Hellenismos - Greek Pagan Reconstructionism

Hellenismos is part of the Pagan reconstructionist group of religions. It's based on a revival of Greek religious beliefs and practices in pre-Christian times.

It's adherents encourage scholarship of ancient concepts, archaeology and texts be incorporated into the religion combined with modern sensibilities yet honoring Greek culture.

Sources Consulted in Hellenismos

An advantage that Greek polytheistic followers have over other Pagan reconstructionists is the vast amount of literature left behind by the Greeks. The mythological classics such as the Odyssey and Iliad, like most mythological texts, give great insight into the life of ancient peoples including their ideas of relationships and how they felt about spiritual matters.

Some other works that help modern worshipers develop their practice are The Hymn to Demeter (one of the Homeric Hymns), Hesiod's Works and Days, and Hymns of Orpheus. Greece has also been a subject much studied by scholars and archaeologists and so there is already a great deal of material to draw from to use for reference.

Many of us learned Greek mythology in school, so the names of the Olympian deities below should be very familiar. There is still debate regarding exactly which gods dwelt on Mount Olympus. But these are the 12 most agree upon:

• Aphrodite
• Apollo
• Ares
• Artemis
• Athena
• Demeter
• Dionysus (sometimes Hestia)
• Hades
• Hephaistos
• Hera
• Poseidon
• Zeus

Worship was regional. Not every god and goddess would have a devoted following all across Greece. Greek mythology also includes other deities and nature spirits that followers of Hellenismos may or not include in their personal practice.

There are various degrees of polytheism, or belief in many gods. Soft polytheism is the belief that there is one divine source that all the other deities come from or are parts of. Hard polytheism is the idea that all of the gods and goddesses are individuals and not emanations of one creator god. The individual Greek reconstructionists' beliefs may fall anywhere on the polytheistic spectrum.

There isn't one governing body that sets the standards of Hellenic Pagan reconstruction. I'm not implying that all that is involved in the beliefs and practices is covered in this article. This is just an introduction to a complex subject.

Among Hellenismos practitioners, orthopraxy (right practice) is favored over orthodoxy (right belief). This gives the individual freedom to contemplate the divine in his or her own way. Magic may be practiced, but generally, it isn't seen as a necessary component of honoring the gods and developing a relationship with them through offerings and prayer. One way that prayer is offered in Hellenic religion is thus:

• Ask the deity or deities to ritual and list the names they're known by and deeds they're known for.
• Name yourself and your ancestors. List the sacrifices your offering and if you've worked with these deities before, praise them for past blessings they've given you or simply thank them for bestowing their presence in the ritual.
• Then state your desires and what you're offering in return (i.e. sacrifice or vows) for them answering your prayer.

Some practitioners erect an altars and shrines in their home or they may even set aside a temple room for worship.

While Hellenismos doesn't have the concept of original sin or spending an eternity in hell, there is still impetus for ethical behavior. In fact, Greek philosophy heavily influenced early Christianity.

There were many Greek philosophers that developed theories on the ethics that people should be governed by including Aristotle, Plato and Socrates. The Delphic maxims are also a source for moral instruction. Two of these maxims are famous even in modern culture. They are to know thyself and nothing too much (also known as nothing in excess). Piety and hospitality play a large role in the ethics of this religion.

Not all Hellenic polytheists practice reconstructionism. But those who do try their best to recreate a religious practice as close to that of the ancient Greeks.

• Campbell, Andrew. Hellenic Ethics: Living Virtues in Community. The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. 2001. January 2009.
• Dutton, Dennis. On Prayer. Hellenion website, accessed 2009.
• Sannion/H. Jeremiah Lewis. What is Hellenismos? Sannion's Sanctuary. January 2009.