writers call these stars Vergiliae, because they rise after spring. They have still greater honour than the others, too, because their rising is a sign of summer, their setting of winter - a thing is not true of the other constellations." [II.21]
The constellation Taurus is visible at latitudes between +90° and −65°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January.
I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.
"The only real question I have is the meaning behind 'khaire'. I looked everywhere for a solid definition but no one can seem to agree."
'Khaire' and its plural cousin 'Khairete' are greetings. They were used by the likes of Homeros in their writings. They both have the literal meaning 'rejoice,' 'fare well,' and 'hail.' As such they can be used both as a greeting or as a goodbye. This is some interesting reading on the words and their use.
~~~
"Should I construct an Altar to the Gods I want to worship?"
Some definitions you will need: an altar is one of those basic necessities within Hellenismos, and it differs from a shrine. Where an altar is a 'work space', dedicated not so much to a specific deity, but used to do the bulk of the (daily) rituals, a shrine is a devotional area where an altar might be located. In ancient Hellas, the shrine was usually a temple, the altar an actual altar, standing outside of it. Household worship took place at a multitude of shrines. You need an altar for Hellenic sacrifice, and you could build a shrine to the Gods you wish to honour, if you so desire.
~~~
"I want to celebrate the Galaxia, but would Kronos not be offended if I offer to another God?"
The ancient Hellenes (and modern Hellenisist with them) felt strongly all the Gods are connected in some way. Thus you will only very rarely--if ever--sacrifice to just one God. Sacrificing to the Gods in the periphery of the main God you wish to worship establishes kharis and is simply good form. The Gods care about Their family just as we do, so honouring Their mothers, daughters, sons and brothers is very important.
~~~
"I would like to adopt the custom of having a kathiskos, but I'm really worried about all of that decomposition and decay that is tied into it all. Would you have any advice for me?"
A kathiskos is an offer jar of foodstuffs used to protect the household's food storage. Typically, it has olive oil and water. The rest is up to the household. The Kathiskos is dedicated to Zeus Ktesios, guardian of the household. The jar is typically emptied into the compost bin or garden and refilled with fresh foodstuffs every month. In generl, kathiskoi have a lid--a lid that tightly screws on. If you have that, then you really need to worry about anything like decomposition and decay.
Below is a picture of an example kathiskos that has not been changed for a little over a year (!) now. It still looks pretty fresh, doesn't it? And this one has fruit! Of course, if I were to open this one know, it would smell foul. My kathiskos always smells foul. That's the point. Think of it like this: all the rotting and fermentation that took place in your kathiskos did not happen to your other foodstuffs. The worse the smell and the worse the status of your content, the better.
~~~
"My sister recently gave birth to a baby girl and I said a prayer of thanks to Hera and Artemis. Now she has two other children, 2 boys, and I was wondering, should I say prayers on their behalf to Artemis as well, or to some other deity?"
Congratulations on your niece (and nephews, of course). Artemis is the protectress of all children, as a Kourotrophos The Kourotrophos are (mostly) female deities who watched over growing children--Gaea, Artemis, Hekate, Eirênê, Aglauros and Pandrosos, especially. They also watched over young boys and were offered to to keep them safe. Zeus, Athena and Hēraklēs were also prayed to by young boys in order to grow big and strong, and these Theoi were also prayed to to guide and protect the boy.
Those who visit this blog on a regular basis know that I'm a fan of Solon and his reformations of the political landscape of Athens in the sixth century BC. Solon (Σόλων) was an Athenian statesman and lawmaker who lived from 638 BC to 558 BC. He spent most of his adult life trying to legislate against political, economic, and moral decline in archaic Athens. His ideologies are often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy. Solon's reforms created a system where the power was in the hands of the people, because instead of leaving justice to be administered by the aristocracy. He was also a poet and some of his work has miraculously survived. Today, I would like to share one of the fragments of his work that have survived.
"Glorious children of Olympian Zeus and Memory
Pierian Muses, hear me as I pray.
Grant me happiness from the blessed Gods and possession
Of a good reputation among all people forever.
In this may I be sweet to my friends and bitter to my enemies,
Revered by the former and terrible for the latter to see.
I long to have money, but I do not want to obtain it
Greece has seen much turbulent summer weather with storms, rains and floods lashing different parts of the country.While tourists dash for shelter from the rain, and lightning bolts light up the Acropolis, it is worth considering how the ancient Hellenes explained the weather.
Although Zeus is well known for his thunderbolts, it is the Anemoi which seem to correspond more specifically with the winds and the weather they brought to Greece. Each such God was ascribed a cardinal direction from where they would bring the wind and other weather phenomena.
Boreas is the north wind and bringer of cold winter air. Zephyrus is the west wind and bringer of light spring and early-summer breezes, and Notus is the south wind and bringer of the storms of late summer and autumn. Eurus is another weather God but was not associated with any of the specific ancient Hellenic seasons, of which they had only three.
There were a host of other, more minor, Hellenic deities whose names were gives to the particular winds which would blow at different times of the year. The Romans adopted some of these Gods, giving them new names, but still ascribing to them the power to bring different types of weather.
The Winds were portrayed as either man-shaped, winged Gods who lived together in a cavern on Mount Haimos (Haemus) in Thrake (Thrace), or as horse-shaped divinities stabled by Aiolos Hippotades, "the Reiner of Horses", on the island of Aiolia and set out to graze on the shores of the earth-encircling River Okeanos.
Early poets, such as Homer and Hesiod, drew a clear distinction between the four, relatively benign, seasonal Winds (Anemoi) and the destructive Storm-Winds (Anemoi Thuellai). The latter, spawned by the monster Typhoeus, were either housed in the caverns of Aiolos or guarded by the Hekatonkheires in the pits of Tartaros. Later authors blurred the distinction between the two.
The female counterparts of the Anemoi were the Aellai Harpyiai (Harpies). Mated with the Winds they produced many swift, immortal horses.
International Archaeology Day, celebrated on October 16 every year, is a time to take stock of the pieces of looted art and antiquities from all around the world that are still missing and consider how much of our global cultural heritage has been lost through this kind of theft.
Greece has been no stranger to this tragedy of stolen heritage, which with some antiquities amounts to a culture genocide; of its list of missing antiquities worldwide, currently Interpol has no less than 1,159 that were taken from Greece.
Ranging from an unknown female marble sculptural figurine from the Late Hellenic or Early Roman times, to a head dating back to the Archaic Period that was chipped away from a frieze, to priceless Byzantine-era icons, the list is a long and ignominious one.
Archaeological sleuths such as Greece’s Dr. Christos Tsirogiannis have dedicated their lives to finding treasures such as these and getting them repatriated back to their original countries. Museums around the world have historically engaged in shady deals with people who call themselves art collectors but who are indeed nothing more than thieves or middlemen at best, in the trade in looted antiquities.
The famous case of the 4th-century BC gold wreath from Macedonia which was once worn by an unknown nobleman is just one of the best-known and most visually spectacular of these looted antiquities.
Used as a case study by Greek scholar Bettina Tsigarida as part of her master’s thesis, the infamous theft was the result of not only the original looting but of Greek and other authorities looking the other way, as well, allowing such cultural theft to take place. In addition, the Getty Museum’s acquisition of the golden wreath was made possible by what can only be charitably described as sloppy record-keeping on the part of one of the world’s largest museums.
The sum total of what can happen to a looted objet d’art or artifact can be seen in the Odyssey taken by the gold wreath in its journey from a grave to the Getty Museum, located in in Los Angeles, California.
Finally taking its rightful place in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki in 2007, there was no guarantee that this happy ending would ever become a reality.
And it would not have happened at all without the likes of Dr. Tsirogiannis; journalist Nikolas Zirganos; prosecutor Ioannis Diotis; the then-head of the Greek police’s art squad, the late police Captain Giorgos Gligoris; and two Greek lawyers, Costantinos Kyriopoulos and Renia Stamatoudi.
They not only successfully liberated the priceless golden wreath from Macedonia but a marble archaic kore statue from Paros, a funerary stela from Orchomenos and a votive relief from Thasos Island as well, which had all been in the holdings of the huge Los Angeles museum.
The golden wreath, depicting myrtle flower branches, even still has some traces of green and blue enamel on it after the passage of millennia. Dating back to late 4th century BC, its first appearance on the black market for looted art dates back to 1990.
An Italian man called Gianfranco Becchina received two photographs of the wreath that had been sent to him by a Greek smuggler in 1990. However, they did not come to an agreement as to the price for the wreath; it then somehow appeared in Munich in 1992.
It was part of an art exhibition in February of that year in Germany. A Serbian who went by the name of Kovacevits, and two Greek men named Tsatalis and Kagia, feasted their eyes on the treasure as part of the exhibition.
A painter, George Seliachas, told the three men that if they wanted to make deal for it, a good person to contact might be Christophe Leon — who ended up being the one to sell the wreath to Getty after stating on the official acquisition papers that it had come from a “private Swiss collection.” Conveniently, Leon hadn’t even filled in the box for the name of the country of origin for the priceless wreath. The Getty gave Leon a cool $1,150,000 for the looted grave goods, which had once graced the head of a Macedonian nobleman or noblewoman. However, questions had been asked of officials in Greece and Italy as to the provenance of the artifact and whether or not it had been stolen — to which the Greek officials answered in the negative.
After the Greek Art Squad asked the Ministry of Culture to work with it to get to the bottom of the theft, the Ministry refused, telling them in a confidential memorandum that it was taking care of the issue by diplomatic means. Greek journalist Nikos Zirganos unearthed these documents, publishing his exposé of the case in Epsilon magazine.
Eventually, Greek officials made a 180-degree turn, opening up a criminal investigation –not only of the Getty Museum but its curator as well. As a consequence, Marion True, Christoph Leon, the two Greek looters (now named as Georgios Tsatalis and Georgios Kagias) and the Serb middleman, Kovasevic, had charges brought against them in November of 2006.
Thanks to the tireless work of Tsirogiannis and the others, Greece negotiated the return of three other antiquities from the Getty as well — resulting in the repatriation of a 5th century BC marble relief from Thassos, a grave stele from Boeotia dating back to 400 BC. and a Kore statue.
All of the priceless looted artifacts finally returned home to Greece on March 26, 2007. The wreath now is displayed in all its splendor in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.
A special exhibit titled “The End of Antiquities Trafficking” was staged in 2007 at the Museum to highlight the cultural theft represented by these repatriated treasures. With a special section titled “The Abduction of History,” it highlighted the extraordinary objects that thankfully had been repatriated due to the efforts of Tsirogiannis and others.
Tsirogiannis told Greek Reporter in an exclusive interview this week “This wreath is a unique late 4th century B.C. artifact made by a highly-skilled Greek artist in central Macedonia, at the area around Thessaloniki. Other wreaths made with this technique and characteristics are attributed to the same Greek workshop.
“This wreath was most probably looted from a tomb, which remains unknown to us, so the story of the distinguished ancient Greek who was buried with this wreath and an unknown number of other artefacts, is erased and lost forever, because some people chose to steal from all of us and profit by selling our looted common heritage.
The subsequent trafficking took this wreath in the early 1990s to Germany and then to California, at the Getty museum, before we managed to bring it back to our homeland in 2007. I will always be proud for being one of the six-member team that represented Greece and brought this significant archaeological object back.”
But that kind of dogged determination on the part of art sleuths is rarely rewarded with such spectacular results. In its recent video on the subject of looted art, Interpol officials say that, tragically, there has been no letup recently in the trade of looted art and antiquities; quite the opposite is the case.
“The coronavirus has created a global crisis that threatens our shared cultural heritage. The antiquities coalition has already documented a worrisome increase in conditions that make the looting and the illicit trafficking of cultural material more likely right now. Tragically, we expect to see more looted artifacts on the market.”
The Antiquities Coalition is now taking action to combat this shameful global trade.
Perhaps most disturbingly, looting — including from national museums — is helping to fund insurgency and civil war in a country that the UN says is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, Interpol notes. A case in point is a stunning alabaster stone with inscriptions from the third century AD that was taken from the Awam temple in Marib, Yemen as a result of the ongoing insurgency in that embattled nation.
For his part, Tsirogiannis is happy to continue to do what he can do ensure that priceless works of art that are part of his own heritage are returned to their rightful owners in Greece. He says that he is gratified that his life’s work has had an impact, stating “I am glad as a Greek, but also as a citizen of the world, I am contributing to helping governments repatriate their cultural property.” He tells Greek Reporter that his respect for our ancient ancestors is what drives him:
“It is the responsibility we have to our ancient ancestors and their feelings that have been brutally violated by the barbaric extraction of these objects. Some of these objects were buried in the tombs of the ancient people. They were dedicated to them. People grieved for their loss. They put these objects there with love and affection. Other objects were at the homes of ancient people, or they were dedicated to ancient gods, placed in sanctuaries and temples.”
Tsirogiannis says “Thousands of years later, it is sacrilege for these antiquities to be looted for money and profit. This is what drives me mostly to continue my research.”
Oh, this is fun! Podcaster Dan has created a historic tour of Ancient Hellas using Assassin’s Creed The Odyssey to create a magnificent view of the Acropolis back in its glorious days. Learn about the history of ancient Hellas both in audio and video and check your understanding at the end of the episode.
Ephesus, an ancient Hellenic city on the coast of Ionia, is one of the greatest archaeological treasures on Earth, with the entire city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The great city, which went through endless transformations over the years as a result of earthquakes, wars and conquests, was founded in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists.
The city was famous in its day for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus and a theater capable of holding no less than 24,000 spectators. Archaeologists estimate that the population of any ancient city was ten times that of the capacity of its largest theater; therefore, they believe the population of Ephesus was approximately 250,000.
Ephesus also had one of the “seven churches of Asia” referred to in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may also have been written there, and it was the site of several 5th-century Christian Councils, including the Councils of Ephesus that took place in 431, 449 and 475 AD.
The city was destroyed by the Goths in their invasion in the year 263; although it was rebuilt, its great importance as a commercial center declined as its harbor was slowly silted up by the Meander River. In the year 614, it was partially destroyed by an earthquake. Eventually abandoned, this might have been a blessing in disguise for Ephesus, as its ancient ruins lie in plain sight, rather than being buried under centuries of buildings.
Today, the ancient city of Ephesus is a huge draw for international tourists and scholars because of its ancient provenance and its many historical treasures.
The areas around Ephesus were settled as far back as the Neolithic Age (about 6000 BC), as shown by evidence from excavations at the nearby artificial mounds known as “tells” in Arvalya and Cukurici. After being founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC, the ruler Androklos drove away most of the native Carian and Lelegian inhabitants of the city and united his people with the remainder. He was a successful warrior, and as a king he was able to join the twelve cities of Ionia together into the Ionian League. During his reign the city began to prosper. Androklos and his dog are depicted on the Hadrian temple frieze, dating from the 2nd century.
A temple dedicated to the Egyptian god Serapis, which was also rediscovered in the ancient Greek city, was built in the 2nd century A.D. as a symbol of devotion to the Egyptian god; it is considered the best preserved and largest temple in all of Anatolia. It was constructed in an area measuring an astounding 7,700 square meters (194,520,997 square feet) while the building alone measures over 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet).
Although it was shaken by the earthquake, almost all of the temple’s pieces are still intact. The Ephesus Foundation has undertaken the restoration project, following the restoration of the city’s illustrious Celsius Library.
The Goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian Goddess Kybele were identified and worshipped together as “Artemis of Ephesus.” The many-breasted “Lady of Ephesus”, identified with Artemis, was venerated in the Temple of Artemis, which was the largest building in the ancient world, according to Pausanias.
The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood 418 feet by 239 feet with over 100 marble pillars each 56 feet high. The temple earned the city the title “Servant of the Goddess”.
Pliny tells us that the magnificent structure took 120 years to build but is now represented only by one lonely column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s and still standing alone in the center of the ruins in a grassy field.
About 560 BC, Ephesus was conquered by the Lydians under King Croesus, who treated the inhabitants with respect and even became the main contributor to the reconstruction of the temple of Artemis. His signature has been found on the base of one of the columns of the temple (now on display in the British Museum). The city later fell to the Persian army commander Harpagos in 547 BC. The Persians then incorporated the Greek cities of Asia Minor into their Achaemenid Empire.
Ephesians participated in the Ionian Revolt against Persian rule in the Battle of Ephesus in 498 BC, which instigated the Greco-Persian wars. In 479 BC, the Ionians, together with Athens, were able to oust the Persians from the shores of Asia Minor. In 478 BC, the Ionian cities with Athens entered into the Delian League against the Persians.
During the Classical Roman period, which lasted from 129 BC to 395 AD, Ephesus, as part of the kingdom of Pergamon, became a subject of the Roman Republic, coming under its yoke in 129 BC after the revolt of Eumenes III was suppressed. Mark Antony was welcomed by Ephesus when he was proconsul of Rome; and again in 33 BC with Cleopatra ,when he gathered his fleet of 800 ships before the decisive Battle of Actium with Octavius. When Augustus became emperor in 27 BC, he made Ephesus the capital of proconsular Asia. According to the geographer Strabo, it was second in importance and size only to Rome.
Ephesus also served as an important center for early Christianity beginning as early as the AD 50s. From 52–54, the apostle Paul lived in Ephesus, working with the congregation and apparently organizing missionary activity into the hinterlands of Asia Minor. Initially, according to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul attended the Jewish synagogue in Ephesus, but after three months he became frustrated with the stubbornness of some of the Jews, and moved his base to the school of Tyrannus. Later a silversmith named Demetrios stirred up a mob against Paul, saying that he was endangering the livelihood of those making silver Artemis shrines.
Between 53 and 57 AD Paul wrote the letter known as 1 Corinthians from Ephesus — possibly from the “Paul tower” near the harbor, where he was imprisoned for a short time. Later, he wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians while he was in prison in Rome, around 62 AD. The Gospel of John might have been written in Ephesus a bit later, c. 90–100. Ephesus was one of the seven cities addressed in the Book of Revelation, indicating that the church of the city was already a major presence.
According to Eusebius of Caesarea, Saint Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus. A legend, which was first mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis in the 4th century, purported that the Virgin Mary may have spent the last years of her life in Ephesus. The Ephesians derived the argument from the apostle John’s presence in the city, and Jesus’ instructions to John to take care of his mother, Mary, after his death. Epiphanius, however, pointed out that while the Bible says John was leaving for Asia, it does not say specifically that Mary went with him. He later stated that she was buried in Jerusalem.
Since the 19th century, The House of the Virgin Mary, about 7 km (4 miles) from Selçuk, has been considered to have been the last home of Mary. It is still a popular place of Catholic pilgrimage. The city and temple were destroyed by the Goths in 263. This marked the first precipitous decline of the city’s ages of splendor. However, the emperor Constantine the Great rebuilt much of the city and even constructed new public baths. The Church of Mary near the harbor of Ephesus was the setting for the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which resulted in the condemnation of Nestorius. A Second Council of Ephesus was held in 449.
Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia, however, after Constantinople, in the 5th and 6th centuries.The basilica of St. John was built during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century.
The importance of the city as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the river despite repeated dredging during the city’s history. The loss of its harbour caused Ephesus to lose its access to the Aegean Sea, which was important for trade. People started leaving the city for the surrounding hills.
Eventually, the ruins of its great temples were tragically used as building blocks for new homes. Precious marble sculptures from antiquity were ground to powder to make lime for plaster. Sackings by the Arabs, first in the year 654–655 and later in 700 and 716, hastened the decline of the great city of Ephesus even further. By the time the Seljuk Turks conquered Ephesus in 1090, it was just a small village.
The Byzantines resumed control in 1097 and changed the name of the town to Hagios Theologos. They kept control of the region until 1308 — but by that time, the exquisite Temple of Artemis had been completely forgotten by the local population. It would have been lost to human memory completely if it were not for the excavation and restoration efforts of modern archaeologists.
The town surrendered, on October 24, 1304, to a Turkish warlord. Nevertheless, contrary to the terms of the surrender the Turks pillaged the church of Saint John and deported most of the local population to Thyrea, Greece. During these events many of the remaining inhabitants were cruelly massacred. The once-shining city of Ephesus, with its sweeping public spaces, temples and library, was completely abandoned by the 15th century.
But the city is still beloved by those who walk its broad, stone-paved central street and take in the breathtaking ruins of days gone by. Moreover, the ancient Greek city is set to once again have a harbor on the Aegean coast, as the result of an ambitious new project.
In the ancient era Ephesus, which is today one of Turkey’s top tourist attractions, was connected to a harbor on the Aegean Sea with a spacious canal, but the port and the canal became silted up by the river in the years since.
An ambitious canal project proposed by Turkey in 2018 pledged to uncover the canal and eventually link the ancient harbor city to the sea once again after a 6,130-meter length of the canal became covered with alluvial deposits over the centuries. So far, however, nothing has been done to make this project a reality.
The ruins of the once-glorious city still stand, however, and welcome visitors today from all over the world, continuing to tell the stories of its many illustrious inhabitants over the millennia.
Ethics are at the very core of Hellenismos, and they support the heart of human life:arête, the act of living up to one's full potential. When one lives the way of arête, they live their life ethically, consciously, and in happiness. That is the true potential of arête: a life of happiness.
Living up to arête is not easy: it challenges up to be our best mentally, physically, and spiritually. It means taking control of our life, to become an active participant in it. To place blame only on yourself when things go wrong, and to keep trying to reach your goals, no matter what setbacks you suffer. Arête should become a way of life, and in that way of life, an ethical framework is essential. Ethics give you the tools to create internal order and consistent action. Both are necessary for happiness. Ethics will remove doubt, fears and regrets from your life, as you know exactly what you should and should not do to become the best you can be.
Today, I want to look into Solon and his tenets. Solon (Σόλων) was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet, who lived from 638 BC to 558 BC. He spend most of his adult life trying to legislate against political, economic, and moral decline in archaic Athens. His ideologies are often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy.
As a statesman, Solon put principles before expediency. In a time when Athens was struggling under the burden of civil war, his reforms strove to bridge the gap between the rich an the poor. He cancelled all debts, and purchased the freedom of all slaves, allowing everyone to start with a clean slate. This caused a massive financial crisis, for which new reforms were necessary, including new trade ties, and an halt in the export of all foodstuffs but olive oil, of which there was plenty. Solon did not stop there, however. Once he was given full legislative powers, he abolished political distinctions of birth in politics. Instead, he created four new groups:
Thetes, the lowest group, who paid no taxes, provided no equipment city state or its army, and who were not eligible to hold an office of any kind.
Zeugitae, the second lowest group, who paid tax at the lowest rate, provided body armor to the Athenian army, and who were eligible to hold office.
Hippeus, the second highest group, who paid higher taxes at the middle rate, provided their own war horse when they served in the army, and they were eligible for higher offices.
Pentacosiomedimni, the top class of citizens, who paid the highest amount of taxes, and were eligible for all top positions of government in Athens. Archons were chosen from this class.
Further political reforms brought stability to the political landscape, and eventually to the economic climate as well. From Diogénes Laértios (Διογένης Λαέρτιος), a Hellenic biographer, in his 'Lives of Eminent Philosophers':
"He was the first person also who assembled the nine archons together to deliver their opinions, as Apollodorus tells us in the second book of his Treatise on Lawgivers. And once, when there was a sedition in the city, he took part neither with the citizens, nor with the inhabitants of the plain, nor with the men of the sea-coast."
He gave the following advice, as is recorded by Apollodorus in his Treatise on the Sects of Philosophers (as written down by Laértios):
(1) Consider your honour, as a gentleman, of more weight than an oath.
(2) Never speak falsely.
(3) Pay attention to matters of importance.
(4) Be not hasty in making friends; and do not cast off those whom you have made.
(5) Rule, after you have first learnt to submit to rule.
(6) Advise not what is most agreeable, but what is best.
(7) Make reason your guide.
(8) Do not associate with the wicked.
(9) Honour the gods;
(10) respect your parents.
Pausanias, in his 'Description of Greece', lists Solon as one of the seven sages whose aphorisms adorned Apollo's temple in Delphi (XXIV), and so it is not odd that many of Solon's tenets have a Delphinian counterpart in the maxims. These are common themes, reflected in most of the ethical teachings listed above. Common themes are honor, honesty, intelligent decision making, and family. Coincidentally--or perhaps not so much--these are also at the base of arête.
The ancient Hellenic cremation burial site known as the “Tomb of Nestor’s Cup” found in 1954 on the island of Ischia in Italy has revealed some of its secrets, according to researchers, Live Science (LS) reported on October 6. Previously thought to contain the remains of a child, new analysis found that the nearly 3,000-year-old tomb “instead held the remains of at least three adults,” LS reported.
“This could help to explain a longstanding mystery: the presence in the tomb of a cup with a racy inscription that seemed out of place in a child's grave,” LS reported, adding that “the clay vessel, known as Nestor's Cup, bears a three-line boast ending with a promise that whoever drank from the cup would be smitten with desire for Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love” and “experts have long puzzled over why such a message would be preserved in the burial of a child, and the recent findings may help to explain it, scientists reported in a new study.
“We can say that we re-opened a cold case,” lead study author Melania Gigante, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Padua in Italy, told LS in an email.
The burial is part of an ancient site called Pithekoussai, an ancient Greek city and necropolis on the island of Ischia in Italy,” LS reported, noting that “it dates to the eighth century BC, and archaeologists excavated approximatel LS reported, noting that “it dates to the eighth century BC, and archaeologists excavated approximately 1,300 tombs there between 1952 and 1982.”
"One of the tombs, identified as ‘Cremation 168,’ is more widely known as the ‘Tomb of Nestor's Cup’ after an inscribed vessel for drinking wine, known as a kotyle, that was discovered there,” LS reported, adding that “the cup bears one of the oldest surviving examples of Greek writing, the study authors reported Oct. 6 in the journal PLOS One.
In the epic Greek poem The Iliad, Homer described a beautiful golden cup that only its owner, the hero Nestor, could lift,” LS reported, noting that “according to legends of the time, adventurers would drink a fortifying beverage from its depths.
“By comparison, the clay vessel found in Tomb 168 is a simple cup,” LS reported, pointing out that “its inscription claims otherwise in a nod to Nestor's mythical goblet, according to the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University in Providence, RI.
Three lines of text in the Greek alphabet are written on the clay cup in hexameter (a line of verse with six accents), thought to be an allusion to Homer's poetry,” LS reported, adding that “the text reads: ‘I am Nestor's cup, good to drink from. Whoever drinks this cup empty, straightaway Desire for beautiful-crowned Aphrodite will seize him,’ according to the institute.
“The burial held 195 bone fragments, and the researchers used microscopy to examine details in the surfaces and internal tissues, with some conclusive results on 175 fragments,” LS reported, noting that “to their surprise, they found that only 130 of the bones were human; 45 bone fragments came from animals. Some of those bones likely belonged to sheep, and other bones may have belonged to dogs and birds, but the pieces were so broken that the scientists were unable to identify most of the fragments with certainty, according to the study.
“When the scientists looked at the human bones — mostly bits of large bones from the arms and legs — they examined formations that emerge as bone tissue renews itself over time,” LS reported, adding that “by comparing the density of these formations across specimens, they saw that the fragments belonged to three individuals” and “the bones also indicated that the people were adults that were no longer growing; while it wasn't possible to determine how old they were or if they were related, the findings ruled out the possibility that the tomb held a child, the researchers wrote.
“Unfortunately, given the high fragmentation of the samples and the fire action, we are unable to say more. Human and animal remains showed similar burn patterns, hinting that they were burned together or using the same methods, and the animals in the grave may represent food offerings for the dead ‘or companions in the journey to the afterlife,’ according to the study.
I am not surprised to have received yet another confirmation of how much there is still to be discovered about Pithekoussai,” Gigante told LS. “This study is only the first step towards a more complete interpretation not only of the Tomb of Nestor's Cup, but also of the customs and funerary uses at the dawn of Magna Graecia [Greater Greece].” y 1,300 tombs there between 1952 and 1982.”
One of the tombs, identified as ‘Cremation 168,’ is more widely known as the ‘Tomb of Nestor's Cup’ after an inscribed vessel for drinking wine, known as a kotyle, that was discovered there,” LS reported, adding that “the cup bears one of the oldest surviving examples of Greek writing, the study authors reported Oct. 6 in the journal PLOS One.
In the epic Greek poem The Iliad, Homer described a beautiful golden cup that only its owner, the hero Nestor, could lift,” LS reported, noting that “according to legends of the time, adventurers would drink a fortifying beverage from its depths.
By comparison, the clay vessel found in Tomb 168 is a simple cup,” LS reported, pointing out that “its inscription claims otherwise in a nod to Nestor's mythical goblet, according to the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University in Providence, RI.
Three lines of text in the Greek alphabet are written on the clay cup in hexameter (a line of verse with six accents), thought to be an allusion to Homer's poetry,” LS reported, adding that “the text reads: ‘I am Nestor's cup, good to drink from. Whoever drinks this cup empty, straightaway Desire for beautiful-crowned Aphrodite will seize him,’ according to the institute.
The burial held 195 bone fragments, and the researchers used microscopy to examine details in the surfaces and internal tissues, with some conclusive results on 175 fragments,” LS reported, noting that “to their surprise, they found that only 130 of the bones were human; 45 bone fragments came from animals. Some of those bones likely belonged to sheep, and other bones may have belonged to dogs and birds, but the pieces were so broken that the scientists were unable to identify most of the fragments with certainty, according to the study.
When the scientists looked at the human bones — mostly bits of large bones from the arms and legs — they examined formations that emerge as bone tissue renews itself over time,” LS reported, adding that “by comparing the density of these formations across specimens, they saw that the fragments belonged to three individuals” and “the bones also indicated that the people were adults that were no longer growing; while it wasn't possible to determine how old they were or if they were related, the findings ruled out the possibility that the tomb held a child, the researchers wrote.
Unfortunately, given the high fragmentation of the samples and the fire action, we are unable to say more. Human and animal remains showed similar burn patterns, hinting that they were burned together or using the same methods, and the animals in the grave may represent food offerings for the dead ‘or companions in the journey to the afterlife,’ according to the study.
I am not surprised to have received yet another confirmation of how much there is still to be discovered about Pithekoussai,” Gigante told LS. “This study is only the first step towards a more complete interpretation not only of the Tomb of Nestor's Cup, but also of the customs and funerary uses at the dawn of Magna Graecia [Greater Greece].”
Let's do a refresher course in some key terms of Hellenismos and Hellenic sacrifice: holókautein versus thyesthai. Some definitions first: worship in ancient Hellas typically consisted of sacrificing at the altar with hymn and prayer. Holokautein (ὁλοκαυτεῖν) were sacrifices in which the sacrifice--domestic animal, fruits, cakes, wine, etc.--was utterly destroyed and burnt up, as opposed to thyesthai (θύεσθαι), in which the sacrifice was shared with the Gods in question and one's fellow worshippers. In the case of a latter animal sacrifice, the edible parts of the sacrificed animal were roasted or boiled and distributed for festive celebration, whereas the inedible parts were burned or placed on the altar, those being the Gods' share.
Let me now say that there is no list; well, I could probably make one but that would be highly impracticle and I would most likely forget two thirds of divinities and others who recieve(d) sacrifice. I can make a general working formula for you though: Ouranic deities (so any deity (!) who lives on the Earth, on Olympos, or in the sea) were honored with thyesthai. The Khthonic, or Underworld, deities, malign deities, heroes, the dead, ghosts and nymphs and their ilk recieved holókautein.
This distinction is very black and white, but there were variations, especially between city-states, but sometimes even within a single city-state. Context was important, but as a working model, the distinction above is useful. So, why this divide?
Sacrifices to the Ouranic deities were given to establish kharis: the act of giving to the Gods so They might give something in return. It's religious reciprocity. It is important to realize that even a sacrifice where the worshippers share in the sacrifice is essentially a holókaustos: the entire sacrifice is given to the Gods in question, but as part of kharis, the Gods do not take all of it, but give part of it back to Their worshippers to sustain them and reward them for their worship. So the entire sacrifice is property of the Gods as soon as it is dedicated to Them (a procession to the altar is sufficient for that, but hymns and prayers aid this proccess), but They share it with us. This way, kharis is established right away: I give to You, You give to me, and so we sustain and honor each other.
For holókautein, I am going to disregard the nymphs for a bit and come back to them later. Kharis need not be established with Khthonic deities: for us humans, we will go to the Underworld regardless of good standing. As with Ouranic sacrifices, the entire sacrifice belongs to the intended force as soon as it is dedicated to them, be it Underworld Gods, or the dead in any form (heroes, after all, are dead as well). As humans, we try not to get in contact with the Underworld, as it brings miasma with it: miasma describes the lingering aura of uncleanliness in regards to a person or space through which contact is made with the Gods. Miasma occurs whenever the space or person comes into contact with death, sickness, birth, sex, excessive negative emotions and bodily fluids. It also comes from a lack of contact with the Hellenic Gods. Not the actual acts of dying, sex and birth cause miasma but the opening up of the way to the Underworld (with births and deaths) as well as contact with sweat, blood, semen, menstrual blood and urine pollutes us.
If we were to partake from food that belongs to the Underworld (because we gave it to its deities), we would take something of the underworld inside of us, and as the myth of Persephone clearly states, this means you would become part of the Underworld itself. In my opinion, this is the main reason why we give holókautein to the Underworld deities and the dead.
As for the nymphs: they are a story unto themselves. We have very little factual information on the worship of nymphs. We know it took place, we know they receive libations (mostly of honey and water), and we know they had sactuaries which were sometimes tended to full time by self-appointed priests. There are, however, many forms of the nature spirits we call nymphs. Some are Ouranic in character, some Khthonic, so it varies what kind of sacrifice they got and get. Even more so, some source material (including Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles) features libations of water and honey to non-specified nymphs, but which seem to have an Ouranic character. As such, I tend to give holocaustal sacrifices to the nymphs, just to be on the safe side.
I hope this generalized list helps in deciding how to sacrifice to which force and furthers your understanding of ancient Hellenic sacrificial practices.
I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.
"What is the difference between hellenic recon, hellenic reform, and hellenic revival? I haven't really been able to find good explanations of these terms in relation to their differences."
In general, I consider 'Revival' and 'Reformed' the same thing. Others probably don't, but I'll explain the difference between 'Recon' (which we call 'Traditional') and 'Reformed' Hellenismos. To start, there is no hard line—not in as far as can be defined beforehand; the distinction between 'Traditional' and 'Reformed' is a matter of intent.
The ancient Hellenes worshipped their Gods in a way they did not even have to think about. They were taught by their parents how a ritual was supposed to be conducted and what a festival looked like. Kids learned how to act in temples, and they played their parts in the sacrifice. The ancient religion varied from place to place and when details of a festival or rite changed, they changed because the polis wanted them to. The ancient Hellenic religion(s) were greatly tied to the ancient Hellenic culture(s). Yet, there were overarching ideals and ritual acts that a man traveling from Athens to Kos would recognize if he walked in on a festival there. In fact, it's likely he would have recognized the festival and could share in its intent. Perhaps not its execution, and perhaps not all the time (because of local mythology and deities), but most of the time, and in most of its execution.
'Traditional' thus means to practice Hellenismos in the spirit of the ancients. I keep in mind that man from ancient Athens and with everything I do, we wonder if he would recognize what I am doing as the worship of the Gods he worships at home. That does not mean you need a big altar out in your garden (although I do encourage it), and this doesn't mean you need to hold daily ritual (although I do encourage it), and it doesn't mean that you always have to worship in a group or with your family (but I do encourage it) in order to be Traditional. It means that whatever you do, you keep that man in mind and wonder if he would recognize what you are doing as an adapted and modernized version of his faith.
'Traditional', as such, has nothing to do with practices that link back directly to ancient Hellas; no one is claiming to trace a lineage back or to in any other way have a direct line into the ancient Hellenic religion. We take what we know from scholarly and original work and make a generalized framework that can be built off of and adapt that to modern culture. Then we flesh out our practice with ancient practices and ancient ways of thought that resonate with us.
'Reformed', then, is the incorporation of practices that are either completely new or were derived from ancient Hellas with so many steps in-between that it's become completely unrecognizable. The incorporation of modern witchcraft, for example, or patron Gods as defined by modern Paganism. Wiccan elements are also part of Reformed Hellenismos.
To get back to the intent I mentioned earlier; your practice is Traditional to the typical Hellenist if you adhere to the above: ancient practices in a modern context where the bare bones are as close to the generalized ancient religion as we can make them. If you wilfully bring in modern elements from other religions or traditions, we consider those parts of your practice Reformed, and there is no value judgement in that. One is not better than the other. they both have vlue. It's a personal choice.
I hope this makes the distinction between the two clearer, and that it gives substance and context to the terms. For me, the value in using these terms lies in more easily finding likeminded people to share worship with. Using these terms prevents a lot of hassle and aggravation, but in the end, they are just words. It's your practice that matters and in the end, we all worship the Theoi.
~~~
"I read your articles on the Kronia. Can you please tell me, what day it falls this year. Has anything been discovered that would need me to worship differently from your article. And how should I pay homage to the Kronos this year?"
As far as I am aware, the article is still accurate. The Kronia will be held from dusk on July 27 to dusk on July 28 in 2016. you can find last year's ritual for the event here.
If you are interested in honouring Kronos, next month, from dusk on March 23 to March 24, the Galaxia takes place. This rather obscure festival was held in many places in ancient Hellas, but most notably at Olympia. It was closely linked to the vernal equinox, which was used to date it. The Galaxia is a festival held in honour of the Mother (of the Gods), who in Hellenic mythology is Rhea, although the title is also strongly associated with Gaia and Kybele, who have similar functions. She was worshipped as the mother of Zeus and the Galaxia celebrated His birth just as much as Her giving birth to him. Kronos--as Her consort and His father--was most likely also sacrificed to, along with Hera, who as Zeus' wife deserved honour alongside Him. Our ritual for that can be found here.
~~~
"As I have been ordered by my doctor to lose a great deal of weight, I was wondering if you had any suggestions for which Gods or Goddesses I should pray to (I assume Heracles would be one of these) or which Hymn's of Homer I should recite. If you could get back to me, I would greatly appreciate your input."
Herakles would be a great hero to pray to, as would any Gods and Goddesses connected to battle, struggle and physical health. Ares and Athena come to mind, along with Asklepios and even Niké. Especially Ares is a God I pray a lot to when it comes to working out and getting in shape, Demeter might also be a good option to help make healthy food choices.
~~~
"I see that you have ideas about honoring certain gods, which can include their families..ie, Apollo, Artemis, Leto, and zeus , etc. Do you have any ideas of honoring Hera, daily and just to do something special for her, offerings or a devotional."
Do you do daily ritual now? Hera is included in mine. If you only wish to honour Hera, however, you can with a simple ritual.
- Set out a bowl of water
- Set out a bowl of wine and dilute it with water - Light a candle to Hestia with a match - Drop the match into the bowl of water and use it as khernips to cleanse - Wash your hands and face and flick the access water off over your shrine to cleanse it. - Recite the Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia:
"Blessed Goddess Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollo, the Far-shooter at goodly Pytho, with soft oil dripping ever from your locks, come now into this house, come, having one mind with Zeus the all-wise—draw near, and withal bestow grace upon my song."
- Pour some wine out to Hestia
- Light an incense burner with aromatic herbs like bay-leaf, chamomile, chrysanthemum, jasmine flowers, laurel, lavender, myrtle, rose, sandalwood, verbana, etc. or add it to a sacrificial fire
- Recite a hymn to Hera, like Homeric Hymn 12 to Hera:
"I sing of golden-throned Hera whom Rhea bare. Queen of the Immortals is she, surpassing all in beauty: she is the sister and wife of loud-thundering Zeus,--the glorious one whom all the blessed throughout high Olympos reverence and honour even as Zeus who delights in thunder."
- Pour some wine out to Hera
- Say your prayers
- Blow out the candle and clean up
~~~
"Do you know any artist that does drawing or paintings or even statuary. Commissioned pieces. I have been looking for a long time now and figured to ask because I have been meaning to commission some pieces of Hera or other gods as I become more financially able."
About commissioning pieces... I only know of Lykeia. Any readers interested....? Leave your contact info in the comments!
