Sex as part of ritual

"What can you tell me about dedicating sexual intercourse to one of the love gods? Would it be possible to make having sex part of a ritual to someone like Aphrodite or Eros?"

Hellenic society was complicated when it came to sex; the ancients saw sex as completely natural and--unlike many today--had no inhibitions and very few taboos when it came to straight up heterosexual sex. Anything else had societal stigma's attached to it. Nudity was generally accepted by the ancient Hellenes, although social rules had to be observed. Women rarely went completely uncovered in every day life, but displayed their bodies through their clothing. Men could cast off their clothing more readily. If either gender undressed, it was seen as irreverent to do so partly, and thus they appeared either fully clothed or naked. Partial nudity was frowned upon in almost all social settings, while full nudity was often accepted.

Ritual prostitution was a valid form of worship for Aphrodite in Cyprus, the center of her cult, in Cythera, Corinth and in Sicily. The women were called 'hierodoule' (ἱεροδούλη), temple slave, and 'made love' with paying customers. The practice was considered distinctly 'un-Hellenic' by 460 BC, but it made Corinth very wealthy, indeed. The practice seems to have lingered in converted Corinth from earlier worship of Astarte, who was brought into the pantheon as Aphrodite in Hellas. Pindar describes this exact practice beautifully in his 'Eulogies' (Fragment 122):

"Young women visited by many, servants of Peitho in rich Corinth, you who burn the tawny tears of pale frankincense, on many occasions fluttering in thought to the Uranian mother of desires, Aphrodite--To you she has granted without the possibility of refusal, O children, to have the fruit of your soft bloom plucked in lovely beds. And with necessity, everything is beautiful."

Aphrodite is the professional patron, protector and avenger of hierodoule as well as hetairai--female companions, a term used non-sexually for women, about women, but used by men to indicate a woman hired for entertainment, often leading to sex. She passes no judgement on those who enjoy the sanctity of sex and offers protection to those who practice it for money. That said, I don't know if the sexual encounter with the hierodoule were practiced inside the temple, or dedicated to the Goddess at all; it could just be a form of prostitution and a way to enrich the temple and city.

Within the Eleusinian Mysteries, there is also mention of sex--since many of the festivals have to do with fertility and childbirth. Most of those mentions take place at home, however, in the sanctity of the oikos. While this lovemaking was obviously linked to the Mysteries, I am not sure if the Gods were actively asked to witness the events. It was something that happened in the spirit of the festival, yes, but even then, the Mysteries are an old tradition. The cult itself likely has origins dating back to the Mycenean period of around 1600 to 1100 BC, and it is believed that the cult of Demeter Herself was established in 1500 BC. These proceedings were a secret, and although many people were a member of the cult, speaking of anything that happened during the rites was punishable by death.

Now for the practical: within the Hellenic religious practice, 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 a pollutant--which includes bodily fluids. Mikalson in 'Ancient Greek Religion' mentions that a bath was required before entering a temple after intercourse as a form of katharmos. He, however, does not give a source, and I don't know one either. It is a reoccurring idea, though, mostly centred on the male's excretions during the activity. The Hellenic religious organization 'Labrys' echoes the sentiment, but also without sourcing. Miasma would be one of the reasons I can think of that would support abstinence in a religious setting.

There are five steps to proper, Hellenistic ritual: procession, purification, prayers and hymns, sacrifice/offerings, prayers of supplication and thanks, usually followed by a feast and/or theatre and sporting events. Personally, I don't see a way to include sex in this format. Making love in the spirit of a festival, sure, but seeing as it seems impossible to follow the proper steps and make love--not to mention the very important influence of miasma--I don't think we should include the Gods in our lovemaking. Personally, I don't ask Demeter to watch on for the Haloa--nor would I feel at all comfortable having the eyes of the Gods on me when I make love. My answer to the question would be 'no', but if you come to another conclusion, please fill in your practice as you see fit!

• Thursday, January 8, 2015
  ancient Hellenic culture Aphrodite Eros Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 katharmos miasma requested post

Facebook shrines and other groups

I'm not very active on Facebook (although I do maintain a page for this blog and moderate for the Elaion Facebook group). For those of you who are, there are great groups available to join, either for all the Hellenic Gods or for a singular one. I would like to share a few of those today. This post is not meant as an exhaustive list; please feel welcome to post other shrines and groups in the comments so I can add them!

Shrines:
The Kantharos [Dionysos] - "This group has been set up to enable and easen communication for those who have tasted the sweet and crimson wine of the god Dionysus himself or are interested in tasting the ecstasy brought to us by him."
Libations for Apollon - "Libations for Apollon is a Hellenic group designed for regular worship practices and theological... discussion of the impact of Apollon in our lives and spiritual experience of the god. This can range anywhere from regular rituals for Apollon Agyeius and Apollon Noumenios that are the core roles of Apollon in the domestic religious life, to greater epithets and roles the god takes."
Shrine of Ares - "This Shrine is dedicated to the Olympian Ares God of War only. Here you can share your Ares Altars, talk about your altars, share photos, prayers, poems, book recommendations etc."
Shrine of Hephaestus - "This Shrine is dedicated to the Olympian Blacksmith Hephaestus only. Here you can share your Hephaestus Altars, talk about your altars, share photos, prayers, poems, book recommendations etc."
Shrine of Poseidon - "This Shrine is dedicated to the Olympian Lord of the Sea, Oceans and Rivers and his Queen Amphitrite and their children. Here you can share your Poseidon Altars, prayers, poems, creative ideas, offering suggestions, book recommendations etc."
Temple of Persephone - "Welcome to the Temple of Persephone, an online community dedicated to the worship and research o...f the Goddess Persephone however you see Her. From the archetypal Daughter at Eleusis, to the great Savior Queen of the Orphics, to the domestic Marriage Goddess of the Locrians, She has many beautiful forms to celebrate."

Groups:
Ancient Greek gods' new believers - The Hellenes still mourn the end of their civilisation in the 4th Century AD, when Christians representing the new official religion of the Roman Empire began destroying their temples, statues and libraries. "We are a legitimate religion and yet they call us pagans".
Elaion - "Elaion is a religious organization committed to re-establishing the ancient Hellenic religion (known as Dodekatheism, Hellenic Reconstructionism, Hellenismos) to its rightful place in society."
Hellenic Pagan - "This is a group for discussion of the religious practices of the ancient Hellenic world as well as modern religious practices that are in some way based on those. We welcome Reconstructionists, Wiccans, and any other pagans who worship the Greek gods in some way, as well as people who are interested in talking about such worship. This list is for polytheists with explorations into the myths, gods, and ancient practices as well as personal experiences. Do you need to be Greek to join us? Not at all: We represent many backgrounds, nationalities, cultures, and ethnicities. We believe that our diversity is one of our strengths, and we welcome you into our mix."
Hellenic Polytheistic Community - "The topic of this group is the Hellenic ethnic religion, its associated history, culture, customs, language, etc. This also encompasses historical syncretisms of the Hellenic ethnic religion and other ethnic religions, as well as "modern" ones, as long as there is a clearly recognizable Hellenic component to it."

• Wednesday, January 7, 2015
  current affairs Hellenic Reconstruction Paganism

When did humanity start worshipping the Theoi?

"When did the worship of the Theoi start in Greece?? Some sources say 4000 BCE and others say 1000 BCE, and I'm confused..."

Religion--in one form or another--has been around for at least 200.000 years, right down to the Lower Palaeolithic. From there on it has evolved, branched, been shaped and moulded. Gods formed, were conflated with others or forgotten entirely, and new ones emerged. Religion has always been flexible, so pinpointing when the ancient Hellenes started worshipping the ancient Hellenic Gods is fraught with squishy guesswork. For one, what is 'the Hellenic pantheon'? Which Gods need to have been worshipped to form the whole of the pantheon? In what form? And where? Athena was most likely imported from Lybia long before Athens was a thing, for example, so does that time count? Some of the ancient Hellenic Gods would have been worshipped in what we now call Greece, after all. The modern Greek area was already inhabited in the Palaeolithic, so does that count? How about the Minoan culture of Krete?

I think I know what you are trying to ask, though. Personally, I put the start of the worship of the Theoi at the start of the Hellenic era. The reign of the Hellenes lasted for roughly 650 years. During that time, several major changes took place within the culture and religion of these people. Trying to reconstruct all these practices is not only impractical but also impossible. As a Hellenic Recon, it therefor becomes important to find out which classical, Hellenic, period speaks to us.

Within modern Hellenic Recon, three periods in the history of ancient Hellas stand out and I'll take on the basics of each and try to explain their differences on practice:

• Archaic Period (800 BC - 480 BC)
• Classical Period (480 BC - 323 BC)
• Hellenistic Period (323 BC - 146 BC)

The Archaic Period
Before the Archaic period, there was no Hellas. As the Mycenaean civilization fell, it signaled the end of the Dark Ages. The founders of ancient Hellas founded their own script, based off of the Phoenician alphabet and small social hubs began to emerge. Because the land they lived on was divided into islands, or intercut with mountains, many of these hubs were self-governed. Many wars were fought over the next 300 years or so, as the cities Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes tried to expand their land, work force and supply of raw materials.

As the population grew, the territory was expanded and colonies were set up as far as Magna Graecia (Southern Italy and Sicily) and Asia Minor. This expansion reigned in an age of tentative stability and economic prosperity. There was a lot of trade between the core cities and the settlements on the edges of the domain. It was during this time, democracy was created to arrange the rule of the city of Athens.

For Hellenic religion, this age was a formative age. Gilbert Murray in his 'Five Stages of Greek Religion' describes how the various tribes of the Dark Ages brought their Gods with them as they traveled the land and settled in different places. Various Gods with overlapping domains were worshipped in different parts of the region, forming a cohesive but unstructured whole. There are varying incarnations of Gods and Goddesses and their abilities and strength vary greatly across the land.

The Classical Period
The Classical period is the best know period. Most of what we know about ancient Hellas is from this period. The Classical period was the foundation of modern Western politics, architecture, scientific thought, literature, and philosophy. It was also the age of Athens; most of what we still know about ancient Hellas comes from records from this city who was at its greatest during the two centuries of the Classical period.

Many wars were also fought during this age, the most famous being the Persian war. Although Athens struggled through the wars and a temporary rule under Sparta, many issues settled and solidified during these two centuries. Democracy became well-defined and the major temples were built. This is the age of Herodotos, Euripides, Socrates and Plato. This is also the age in which Alexander the Great came to power.

This was also the Age of the Olympians. Many of the old Gods got merged into single personas with different epithets to accommodate local worship. This more unified faith was introduced to many of the city states and although it was never a unified whole, this was the closest the ancient Hellenic religion ever got to being a solidified faith.

The Hellenistic Period
At the start of the Hellenic period, ancient Hellas was at its largest. Alexander the Great had conquered lands as far as Asia Minor, Assyria, the Levant, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Media, Persia, and parts of modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the steppes of central Asia. The term 'Hellenistic', as applied to this time period is a modern invention, dating back to the mid-19th century. It is defined by the 'Hellenisation' of the conquered lands, something that succeeded only partially, although all areas fell under the Hellenic nation. It is offset by 'Hellenic', which describes Greek culture in its native form.

After Alexander the Great died, there was no logical successor. He left his empire to 'the strongest' and thus his generals fought a forty year battle which resulted in four major domains. Next to those four, much of mainland Hellas and the Hellenic islands remained at least nominally independent, although often dominated by Macedon. the four domains, called dynasties, were:

• The Antigonid dynasty in Macedon and central Hellas;
• The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt based at Alexandria;
• The Seleucid dynasty in Syria and Mesopotamia based at Antioch;
• The Attalid dynasty in Anatolia based at Pergam

The Hellenistic period ended with the rule of Rome over many former Hellenic territories. Both the lands and Gods were integrated into the Roman dynasty. It signalled the end of the Hellenic world as it had stood for centuries.

Perhaps needless to say, I adhere to the '1000 BCE'-theory (sort of), but really, a case can be made for pretty much any number you want.

• Tuesday, January 6, 2015
  ancient Hellenic culture Athena Athens requested post

'Greece: Moments of Personal Happiness' photo contest

I'm not going to lie and say I am a fan of Russia, but never the less, perhaps some of my readers would be interested in the following: the Hellenic Cultural Center in Moscow is organizing an international photography contest called 'Greece: Moments of Personal Happiness', and you can enter.

The contest is in collaboration with two Russian cultural institutions, the Library of Foreign Literature 'Dante Alighieri, and the Photography Club 'M-53'. It is being organized for the occasion of the 'Greece-Russia 2016' Year. The aim is to present the history, culture, nature of Greece’s urban centers and provinces, to highlight various aspects of everyday life of Greek people, private and public, and to construct a mosaic portrait of the country, through the art of photography.

The contest addresses Greeks and philhellenes, and all who have a love for Greece. Works should be submitted from January 1 through September 30, 2015. Photos should have been shot in Greece, with resolution of at least 2000 pixels and must be submitted in jpg format to the email address: photofromgreece2015@gmail.com. Each participant can send a maximum of five photos. The photographs will be evaluated by a judging committee and the works of the winners will be exhibited at the Hellenic Cultural Center in Moscow.

• Monday, January 5, 2015
  current events

Constellation Serpens: the serpent

Serpens ("the Serpent", Ὄφις) is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is unique among the modern constellations in being split into two non-contiguous parts, Serpens Caput (Serpent's Head) to the west and Serpens Cauda (Serpent's Tail) to the east. Between these two halves lies the constellation of Ophiuchus, the 'Snake-Holder'.

The constellation Ophiuchus (Ὀφιοῦχος) has has had its stars interpreted in a number of ways throughout the years, and the Hellenic-era interpretations are mostly lost to us. Hyginus is our primary source on this constellation, and he was a Roman man. Many men could be represented with the constellation, but for Serpens, only one really applies: the healer-God Asklēpiós.

Asklēpiós splits Serpens into two distinct halves, as he was known for killing a snake that was resurrected because a different snake had placed a certain herb on it before its temporary death.  Hyginus has the following to say about Serpens and the affairs of this uplifting into the sky in his 'Astronomica':

"Many astronomers have imagined that he is Aesculapius, whom Jupiter, for the sake of Apollo, put among the stars. For when Aesculapius was among men, he so fare excelled the rest in the art of medicine that it wasn’t enough for him to have healed men’s diseases unless he could also bring back the dead to life. He is said most recently, according to Eratosthenes to have restored to life Hippolytus who had been killed by the injustice of his stepmother and the ignorance of his father. Some have said that by his skill Glaucus, son of Minos, lived again. Because of this, as for a sin, Jove struck and burned his house with a thunderbolt, but because of his skill, and since Apollo was his father, put him among the constellations holding a snake.

 

Certain people have said that he holds the snake for the following reason. When he was commanded to restore Glaucus, and was confined in a secret prison, while meditating what he should do, staff in hand, a snake is said to have crept on to his staff. Distracted in mind, Aesculapius killed it, striking it again and again with his staff as it tried to flee. Later, it is said, another snake came there, bringing an herb in its mouth, and placed it on its head. When it had done this, both fled from the place. Where upon Aesculapius, using the same herb, brought Glaucus, too, back to life.

 

And so the snake is put in the guardianship of Aesculapius and among the stars as well. Following his example, his descendants passed the knowledge on to others, so that doctors make use of snakes." [II.14]

Serpens is depicted as either winding around Ophiuchus in the night sky or simply passing through him, although the precise reason for either of these is unknown. In some ancient atlases, the constellations Serpens and Ophiuchus were depicted as two separate constellations, although in most they were shown as a single constellation.

Serpens is visible at latitudes between +80° and −80°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July.

• Sunday, January 4, 2015
  Asklēpiós astronomy Constellation series Hyginus Mythology 101 Ptolemy

On Athena's epithet 'Pallas'

"Hello, can you help me maybe? :) I haven't been able to find out what Athena's epithet "Pallas" means?"

'Pallas' is one of those epithets of which the origins have pretty much been lost. In Hómēros this name always appears united with the name Athena, as Pallas Athênê or Pallas Athênaiê. In later writers we also find Pallas alone instead of Athena. The most probable explanation is that 'Pallas' is the same word as 'pallax', i.e. a virgin or maiden, but there are many more options.

Plato in 'Cratylus' derives the surname from pallein, to brandish, in reference to the goddess brandishing the spear or aegis:

"Hermogenes: Still there remains Athene, whom you, Socrates, as an Athenian, will surely not forget; there are also Hephaestus and Ares.
Socrates: I am not likely to forget them.
Hermogenes: No, indeed.
Socrates: There is no difficulty in explaining the other appellation of Athene.
Hermogenes: What other appellation?
Socrates: We call her Pallas.
Hermogenes: To be sure.
Socrates: And we cannot be wrong in supposing that this is derived from armed dances. For the elevation of oneself or anything else above the earth, or by the use of the hands, we call shaking (pallein), or dancing.
Hermogenes: That is quite true.
Socrates: Then that is the explanation of the name Pallas?
Hermogenes: Yes; but what do you say of the other name?
Socrates: Athene?
Hermogenes: Yes.
Socrates: That is a graver matter, and there, my friend, the modern interpreters of Homer may, I think, assist in explaining the view of the ancients. For most of these in their explanations of the poet, assert that he meant by Athene "mind" (nous) and "intelligence" (dianoia), and the maker of names appears to have had a singular notion about her; and indeed calls her by a still higher title, "divine intelligence" (Thou noesis), as though he would say: This is she who has the mind of God (Theonoa);- using a as a dialectical variety e, and taking away i and s. Perhaps, however, the name Theonoe may mean "she who knows divine things" (Theia noousa) better than others. Nor shall we be far wrong in supposing that the author of it wished to identify this Goddess with moral intelligence (en ethei noesin), and therefore gave her the name ethonoe; which, however, either he or his successors have altered into what they thought a nicer form, and called her Athene."

Pseudo-Apollodorus has two explanations. The first is that it is a honourable mention to the giant Pallas, who was slain by Athena. Then there is his explanation in 'Bibliotheca', where he links the name to Athena's youth and her friend Pallas:

"They say that after Athene's birth, she was reared by Triton, who had a daughter named Pallas. Both girls cultivated the military life, which once led them into contentious dispute. As Pallas was about to give Athene a whack, Zeus skittishly held out the aegis, so that she glanced up to protect herself, and thus was wounded by Athene and fell. Extremely saddened by what had happened to Pallas, Athene fashioned a wooden likeness of her, and round its breast tied the aegis which had frightened her, and set the statue beside Zeus and paid it honour." [3.144]

Athena would have taken Pallas' name as a way to honour Her and keep Her memory alive, as it was an ancient Hellenic belief that the dead whose name was spoken remained tied to the person and family.

Which (if any) of these the true origin is, I do not know. Personally, I follow the latter explanation due to UPG reasons. Which one works for you is--naturally--up to you.

• Saturday, January 3, 2015
  ancient Hellenic culture Apollodorus Athena Hómēros Mythology 101 Pallas Plato requested post

Sanctuary of Asklēpiós in Epidaurus to get a makeover

The sanctuary of the God-Physician Asklēpiós in Epidaurus, southern Greece, is to get a makeover, as part of a project that will be included in National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds for 2014-2020.

Theatre at Epidaurus [Credit: Protothema]

Worship places of Asklēpiós were called 'asklepieia'. An asklepieion served as a temple, a hospital, and as a training-institute of the healing arts. The most famous of all the asklepieia was located at Epidaurus, and large parts of it are preserved. The site is open to visitors. In ancient Hellas, the sick would come to an asklepieion and offer a sacrifice to Asklēpiós--amongst the recorded sacrifices are black goats or sheep, gold, silver, or marble sculptures of the body part that required healing, and coins--in hopes of healing. They would then settle into the abaton or enkoimeterion, a restricted sleeping hall, which was occupied by the sick alone, or sometimes by a group of them, as well as a good few snakes.
According to Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis, the budget for the project amounts to 5,650,000 euros. The purpose of the initiative is to make improvements to the landscape surrounding this important archaeological site, including the addition of a herb garden with healing plants, new pathways for tourists, kiosks that will provide information about the history of medicine and promote local agricultural products with healing properties, etc.

Located in a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asclepius, comprises of three principal monuments, the temple of Asklēpiós, the Tholos and the Theatre – considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture – that date from the 4th century.

The theatre of Epidaurus was--and is--a huge theatre, seating 15.000 people. The theatre was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. In the time of the Hellenes, the theatre had thirty-four rows. Another twenty-two were added in the time of the Romans. While there were many theatres in ancient Hellas, the theatre of Epidaurus is famous for its perfect acoustics. Even today, you can hear a match being struck on the stage from any point in the theatre. For a limestone construction that's 2400 years old, that's pretty impressive.

The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods, is a precious testimony to the practice of medicine in antiquity and it's brand new make-over should add much more allure to it.

• Friday, January 2, 2015
  archeology Asklēpiós current affairs