Question Collections post 43

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.

"Another Hades/Plouton ask: why is it kind of taboo to actively worship/invoke Hades? I understand His association with death, but He is not the god of death in the way Thanatos is, nor did he choose to be lord of the dear. I've always been very interested in Him both as Hades and as Plouton. I suppose my question is, why is this not really encouraged? Have I interpreted Him all long? Does He prefer not to be invoked by us?"

As king of the Underworld, the ancient texts tell us Hades became quite cut off from the world above. It were only the oaths and curses of men that reached His ears, as they reached those of the Erinyes. This is why when people invoked Him, they dug a pit to sacrifice in and struck the earth with their hands to get His attention. Black male sheep were offered to Him and the person who offered the sacrifice had to turn away his face.

Pausanias wrote in his 'Description of Greece' about the one temple (at Elis) where Hades was worshipped as Lord of the Dead:

"The sacred enclosure of Hades and its temple (for the Eleans have these among their possessions) are opened once every year, but not even on this occasion is anybody permitted to enter except the priest. The following is the reason why the Eleans worship Hades; they are the only men we know of so to do. It is said that, when Heracles was leading an expedition against Pylus in Elis, Athena was one of his allies. Now among those who came to fight on the side of the Pylians was Hades, who was the foe of Heracles but was worshipped at Pylus.

 

Homer is quoted in support of the story, who says in the Iliad:–
And among them huge Hades suffered a wound from a swift arrow,
When the same man, the son of aegis-bearing Zeus,
Hit him in Pylus among the dead, and gave him over to pains. Hom. Il. 5.395-397

 

If in the expedition of Agamemnon and Menelaus against Troy Poseidon was according to Homer an ally of the Greeks, it cannot be unnatural for the same poet to hold that Hades helped the Pylians. At any rate it was in the belief that the god was their friend but the enemy of Heracles that the Eleans made the sanctuary for him. The reason why they are wont to open it only once each year is, I suppose, because men too go down only once to Hades. " [6.25.2]

The only other time Hades as Lord of the Underworld was part of religious services seems to have been at funerals.

Hades was worshipped throughout ancient Hellas, but mostly in His epithet of Plouton; 'Wealth-giver', who was mostly connected to the fruitful earth, not the dead. He had a temple in Elis, near Mount Menthe, at Olympia, and was worshipped at Athens in the grove of the Erinnyes. In ancient Hellenic religion and myth, Ploutōn represents a more positive concept of the God who presides over the afterlife. The name Ploutōn came into widespread usage with the Eleusinian Mysteries, in which Ploutōn was venerated as a stern ruler but the loving husband of Persephone.

Ploutōn and Hades came to differ in character, but they are not distinct figures and share their  mythology. Ploutōn as the name of the ruler of the underworld first appears in Hellenic literature of the Classical period, in the works of the Athenian playwrights and of the philosopher Plato, who is the major Hellenic source on its significance. Under the name Ploutōn, the God appears in other myths in a secondary role, mostly as the possessor of a quest-object, and especially in the descent of Orpheus or other heroes to the underworld.

In general, Khthonic--Underworld--deities have Ouranic epithets that make them less scary and more helpful to humanity. It were these epithets that received worship, not the Kthonic ones. Worhipping Hades in His role as Lord of the Dead is a modern concept. Not wrong, per se, but modern.

~~~

"My husband and I are started looking into Hellenismos recently and we had a question pertaining to the Percy Jackson books. Percy uses a hand gesture described as a claw over the heart being pushed out to ward off evil. We were wondering if this is a real hand gesture and if so what are its origins? And are there any gestures in the Hellenistic religion that we should know about?"

This hand gesture is unknown to me, based on ancient sources. There are a few others I know of:

- During Ouranic sacrifice, the palms of both hands are turned upwards and the arms raised. During Khthonic sacrifices, this is reversed (palms down, arms down).
- Libations for Ouranic deities are poured out from a bowl in the right hand, libations to Khthonic deities are poured out from a bowl in the left hand.
- The 'fig sign', a gesture made with the hand and fingers curled and the thumb thrust between the middle and index fingers was a fertility and good luck charm designed to ward off evil in ancient Hellas, but is often seen as obscene now.
- The 'Mountza sign' was and is a traditional Greek insilt. It's made by extending and spreading all five fingers and presenting the palm or palms toward the person being insulted.
- When you swear an oath to the Theoi, hold up your right hand, bend your pinkie and ringfinger down to your palm and extend all other fingers up.

~~~

"Do you believe that you can consider yourself a practitioner of Traditional Hellenismos if you practice mindfulness, which has its origins in Buddhism? I have issues with anxiety and depression, and I find the techniques of mindfulness immensely helpful."

Yes, I do. The ancient Hellenes were big on meditation and practiced many other self-awareness and tempering techniques as they believed (rightfully so) that it sharpened their minds. Go for it, especially if it helps you! I truly believe that nothing should ever come between you and your mental health, even if it was frowned upon in ancient Hellas.

~~~

"What do you think will happen with your soul when you die? In a Hellenic Polytheistic way."

The ancient Hellenes believed that the moment a person died, their psyche--spirit--left the body in a puff or like a breath of wind. Proper burial was incredibly important to the ancient Hellenes, and to not give a loved one a fully ritualized funeral was unthinkable. It was, however, used as punishment of dead enemies, but only rarely. Funerary rites were performed solely to get the deceased into the afterlife, and everyone who passed away was prepared for burial according to time-honored rituals.

Orphic ideas of the soul and afterlife are most often defined by explicit contrast with the Homeric view of the afterlife, which is taken as the standard view for ancient Hellenic culture. The Homeric afterlife is that of a grim, joyless and tedious existence in the Underworld. The Underworld of Homeros exists solely--at least for the now departed mortal--of the Asphodel meadows. The dead drink from the river Lethe and forget who they were. Sacrifical (animal) blood returns a sense of life to the shades and they recover their memories for a short time. In this tradition, life is lived while you are alive. One you die, you are dead. You might cling to life, but you will never truly be part of it again.

The Orphics were an ancient mystical cult with affinities to Indian religious systems. They believed in reincarnation and the possibility of liberation. Orpheus, the movement's legendary founder, is said to have taught that soul and body are locked together during life; the soul is divine, immortal and aspires to freedom, and during life, the body acts as a prison to the soul. Death releases the soul for a short while, but is then captured by another body until that, too, dies, and so the soul moves from body to body--both human and animal--until it can attain the highest good: liberation. In order to reach liberation, the Orphic way teaches to turn to God by ascetic piety of life and self-purification: the purer the life lived, the higher will be the next reincarnation, until the soul has completed the spiral ascent of destiny to live for ever as God from whom it comes.

The ancient Hellenes called this process 'Metempsychosis' (μετεμψύχωσις). It is a philosophical term which refers to the transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death. The notion that the human soul enters another body upon death, though unfamiliar in Hellenic religion, was widespread in Hellenic philosophy. The doctrine of transmigration is first associated with the Pythagoreans and Orphics and was later taught by Plato and Pindar. For the former groups, the soul retained its identity throughout its reincarnations; Plato indicated that souls do not remember their previous experiences. Although Herodotus claims that the Hellenes learned this idea from Egypt, most scholars do not believe it came either from Egypt or from India, but developed independently.
 
My personal believes of life after death have shifted over the years. I transitioned into Hellenismos from Eclectic Religious Witchcraft and in my former Tradition, reincarnation was the primary belief. Since the ancient Hellenes had a version of it in metepsychosis, I simply went with that. Now, the older I get and the better my understanding becomes of the ancient Hellenic culture and religion, the more I pull to a more Homeric version of the afterlife. A bit later, perhaps, where Elysium is an option for those who live the highest, purest, of lives. I long for the meadows now. I don't strive for Elysium; I don't think it's for the common folk like me. Give me the meadows and the water of the river Lethe. Let me live life to the fullest. Let me live its up and downs. Give me the completion of my goals and my challenges, and then let me forget and wander in contentment, remembered sometimes--hopefully fondly--by those I leave behind.

• Thursday, November 11, 2021
  death Hades Khthonic Ouranic Pausanias personal Plato Question Collections Post requested post

On the Delphic Maxims, Solon, and using common sense

 Growing up, my mother taught me a good few valuable lessons, but the one that has undoubtedly kept me out of trouble most was leaning to keep my mouth shut if I didn't have anything positive to contribute to the discussion. If all you're doing is pushing air and adding venom, then it's best to just remain silent. So, now I sit unraveling discussions out, I try not to take things personal, and when I contribute to any discussion, it is with respect to the other person, their opinion, and myself.

What I like most about our commandment-like scriptures--most notably the Delphic Maxims and the Tenets of Solon--is that they make sense. Following them helps you be a better person; to practice Arête, and you don't really need to study them at all to follow them. Most--if not all--made complete sense in the ancient Hellenic culture, and as our modern culture is inspired hugely by ancient Hellas, they are often still engrained within our own; if you're lucky, you are taught them at home, or in school, like to keep your mouth shut if you don't have something positive to add.

Almost all of the Delphic Maxims fit into the Tenets of Solon in some way. Take my example of keeping your mouth shut; it's the modern stating of the ancient maxim 'Restrain the tongue' (Γλωτταν ισχε). This maxim, along with  few other (most notably 'Control yourself' (Αρχε σεαυτου), 'Control anger' (Θυμου κρατει), 'Pursue honor' (Δοξαν διωκε), 'Long for wisdom' (Σοφιαν ζηλου), 'Exercise nobility of character' (Ευγενειαν ασκει), and 'Make just judgements' (Κρινε δικαια)) make up Solon's tenet of 'Make reason your guide'--or what I like to remember as the modern 'Think before you act'.

I am not an authority on ancient Hellenic philosophy, by far, but I do want to mention Plato and his student Aristotle for a moment, as we are discussing common sense. I love the English term 'common sense'. The Dutch equivalent means 'logical thought', and does not quite pack the same punch. Common sense implies that what is morally and ethically right or wrong is understood by the community which the individual is a part of; as such, actions are culturally understood to be either right or wrong. Plato believed in a Good that did not chance according to circumstances and individual folly (paraphrasing here, there is far more nuance in his actual writings). As such, the Platonic ideal is autarkia (αὐτάρκεια)--self-control and self-sufficiency--which would only be possible if we assume that our lives are under the sway of the idea of the Good that would be universal and therefore unchanged by any external circumstance.

Aristotle disagreed, saying that ethical deliberations and choices are always determined by the particular situation that we are in, where the right course of action can never be determined in advance. If human action were governed by rules--laws, maxims, tenets--then we would never have to deliberate about our actions, because it would always be clear and transparent what the correct action is. We would simply have to learn these rules in advance to be sure that we would not make the incorrect and unethical decision.

Taking an example from my more eclectic Pagan days: are you allowed to defend yourself against the burglar who enters your home and threatens to kill your family, even if it means killing him? This is why we have addendums to our laws; murder is forbidden, but if self-defense can be argued, you might walk away without (external) punishment.

The maxims and tents are guidelines, and if regarded as such, Plato's ideals of Good and autarkia are valuable, because just looking at the list of Delphic maxims, it is easy to envision these ideals were shared throughout the whole of Hellas. They even resonate well with modern society. Yet, as Aristotle points out, using maxims and tenets as laws is futile; there will always be situations where any of these guidelines will lead to an evil action, or one with great cost to the individual and those around him. Moderation is in order, therefore, and it so happens to be that that is one of the most important and well known Delphic Maxims: Nothing to excess (Μηδεν αγαν)

• Wednesday, June 30, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Aristotle Delphic Maxims ethics Hellenismos 101 Paganism Plato Solon temperance

Question Collections post 22

 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.

"Which theoi can be invoked in regards to friendship? Has Dionysus got any connection with friendship?"

There is actually a Goddess in charge of friendship (and sexual intercourse): Philotes (or Philia). Not much is known about Her, but you can pray to Her for sure. Theoi.com has a small article about Her. Not surprisingly, 'philia' is also the word used by the ancient Hellenes to denote friendhsip. As for Dionysos... He does not have a direct link to Philotes, but when there is drinking involved, friendship tend to be easily born (and broken!), so I would not be surprised if Dionysos would be open to listen to issues concerning friendships.

~~~

"I managed to watch the documentary. While its very interesting, many things bother me. About the fact they keep saying our gods are archetypes, for example. And at one point it's said that in ancient Greek religion 'we say we created the gods at our image'. That made me cringe. Am I wrong in thinking this?"

That would be this documentary. The woman who explained these things, explained them very simplisticly. She ditched all 'minor' Gods and put all major domains with the dodekatheon. She also integrated ancient Hellenic philosophy into her story when she spoke of mankind creating the Theoi. Her thought process is largely influenced by Socrates, and later Plato and Xenophanes (him especially). These philosophers, in turn, were influenced by the Jewish prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who interpreted parts of the Old Testament to reflect the idea that man created the Gods as a way to feel safer (simplifying here).

During the sixth and fifth centuries BC, the traditional Olympian religion began to lose its hold on some aristocratic Athenian citizens. A small number of poets and philosophers began to question popular views of the Gods (Socrates, famously, was put to death for that). They shifted their interest away from the role of Gods in mythical stories, supernatural events, and everyday life and instead towards the search for a single rational principle at the heart of the universe. They pushed religion from deities to divinity, from divine interventions to physical causes, and from tangible images to invisible forces. Xenophanes (570-478 BC) famously said:

"Ethiopians make their gods snub-nosed and black; the Thracians make theirs blue-eyed and red-haired ... Mortals imagine that the gods are begotten, and that the gods wear clothes like their own and have language and form like the voice and form of mortals. But if oxen or lions had hands and could draw and do the work with their hands that men do, horses would have drawn the form of gods like horses and oxen gods like oxen and they would represent the bodies of the gods just like their own forms."

Plato had much the same idea:

"The gods are human contrivances, they do not exist in nature but only by custom and law, which moreover differ from place to place according to the agreement made by each group when they laid down their laws."

As did Athenian playwright-poet Critias (460-403 BC), who had the leading character in his play Sisyphus, promoting a related idea:

"... a man of shrewd and subtle mind invented for men the fear of the gods, so that there might be something to frighten the wicked even if they acted, spoke or thought in secret. From this motive he introduced the notion of divinity. There is, he said, a spirit enjoying endless life, hearing and seeing with his mind, exceeding wise and all-observing, bearer of a divine nature. He will hear everything spoken among men and can see everything that is done."

Xenophanes and Plato believed in the Gods, though, and questioned only Their form--most ancient philosophers did. So the views expressed in the documentary definitely have ancient foundations. I don't agree with this way of thinking as the roots of my religious view lie earlier, with writers like Hesiod and Homeros. But to view the Gods as archetypes and created by humanity is definitely a valid form of thought and worship within Hellenismos. That said, I think philosophy and religion are not the same thing and while they influence each other, you can have one without the other as well. For more on that, please see here. I hope this puts your mind to rest a little.

~~~

 

"Hello Elani! I have a devotional necklace I wear constantly for Apollon. Is there a time when I shouldn't wear it? Like sex or sleeping or working or showering?"

Personally, I do not feel that a devotional necklace or anything you wear to show your dedication to the Theoi needs to be taken off for anything. It's a personal gesture that--while very important to you--is not tied directly to the Theoi, nor does it automatically draw Their gazd. It's something that shows other people what (and who) you stand for--it's not an extention of the Theoi.

~~~

"Do you have any resource on Oracle of Delphi?"

What sort of resources are you looking for? I have quite a few posts up on the subject on my blog?

• A blog on the history behind Delphi
• A meditation to the oracle of Delphi
• A blog on the riddles of oracles
• A blog on the Delphic Maxims
• Heck, I have a series going on on them
• A blog on the omphalos, the navel of the world

I hope this helps!

~~~

"Do you speak/read ancient Greek? If so how did you learn and how would you recommend others learn? Have you ever been to Greece?"

I don't, actually. I would love to learn, but I suck at languages. English and Dutch is about all I can manage. I hope to one day get the hang of it, though. I have been to Greece, though. As a child, but still. I went there twice. Would you like to see pictures?

• Wednesday, June 9, 2021
  Delphi Dionysos personal Philotes Plato Question Collections Post requested post

Constellation Hercules: the kneeler

 I have already written quite a lot about the Hellenic hero Hēraklēs, whose name was later Romanized as 'Hercules'. In fact, I am writing a continuing series about his labours. That said, this post will not be just about him, because there were others associated with the myth, despite the name.

 

The name of the constellation in ancient Hellas was Ἐγγόνασιν, The Kneeler, or On His Knees. That said, the ancient Hllenes already associated the myth with the hero Hēraklēs. Hyginus, for example, in his 'Atronomica' describes:

"Eratosthenes says he is Hercules, placed above the dragon we have already mentioned, and prepared to fight, with his left hand holding his lion skin, and his right the club. He is trying to kill the dragon of the Hesperides, which, it is thought, never was overcome by sleep or closed its eyes, thus offering more proof it was placed there as a guard. Panyassis in the Heraclea says of the sign that Jupiter, in admiration of their struggle, placed it among the stars; for the dragon has its head erect, and Hercules, resting on his right knee, tires to crush the right side of its head with his left foot. His right hand is up and striking, his left extended with the lion skin, and he appears to be fighting with all his strength.

Aeschylus, in the play entitled Prometheus lyomenos, says that he is Hercules, fighting not with the dragon, but with the Ligurians. For he says that at the time Hercules was driving away the cattle of Geryon, he journeyed through the territory of the Ligurians. They joined forces in trying to take the herd from him, and pierced many of the beasts with arrows. But after Hercules’ weapons failed, worn out by the number of the barbarians and lack of arms, he fell to his knees, already suffering from many wounds. Jove, however, out of pity for his son, provided that there should be a great supply of stones around him. With these Hercules defended himself and put the enemy to flight. And so Jove [Zeus] put [t]he image of his fighting form among the constellations." [II.6]

Yet, Hyginus also mentions other possibilities and other noteworthy people who have an opinion on the matter; Araethus, for example, who calls this figure Ceteus, son of Lycaon, and father of Megisto:

"He seems to be lamenting the change of his daughter to bear form, kneeling on one knee, and holding up outstretched hands to heaven, asking for the gods to restore her to him." [II.2]

For those who these names are unfamiliar, Megisto is in some writers another form for Kallistô, the mother of Arcas, who is also called Themisto. I have discussed the happenings with this family before, for the constellation Boötes, but will recap for the unity of this post. Arcas (Ἀρκάς), son of Zeus and Kallistô (Καλλιστω). After Arcas was born, Hera caught wind of the affair and turned Kallistô into a bear. Alternatively, Kallistô was a priestess of Artemis, and Artemis punished her for losing her virginity by turning her into a bear. Because of the metamorphosis, the boy was raised by his maternal grandfather Lycaon, who would later kill and serve up his grandson to the Theoi as dinner, for which he was turned into a (were)wolf. When Arcas grew up, he went out to hunt and found a beautiful bear. He chased her through the woods. The bear--his transformed mother Kallistô--ran towards him as soon as she recognized her son. Arcas was terrified and raised his bow to shoot her. Zeus intervened swiftly and placed Kallistô and her son in the sky. Kallistô became Ursa Major and Arcas either Ursa Minor or Boötes.

Hyginus goes on to quote Hegesianax, who says that:

"...he is Theseus, who seems to be lifting the stone at Troezene. Aegeus is thought to have put [corrupt] and a sword under it, and warned Aethra, the mother, not to send him to Athens until he could lift the stone by his own strength and bring the sword to his father. And so he seems to try to lift the stone as high as he can. In this connection, too, some have said that the Lyre, placed nearest this sign, is the lyre of Theseus, for he was skillful in all the arts and seems to have learned the lyre as well. This, too, Anacreon says: Near Theseus, son of Aegeus, is the Lyre." [II.6]

Theseus was fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, whom had both slept with his mother Aethra, and was thus destined to become a hero. In order to claim his rightful place as ruler over Athens, he had to uncover his father's sandals and sword from under a stone in his mother's birth land where Theseus grew up, and bring it to his mortal father. Theseus lifting the stone at Troezene would have been his first heroic act, and thus worthy of immortalization in the stars.

Hyginus offers a few more options:

"Others call him Thamyris, blinded by the Muses, kneeling as a suppliant; others, Orpheus, killed by the Thacian women because he looked on the rites of Father Liber. Again, some have said that he is Ixion with his arms bound, because he tried to attack Juno. Others say he is Prometheus, bound on Mt. Caucasus." [II.6]
 

I have written about the affairs with Ixion and Prometheus, so for reference, please visit those posts. I have also written about Orpheus, but with a different constellation: Cygnus: the swan. In it I describe how Orpheus wanders the world after loosing his wife for good, and stumbles upon revelers who rip him apart. His lyre is placed into the sky and Plato describes that Orpheus is turned into the constellation Cygnus because he does not want to be reincarnated as a woman, a risk he would run if he stayed in human form. It seems others thought he was put into the sky as a man regardless, and near his lyre at that.

Thamyris  (Θάμυρις) is new to this blog. He was the son of Philammon and the nymph Argiope, and a Thracian singer who was so proud of his skill that he boasted he could outsing the Muses. He competed against them and lost. As punishment for his presumption they blinded him, and took away his ability to make poetry and to play the lyre. Hómēros outlines the tale in the Iliad:

"From Pylos, and lovely Arene; from the ford of the Alpheius at Thryum, from well-built Aepy, from Cyparisseis, and Amphigeneia, Pteleos, Helos, and Dorium, where Thamyris the Thracian met the Muses, as he came from Eurytus’ house in Oechalia, and they put an end to all his singing: he who had boasted he would win his contest with those aegis-bearing daughters of Zeus, they blinding him in anger, robbing him of his sweet gift of song, so he forgot the cunning of his harp; in their fleet of ninety hollow ships the warriors came, led by Nestor the Gerenian charioteer." [II: 581-644]

It seems there is great variety in the interpretation of the person the constellation depicts, but whomever it is, they are visible at latitudes between +90° and −50°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July.

• Monday, June 7, 2021
  Arcas astronomy Constellation series Hēraklēs Hómēros Hyginus Iliad Kallistô Mythology 101 Orpheus Plato Ptolemy Thamyris Theseus

Collected hymns to Hestia

Pindar, Nemean Ode 11

"Daughter of Rhea, guardian of parliaments, Hestia, sister of all-highest Zeus, and of Hera who shares his throne, welcome with goodwill to your sacred hall."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca

"He [Kronos] then married his sister Rhea. Because both Ge and Ouranos had given him prophetic warning that his rule would be overthrown by a son of his own, he took to swallowing his children at birth. He swallowed his first-born daughter Hestia, then Demeter and Hera, and Poseidon and Haides... When Zeus was grown, he engaged Okeanos' daughter Metis as a colleague. She gave Kronos a drug, by which he was forced to vomit forth first the stone and then the children he had swallowed. With them Zeus fought a war against Kronos and the Titanes." [1. 4 - 7]

Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite

"Nor yet does the pure maiden Histia love Aphrodite's works. She was the first-born child of wily Kronos (Cronus) and youngest too, by will of Zeus who holds the aigis,--a queenly maid whom both Poseidon and Apollon sought to wed. But she was wholly unwilling, nay, stubbornly refused; and touching the head of father Zeus who holds the aigis, she, that fair goddess, sware a great oath which has in truth been fulfilled, that she would be a maiden all her days. So Zeus the Father gave her a high honour instead of marriage, and she has her place in the midst of the house and has the richest portion. In all the temples of the gods she has a share of honour, and among all mortal men she is chief of the goddesses. Of these three Aphrodite cannot bend or ensnare the hearts."

Homeric Hymn 24 to Hestia

 "Hestia, you who tend the holy house of the lord Apollon, 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."

Orphic Hymn 84 to Hestia

 "To Hestia, Fumigation from Aromatics. Daughter of Kronos (Cronus), venerable dame, who dwellest amidst great fire's eternal flame; in sacred rites these ministers are thine, mystics much blessed, holy and divine. In thee the Gods have fixed their dwelling place, strong, stable basis of the mortal race. Eternal, much formed, ever florid queen, laughing and blessed, and of lovely mien; accept these rites, accord each just desire, and gentle health and needful good inspire."

Plato, Phaedrus 246

 "Zeus, the mighty lord, holding the reins of a winged chariot, leads the way in heaven, ordering all and taking care of all; and there follows him the array of gods and demigods, marshalled in eleven bands; Hestia alone abides at home in the house of heaven; of the rest they who are reckoned among the princely twelve march in their appointed order."

Aristonoos of Corinth, one to Hestia and to the Pythian Apollon. They were recorded in the fourth century BC. I'd like to share the hymn to Hestia today, as I'm feeling particularly in need of a quiet and warm home today.

Aristonoos of Corinth - Hymn to Hestia

Holy Queen of Sanctity,
we hymn you, Hestia, whose abiding realm
is Olympus and the middle point of earth
and the Delphic laurel tree!
You dance around Apollo’s towering temple
rejoicing both in the tripod’s mantic voices
and when Apollo sounds the seven strings
of his golden phorminx and, with you,
sings the praises of the feasting gods.
We salute you, daughter of Kronos
and Rhea, who alone brings firelight
to the sacred altars of the gods;
Hestia, reward our prayer, grant
wealth obtained in honesty: then we shall always
dance around your glistening throne.

• Sunday, June 6, 2021
  Apollodorus Aristonoos Hestia Homeric Hymns hymns Plato

Orichalcum: the metal of Atlantis

 In Greek, the term 'Atlantis' means 'island of Atlas' (Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος), and it may very well have applied to the island of Santorini. It was Plato who brought life--and myth--to Atlantis. According to him, Poseidon fell in love with Cleito, the daughter of Evenor and Leucippe, who bore him five pairs of male twins. The eldest of these, Atlas, was made rightful king of the entire island and the ocean--called the Atlantic Ocean in his honor--and was given the mountain of his birth and the surrounding area to rule over. It was also Plato who wrote that Poseidon made Atlantis--a huge island with a volcano at its center--His home after Zeus, Hades and He divided the world.

Plato's description of Atlantis would have fit the ancient hellenic version of Santorini well. It was a large, mountainous, island, with an active volcano at its center. The large settlement on the island was build around said volcano. Poseidon's influence on the island isn't a stretch of the imagination at all; there was sea and ocean all around and from time to time, the entire island would tremble due to the volcano.

The volcano eruption decimated the settlement, but from what archeologists and scholars have been able to piece together, the settlement was a sight to behold while it stood. It had walls eight meters tall, three story houses, beautiful frescos and a rich economic climate. The volcano eruption preserved much of the ancient city of Akrotiri, despite the huge lagoon the eruption left at the center of the island.

One of Atlantis' marvels was the much-praised and highly valuable metal called 'orichalcum'. It was called 'aurichalcum' by the Romans and is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias dialogue, recorded by Plato. In it, he says:

"Some of their buildings were simple, but in others they put together different stones, varying the colour to please the eye, and to be a natural source of delight. The entire circuit of the wall, which went round the outermost zone, they covered with a coating of brass, and the circuit of the next wall they coated with tin, and the third, which encompassed the citadel, flashed with the red light of orichalcum."

The name derives from the Greek ὀρείχαλκος, oreikhalkos (from ὄρος, oros, mountain and χαλκός, chalkos, copper or bronze), meaning literally 'mountain copper' or 'copper mountain'.

In January 2015, a team of divers have discovered dozens of pieces of ancient metal from a shipwreck, aged 2,600 years, off the coast of Sicily island, in the south of Italy. The lumps of metal were arriving to Gela in southern Sicily, possibly coming from Greece or Asia Minor. The ship that was carrying them was likely caught in a storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port. They were unlike any metal ever found. Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

The mining of orichalcum would have made Atlantis (or Santorini) very wealthy as it seems the metal was only mined there, and orichalcum was considered second only to gold in value.

• Thursday, May 27, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Atlantis Atlas Mythology 101 Plato Poseidon

Question Collections post 20

 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.

"Do you know anyone with UPG into the personality of the river god Achelous or even who works with Greek river gods in general? Also, a popular source on Achelous says his worship was once widespread. I can't anymore detail on this though. I also can't find the source which speaks of the numerous wives and descents of this god. "

I don't think I do, but here is a shout-out to anyone reading this who does! Please get in contact with me so I can link you two...? Thanks! As for His children, Apollonius Rhodius, in the 'Argonautica', ascribes the sirens to Him as offspring:

"And soon they saw a fair island, Anthemoessa, where the clear- voiced Sirens, daughters of Achelous, used to beguile with their sweet songs whoever cast anchor there, and then destroy him. Them lovely Terpsichore, one of the Muses, bare, united with Achelous; and once they tended Demeter's noble daughter [Persephone]still unwed, and sang to her in chorus; and at that time they were fashioned in part like birds and in part like maidens to behold. And ever on the watch from their place of prospect with its fair haven, often from many had they taken away their sweet return, consuming them with wasting desire; and suddenly to the heroes, too, they sent forth from their lips a lily-like voice." [4.885]

Naiad nymphs of springs along the Gulf coast, such as Kastalia at Delphoi, and Peirene in Korinthos, were described as his daughters, as described by Pausanias in his 'Description of Greece':

"You reach, on the right of the way [to the sanctuary of Delphoi, Phokis] the water of Kastalia, which is sweet to drink and pleasant to bathe in . . . Panyassis [epic poet C5th B.C.] who composed an epic poem on Herakles, says that Kastalia was a daughter of Akheloios. For about Herakles he says:--`Crossing with swift feet snowy Parnassos he reached the immortal water of Kastalia, daughter of Akheloios.'" [10.8.9.]

As the largest of the rivers of southern Hellas Achelous was worshipped in many of the countries bordering the Gulf as the God of fresh-water springs. His largest cults were in Athens, Oropos, and Thespia:

Plato, in 'Phaedrus':
"Here, a fair resting-place, full of summer sounds and scents. Here is this lofty and spreading plane-tree [on the banks of the Ilissos river in Attica], and the agnus cast us high and clustering, in the fullest blossom and the greatest fragrance; and the stream which flows beneath the plane-tree is deliciously cold to the feet. Judging from the ornaments and images, this must be a spot sacred to Akheloios and the Nymphai. How delightful is the breeze:--so very sweet; and there is a sound in the air shrill and summerlike which makes answer to the chorus of the cicadae. But the greatest charm of all is the grass, like a pillow gently sloping to the head."

Pausanias, in his 'Description of Greece':
"[In the sanctuary of Amphiaraus in Oropos, Attika :] The altar shows parts . . . the third is to Hestia and Hermes and [the hero] Amphiaraus and the children of Amphilokhos . . . The fifth is dedicated to the Nymphai and Pan, and to the rivers Akheloos and Kephisos." [1.34.3.]

Philostratus the Elder, in 'Imagines':
"A youth [Narkissos] just returned from the hunt stands over a pool . . . The cave is sacred to Akheloos and the Nymphai, and the scene is painted realistically. For the statues are of a crude art and made from a local stone; some of them are worn away by time, others have been mutilated by children of cowherds or shepherds while still young and unaware of the presence of the god [i.e. Dionysos]." [1.23]

I would also like to point you to this page on Theoi.com about the cult of the Potamoi, the river Gods.

"I read your blog and found a blog post containing a video and information about ancient hellenic clothing. I would like to make a new himation as I am unhappy with my short one I made. I would like to wrap it around my body and, if I like to, even be able to cover my head with a piece of it, so I want to ask how large and how broad the piece of cloth should be to do this."

Let me give you the base measurements of all clothing items: the cloth for the chiton has to be your own height. For a peplos, the cloth has to be your height plus at least 18" (this will be the part you fold over). Both clothing items need to be twice your 'wingspan' in width. The himation was a rectangle of various sizes--in essence, if it's long or short enough for you to do with what you want, it is correct. For me, I try to choose a piece of cloth that reaches below my ass once I have pulled it up over my head. Again, this depends on your height.

"Have you heard about the great Hellenic mystic, Neopythagorean and possibly the prototype of Jesus Christ, Apollonius of Tyana?"

As far as I am aware, Neo-Pythagoreanism was a school of Hellenistic philosophy which revived Pythagorean doctrines. Ancient Hellenic philosophy is not my strongest knowledge base, but if I remember well, it focussed on spiritual purity and 'mind over matter'-type of behaviour in order to reach it. Religiously, I think its biggest influence/difference with mainstream thought was that prayer was more important than outward actions like sacrifice in worshipping the Theoi.

 

Apollonius of Tyana was a Roman philosopher and a Neo-Pythagorean. As he lived at the time of Christ and his teachings were partly similar, the two were compared by (Christian) writers from about the 4th century AD on. Both figures fit the mythic hero archetype, after all, and that archetype, specifically, is found in much of (Hellenic) mythology. Other examples include Theseus, Perseus, and Zeus himself. Outside of Hellenic mythology, Robin Hood comes to mind.

 

So yet, I have heard of both, but both are just a little outside of my usual time period of interest :)

 

 

"Could people like Hypatia (a wondorous Alexandrian female philosopher, mathematician and astronomer) or emperor Julian be considered the defenders of our faith or even martyrs, as some, like Hypatia, died in the name of ancient wisdom, culture and the gods from the hands of the Christians?"

 

I have trouble answering this question, and I will tell you why. Hypatia was definitely murdered by Christians, but she was murdered for her social associations, not for trying to re-institute Hellenic worship or life. In a feud between Orestes, the prefect of Alexandria and Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria over the regulation of Jewish dancing exhibitions in Alexandria, she was blamed for influencing Orestes not to reconcile with Cyril after one of 500 monks who resided in the mountains of Nitria, and who sided with Cyril,  struck Orestes in the head with a rock. Whether she had was besides the point. The backlash was on the Christians, as the actions by the Christian mob that killed her was widely criticized.

 

Emperor Julian did try to reconcile Christianity and Paganism. It's important to realize though that in the Roman empire during his two years of ruling (361-363 AD), there was no consensus about a state religion. Followers of many religious traditions lived together, creating a religious melting pot. Julian was a follower of the ancient ways and he tried to push for a broader adoption of those. During his lifetime, neither pagan nor Christian ideology won out, and the merits of all were greatly debated. What Julian did accomplish--and that was a major shift--was that he made Paganism a religion, where previously it had been a collection of traditions. As such, it could be 'pitted' against Christianity. Emperor Julian was committed to fostering religions other than Christianity, and that included Judaism. Because of this, the Jews came to call him 'Julian the Hellene', as in that time the term 'Hellene' was given the meaning of 'pagan' by the early Christian church. Julian died during the war with the Persians in an effort to further the rule of the Roman empire.

 

Yes, these people were heavily influenced by either Hellenic thought or Hellenic tradition (logical for the time they lived in). They were also some of the later people we know of who did so. That said there are probably many people we haven't heard of who believed the same. These people were not people who spent 24 hours a day, seven days a week promoting Hellenic thought. They promoted Hellenic thought, but it was just the way they lived their lives. I think anyone can be a personal hero, or even one of a tradition, if their actions are inspiring to people who hear their story or live it up close. As such, yes, I think Hypatia and Julian can be heroes. Are they martyrs...? Per definition, a martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and/or death for advocating, renouncing, refusing to renounce, and/or refusing to advocate a belief or cause of either a religious or secular nature. Neither qualifies per definition, but if you want to view them as symbols of exceptional leadership and heroism, then you are free to do so. They did live with the principle teachings of ancient Hellenic thought and religion, so in that way, they can definitely be seen as inspirational. All I would ask is to not forget about all the regular people no one wrote about but who lived their life in the same way.

• Tuesday, May 25, 2021
  Achelois ancient Hellenic culture Apollodorius Emperor Julian Hypatia Pausanias personal Philostratus Plato Question Collections Post requested post Roman

Question collections post 2

 "I'm confused... is Baring the Aegis part of Elaion? What are you in all of this? I'm not trying to be rude, I am just confused. Sorry."

No need to be sorry! Okay, let's see. Elaion has been around for a lot longer than I am a Hellenist, but I did join it almost a year ago. Since then I have become a core member and help Robert Clark--my very, very good friend and religious partner--with the day to day of running Elaion. By and large, he is responsible for the Yahoo groups and the mentoring program, and I have set up and take care of the Elaion Facebook Page. I hope it makes better sense now.

"In your post Of Stains and Devotion there are pictures of your gorgeous ritual tools, cups, and so on. Where do you buy it? I really want to buy especially a kylix and a khernibeion, but I don't know where! I have googled but come up empty-handed :("

When I joined Paganism in 2000, I decided I would get my ritual tools from thrift stores and other such places only. I was not allowed to go out and hunt for them, or order them anywhere; I had to walk into them in unlikely places. I let go of a bit of that philosophy once I got into Hellenism, but all the ritual tools I have were either bought myself at thrift stores or given to me by friends who came across them in thrift stores. Only my books and the hand towels I use were bought new.

As for where to buy these items if you were looking for them; my khernibion is simply a bowl; try any cooking shop or fancy home deco store. Same goes for the mortar I use to burn my offerings in. As for the kylix; perhaps one of my readers knows somewhere to order them cheap? I'd be much obliged!

"Where does Neo-Platonism fall in regard to [multideism]"

This question was asked in regards to the 'rules' of Multideism--specifically rule one: 'the gods are many, separate and distinct. Any attempt to reduce the multitude of divinities to a single source or being is not multideism, but monotheism.'

To be honest, I don't know. I was going to answer this question on that blog post itself, but I could use your help. I am not a Neo-Platonist, and I believe strongly that philosophy and religion are not one and the same, although they can influence each other greatly. From what I understand of Neo-Platonism, the One is not so much an entity, but simply a source. It's panentheism, if anything, and while it alludes to one source, this source does not, in fact, stand alone. There are many Gods (etc.) in the Neo-Platonic divine hierarchy so I would classify it as Multideistic, but if you feel uncomfortable with that, a case for monotheism can also be made. As always, that is the problem with labels; there will always be cases where the lines blur.

"I'm curious as to what your take is on polyamory and a modern day Hellenic practice."

While I answered this one a while ago, I wanted to include it today, simply because I was thinking back then that I really should do something with my answer--as others might find it interesting as well--but couldn't figure out how. As such, I'm posting my answer as I gave it for everyone to take from what they wish.

When we look at ancient Hellenic practices, I'd say it depends on your definition [of polyamory]. In general--especially in Attica, etc.--marriage was between one woman and one man, where the man was allowed mistresses. Do you count the relationship with the mistress as a poly relationship? Personally, I don't, because in the hierarchy, the mistress is lower than the wife. For a true polyamorous relationship, the three of them should be equal (or at least the women should be, in this case). 

In a more modern context, I don't think the Gods care much--if at all--about our sexual preference and subsequent sexual behaviour. Marriage vows matter, as does family, but for a poly relationship to work, all parties involved must agree and function well together as a family unit. This leaves the core values of the faith intact--and probably more honest than some non-poly relationships; there is a level of honesty required in poly relationships that goes beyond any requirement in a two person relationship (although it would help!).

• Monday, January 11, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture daily practice Elaion Hellenismos 101 Pandora's Kharis personal Plato Question Collections Post requested post

Artist reconstructs faces of famous ancient Greeks

Italian artist Alessandro Tomasi has reconstructed the faces of ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and statesmen using as reference statues and busts kept in various museums around the world.

Tomasi, who is based in Florence, has gained thousands of followers on social media around the globe for his painstaking work of bringing the past back to life.

• Thursday, December 31, 2020
  Alexander the Great Antisthenes Aristotle current affairs Demostenes herodotos Hómēros Plato Pythagoras Socrates Thales of Milete

Ten ancient Hellenic writers you should know (and five more)

Listverse released a list of ten ancient Hellenic writers you should know. It's a good list, and the reasoning why these were chosen is a great read in and of itself. The ten who made the cut are:

10. Hómēros -- writer of the Iliad and the Odysseia
9. Sophocles -- the tragedian who wrote (amongst others) Antigone, Oedipus the King and Electra
8. Herodotos -- whose book The Histories is considered the first work of history in Western literature
7. Euripides -- the tragedian who wrote (amongst others) Alcestis, Medea and The Bacchus
6. Hippokrátēs -- who fathered modern medicine, mostly with his Hippocratic Corpus
5. Aristophanes -- the comic playwright who wrote (amongst others) The Clouds, The Wasps and Lysistrata
4. Plato -- one of the fathers of Western philosophy
3. Aristotle -- the last of the great Hellenic philosophers 
2. Euclid -- a mathematician and the father of geometry, whose main work--The Elements--is still used as a textbook in mathematics 
1. Archimedes -- a mathematician, engineer, inventor, physicist and astronomer whose ideas are as the basics of all these disciplines

I most certainly concur that this list lists some of ancient Hellas' most influential writers, but the list is far from complete. Today, I want to add five more to it, and most of my picks will no surprise you.

5. Sappho
Sappho (Σαπφώ) was a Hellenic lyric poet, born on the island of Lesbos (Λέσβος) around 620 BC, although the exact date is unknown. She wrote beautiful and highly romantic poetry that comes and goes straight to the heart. One of the most famous of her works is her Hymn to Aphrodite.

4. Aeschylos
As the original list includes both Sophocles and Euripides, it seems only fair to include Aeschylos. Aeschylos (Aiskhulos, Αἰσχύλος) was the first of the three Hellenic tragedians whose plays can still be read or performed. According to Aristotle, he expanded the number of characters in plays to allow for conflict amongst them, whereas previously characters had interacted only with the chorus. Aescholos' most famous works are undoubtedly the Seven against Thebes, the Supplicants and the Orestia. 

3. Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos ( Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος) was an Ionian Hellenic philosopher, mathematician, and the father of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. He lived from about 570 BC to about 495 BC, and made influential contributions to philosophy, religious teaching, math, ethics, and science. His most famous work is, undoubtedly, the Pythagorean theorem (a^2 + b^2 = c^2), that's standard in every math textbook. Interestingly enough, not a single bit of writing has been preserved--if he ever wrote anything down to begin with. His works are mostly quoted by his students, or known through critiques by Aristotle.

2. Plutarch
Plutach (Ploútarkhos, Πλούταρχος) was an ancient Hellenic historian, biographer, and essayist who lived between 46 and 120 AD. He is known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia, but much of his work is lost to us. Plutarch's writings are full of details about people and places, and are therefor a true treasure trove.

1. Hesiod
Hesiod (Hesiodos, Ἡσίοδος) was a Hellenic oral poet who lived between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Hómēros. I would dare say that his work--especially 'Works and Days' and the 'Theogony'--has shaped the way scholars and practitioners of Hellenismos view ancient Hellenic society, religion and way of life. This is why I strongly feel that anyone who feels drawn to the Theoi, might benefit from investing some time in reading his words.

• Saturday, November 21, 2020
  ancient Hellenic culture Aristophanes Aristotle current affairs Euripides Hellenismos 101 herodotos Hesiod Hippokrátēs Hómēros Plato Plutarch Pythagoras Sappho Sophocles

The Golden Age of Greek science

A golden age captures the best and greatest virtues of human achievements. These accomplishments, however, must have the potential of uplifting humanity to a higher plane of living and be sufficiently moral for building civilization. Greece had two golden ages. Their legacies, especially in science, made Western civilization.

The first Hellenic golden age took place after the Greeks defeated the Persians in early fifth century BCE. During the fifty years between the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, Athens in particular shone with a flourishing and confident Greek culture: democracy, building of the Parthenon, philosophy, science, classical architecture, theater, athletic games, and military strength.

The second golden age was the result of another Greek military victory over the Persians. This happened in the second half of the fourth century BC when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and spread Hellenic culture throughout the world.

This is a summary of an article by vaggelos Vallianatos, a historian and environmental theorist. He worked on Capitol Hill and the US Environmental Protection Agency for several years. He is the author of hundreds of articles and 6 books. The author’s blog: https://vallianatos.blogspot.com. You can find the full article here.

Alexander and Aristotle
Alexander, 356 – 323 BC, was the son of King Philip II of Macedonia. Philip hired Aristotle to tutor his thirteen-year old son. For about seven years Aristotle taught Alexander Greek history, philosophy, politics, ethics, science and international relations, focusing on the Persian threat and the need for a united Greece to revenge the Persian invasion of Greece in the early fifth century BC. His message to Alexander was this: knowledge about the workings of the world matters, but so does knowing oneself.

Alexandria
In 336 BC, a soldier assassinated King Philip II. Immediately, the twenty-year old Alexander became a king and launched his invasion and conquest of Persia. With Aristotle in mind, Alexander founded Alexandria in Egypt, making clear to his generals Alexandria was to be the Greek Aristotelian capital of his empire. Alexander appointed one of his generals and close friends, Ptolemy, son of Lagos, 367 – 282 BC, to be the governor of Egypt. When Alexander died in 323 BC in Babylon, Ptolemy consolidated his power in Egypt. In 305 BC, he made himself king of Egypt and took the name Ptolemy I Soter (Savor). He started translating Alexander’s Aristotelian dream into reality.

Ptolemy was fortunate to have the assistance of Demetrios of Phaleron, a student of Aristotle who was also author of philosophical works. Demetrios convinced him to replicate Aristotle’s school in Athens in Alexandria, first of all, by building a Library and a Mouseion, Shrine of the Muses (university-institute for advanced studies). Ptolemy was also a student of Aristotle. He encouraged Demetrios to implement the Aristotelian proposal.

Ptolemy I died in 283 BC. His successor, Ptolemy II Philadelphos (of Brotherly Love), 308 – 246, continued his father’s tradition and lavished money and political support to the Mouseion and its staff, famous scientists, poets, and scholars recruited from all over the Greek world.

The Ptolemies also established a Library of about 500,000 volumes in the Broucheion section of the palace and a sister Library of probably 42,000 volumes in the temple of Zeus Serapis or Serapeion / Serapeum.

Alexandria surpassed Athens in scientific and technological achievements. It became the center of knowledge and civilization for Greece and the world.

Science and scholarship
The Greek kings of Alexander’s empire, especially the Ptolemies of Egypt, created the foundations for a rational commonwealth characterized by scientific exploration, state-funded research, the scholarly study of earlier Greek culture and the editing of Homer, Hesiod and the Greek classics. The scholars of Alexandria pioneered the techniques of scholarly research and painstaking study, which spread all over the civilized world. They continue to be the model for classical and scientific studies.

In late fourth century BC, Euclid codified Greek mathematics in his masterpiece, The Elements. Archimedes of Syracuse was such a great third century BC genius in mathematics and mechanics-engineering that, in a real sense, he set the foundations of modern science. Galileo and Newton relied on him.

In the second century BC, Hipparchos, the greatest Greek astronomer, set shop in Rhodes where he invented mathematical astronomy and left his fingertips on the Greek computer.

Antikythera Mechanism
This computer, which archaeologists of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens dubbed Antikythera Mechanism, is a marvel of heavens and Earth. For about half a century, scientists, Greek and foreign, were shocked with an ancient Greek astronomical machine that worked with gears, the first gears that made it from antiquity to modern times. So, not knowing what to make of it, they described it as astrolabe, also ancient Greek invention, but of limited astronomical capabilities. It could identify planets and stars and measure the altitude of a celestial body above the horizon. The Antikythera computer could accurately predict the eclipses of the Sun and the Moon as well as track the movements and position of the planets.

The Antikythera computer was a reliable religious, athletic, and agricultural calendar. It connected celestial phenomena to a calendar of the seasons, sowing and harvest, sacrifices to the gods, and the two and four-year cycles of religious and athletic celebrations in the Greek world. Because of its predictive function, it served astronomers, farmers, priests, and athletes. It revealed the secrets of the stars by exhibiting the order of the whole heavens: it predicted the will of the gods.

A Greek ecumene
Alexander’s successors spread Hellenic, not Hellenic-like or Hellenistic, civilization throughout Asia and the Middle East while uniting Greece for the first time.

Strabo, a Greek geographer whose life covered the violent transformation of the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, 63 BC to 23 AD, visited Alexandria. He was impressed by its wide streets crossing each other at right angles and suitable for horses and carriages.


Greek education was the badge of civilization. Reading Homer, Plato, and Sophocles and enjoying the comedies of Menander was essential to being a citizen of the Alexandrian Age. Failure in this Greek education was the equivalent to being a barbarian.

• Sunday, June 7, 2020
  Alexander the Great ancient Hellenic culture archeology Aristotle bloggers I admire current affairs Plato Ptolemy Roman Strabo

Lecture: "Eros and Philosophy in Ancient Greece"

I love to stumble upon random college bits. And with corona measures in place, it's a lot easier this days to learn a little something extra. I'd like to share a course with you today as taught by Philippe-Antoine Hoyeck who teaches at Carleton College in Canada.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Love is sometimes described as a form of madness, a formidable irrational force that overpowers our will, a condition that we fall into and that can bring either bliss or destruction. In this course, we will challenge this view by adopting a different starting point. Through a survey of the Western philosophical tradition, we will explore the possibility that, far from being beyond intelligibility, love (and sex) can be understood and that an ‘art of love’ can be cultivated.

Our investigation will lead us to question many aspects of our experience of love by considering its socially constructed nature, its possible objects, and its effects –a process that will help us to better appreciate the role of love and sex in a flourishing human life. We will pursue our inquiry in a diversity of contexts such as friendship, romantic love, family love, and self-love. Exploring ancient and contemporary texts that defend diverging views on love will help us cultivate precious philosophical abilities such as intellectual flexibility, definitional clarity and critical awareness.

The first lecture can be viewed here, in two parts:

• Sunday, May 3, 2020
  Aristotle current affairs Plato video videos

A brief introduction to the ancient Hellenic female physicians

Many Hellenists and ancient Hellas enthusiasts are unfamiliar with the fact that in ancient Hellas, female physicians were quite commonplace (although their numbers were small), and that they were by and large accepted and honored as skilled workers. As the image of the role of women in ancient Hellas is--very much unnecessarily so--equated solely with submissiveness and housewifery, I would like to paint a portrait of women as physicians in ancient Hellas, and give you a few examples of them.

The practice of having women doctors dates back to roughly the fifth century B.C. Very little information remains about the female physicians of ancient Hellas, which--in and of itself--can be interpreted as a favorable sign of their accepted existence; apparently, their role was commonplace enough not to keep track of and refer to often. An exception is Plato, who mentions the female physicians in passing:

"And if, I said, the male and female sex appear to differ in their fitness for any art or pursuit, we should say that such pursuit or art ought to be assigned to one or the other of them; but if the difference consists only in women bearing and men begetting children, this does not amount to a proof that a woman differs from a man in respect of the sort of education she should receive; and we shall therefore continue to maintain that our guardians and their wives ought to have the same pursuits.

[...] One woman has a gift of healing, another not; one is a musician, and another has no music in her nature? [...] And one woman has a turn for gymnastic and military exercises, and another is unwarlike and hates gymnastics? [...] And one woman is a philosopher, and another is an enemy of philosophy; one has spirit, and another is without spirit? [...] Then one woman will have the temper of a guardian, and another not. Was not the selection of the male guardians determined by differences of this sort? [...] Men and women alike possess the qualities which make a guardian; they differ only in their comparative strength or weakness." [445]

Plato, here in his Republic, does not only include female physicians (and athletes, warriors and philosopher), but uses them to prove his point that men and women are both suited for al professions, but have natural dispositions to professions, which rely not on gender but skills and character traits.

Plato's view was a modern one, though, as ancient Hellenic female physicians had quite a rough ride at first. It seems that women were allowed to learn gynecology, obstetrics, healing, and midwifery in the time of Hippocrates, and could study these arts at Hippocrates' school in Asia Minor. After Hippocrates died, however, Athenian lawmakers found women doctors doing abortions; something tolerated in ancient times, but most certainly not encouraged. As a result, they either restricted or banned women from medicine. They imposed the death penalty for violators.

As female physicians left the medical field, the death toll amongst ancient Hellenic women began to rise; with social modesty rules keeping sick women from speaking to a male physician, it became impossible to seek help. Then, in the fourth century B.C., an Athenian woman named Agnodice (Ἀγνοδίκη) disguised herself as a man. She went to the great University at Alexandria, studied medicine, and entered the medical field. She kept her disguise, and set up a medical practice for women.

Needless to say, Agnodice became a popular physician amongst the ancient Athenian women, and her male colleagues became jealous of her success. They charged her with corrupting women patients, and Agnodice was forced to reveal herself as a woman. As practicing medicine (or certain types of medicine) were still punishable by death, Agnodice found herself in a world of trouble. Thankfully, she was acquitted when her many patients arrived at her trial to praise her successes as a physician and chastised their husbands for trying to execute Agnodice. After it concluded, Athenian law changed the law to allow women to be treated by female physicians in Athens.

There is very little evidence to support Agnodice's existence, although she could have most certainly existed. It is possible that Agnodice's story is a way to mythologize the new ruling for women to return to medicine.

Although female physicians were active in gynecology and obstetrics in ancient Hellas, it was rare that women physicians practiced in other areas of medicine. Childbirth and obstetrics in antiquity were viewed as acceptable areas of medical practice for women who were able to gain medical training as physicians, in large part because of the ancient tradition of midwifery and its association with women trained by other women.

There are many more examples of female doctors in ancient Hellas. The temples of Hygeia and Panacea had female healers, and their work was highly praised. Other famous examples include Metrodora, a Hellenic female physician and author of the oldest medical text known to have been written by a woman, On the Diseases and Cures of Women, Antiochis of Tlos, who was rich and influential enough to have a statue made in her honor--alluding to the possibility that she treated men as well, and that her practice went beyond the typical 'female fields'--and a Hellenic medical lecturer called Philista who was said to be so brilliant and beautiful she had to teach from behind a curtain.

This list and exposition are not complete by far, but do give an impression of the existence, history, and status of female physicians in ancient Hellas. Perhaps it will clear up some of the misconceptions surrounding women in ancient Hellas.

• Tuesday, February 18, 2020
  Agnodice ancient Hellenic culture Asia Minor Athens Metrodora Plato

Historian claims Atlantis is hiding off the coast of Britain

Please, take this with the uttermost grain of salt, but it was too good not to share. We all knwow hat Atlantis is, right? Atlantis is the (fictional?) island first described by Plato in his texts Timaeus and Critias, said to be an antagonist naval power that besieged Ancient Athens. In the story, Athens repels the Atlantean attack unlike any other nation of the known world, supposedly giving testament to the superiority of ancient Greece. The story concludes with Atlantis falling out of favour with the deities and submerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

In two YouTube video posted on his channel Ancient Architects, the expert claimed that Rockall is the most likely location for Atlantis and there are clear and obvious manmade features that leave no doubt of a lost ancient civilisation.

"The description of Atlantis should be our starting position when looking for it. First of all, to simplify his words, Plato says that beyond the Straits of Gibraltar, in the Atlantic Ocean is an island as big as Libya and Asia put together. From this island, you could pass to yet more islands before ending up at the opposite continents that surround the Atlantic Ocean. The opposite continent has to be the Americans, it is on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean and therefore this piece of information must rule out the Americas as a possible location. 

With this in mind, geologically speaking, there is no huge sunken supercontinent within the Atlantic Ocean, between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Americas that match the description. Therefore, in my opinion, Plato, or whoever this piece of information came from, was exaggerating the size for political reasons. If any specific place fits Plato’s words, I would say that this area is Rockall. For a start, Plato is explicit that Atlantis isn’t a city, but an island, that leads to other islands, then to the enormous opposite continent, which can only be the Americas. The other islands he refers to must be situated between the Americas and sunken continental landmass of Atlantis, close to Europe and Africa as Plato says it is outside of the Pillars of Hercules."

Mr Sibson went on to identify Rockall, an uninhabited granite islet off the coast of the UK, as a possible candidate.

"The only sizeable piece of continental crust under the sea our side of the Pillars of Hercules is Rockall. Furthermore, you can island hop from Rockall to the Americas via Iceland and Greenland. Plato goes on to say that a wonderful empire had arisen in Atlantis, which had rule over the island, as well as many others. I would suggest that the islands that belonged to Atlantis were the ones that connected it to the Americas. Plato says there was a time of extraordinary earthquakes and inundations, and in one terrible storm the warriors of Atlantis were swallowed and Atlantis likewise sank into the sea and vanished. He says this is why the ocean in this part can not be navigated or explored, owing to the great depth of mud caused by the subsiding of the island."

Mr Sibson explained why geological activity near Rockall may have caused it to fall into the Atlantic.

"It is still the case that the sea is too shallow to sail over, with numerous ships in history caught in the rocks. This part of the northern Atlantic has quite a complex geological history and there is clear evidence that Rockall was torn apart through numerous faults. The highly faulted Atlantic Ocean would have been forced into moving geologically both vertically and horizontally, leading to increasing volcanic activity and major water displacement in the form of tsunamis. Interestingly, the northernmost part of the ridge looks somewhat different to the main rift valley, in that there is one enormous fault zone in the ocean crust."

• Wednesday, January 22, 2020
  archeology Atlantis current affairs Plato

Repost: What, exactly, is a polis?

The polis (πόλις) literally means "city" in Greek. The plural is "poleis" (πόλεις). It's almost synonymous with "city-state": a sovereign state, also described as a type of small independent country, that usually consists of a single city and its dependent territories. Athens was one, for example, as was Sparta.

In the ancient world, the polis was a nucleus, the central urban area that could also have controlled the surrounding countryside, which were usually part of the polis. These outskirts were called usually called "Khôra" (χώρα). There were around 1500 archaic and classical Hellenic poleis. Many of them are listed here. The region formed by a cluster of poleis, bound geographically and ethnically, was an ethnos (ἔθνος, nation). Its plural is "ethne."

The Ancient Hellenic city-state developed during the Archaic period as the ancestor of city, state, and citizenship and persisted (though with decreasing influence) well into Roman times. The term polis, which in archaic Greece meant "city", changed with the development of the governance center in the city to signify "state" (which included its surrounding villages). Finally, with the emergence of a notion of citizenship among landowners, it came to describe the entire body of citizens. The ancient Hellenes did not always refer to Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and other poleis as such; they often spoke instead of the Athenians, Lacedaemonians, Thebans and so on. The body of citizens came to be the most important meaning of the term polis in ancient Hellas.

Plato analyzes the polis in The Republic, whose Greek title, Πολιτεία (Politeia), itself derives from the word polis. The best form of government of the polis for Plato is the one that leads to the common good. According to Plato, there are five main economic classes of any polis: producers, merchants, sailors/shipowners, retail traders, and wage earners. Along with the two principles and five economic classes, there are four virtues. The four virtues of a "just city" include, wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. With all of these principles, classes, and virtues, it was believed that a "just city" (polis) would exist.

Derivatives of polis are common in many modern European languages. This is indicative of the influence of the polis-centred Hellenic world view. Derivative words in English include policy, polity, police, and politics. In Greek, words deriving from polis include politēs and politismos, whose exact equivalents in Latin, Romance, and other European languages, respectively civis ("citizen"), civilisatio ("civilization"), etc., are similarly derived.

• Sunday, January 12, 2020
  ancient Hellenic culture Athens Plato