🧿enbyprofen|artie🪼

As there is not a large, agreed upon set of pillars in Hellenic Polytheism, I will be using ones I am going to start using, based off my own research. A common theme from each pillar is the avoidance of *hubris*, which is excessive pride and the belief that you are better or equal to the Gods. (This is quite possibly the only “sin” in all of Hellenic Polytheism, as a lot of the stories against mortals in Hellenic myths deal with mortals with *hubris*.)

Arete - living to your fullest potential

Arete, meaning “excellence” or “valor”, is the belief that one should live up to the fullest potential of yourself. When one lives up to their fullest potential, and not comparing yourself to others, it is aimed to bring happiness to the individual. It is also about putting things in your own hands, and not being a bystander, watching life go by. It is such a core part of Hellenic ethics that almost every philosophical and religious work about ethics contains it.

Ethike Arete - live an ethical life

Ethike Arete, meaning “moral virtue” or “character virtue”, is the belief that one should follow ethics and an ethical life, and the word from the Gods. This is usually in relation to follow the Delphic Maxims, 147 maxims given to oracles of Delphi, said to be given by Apollo himself.

Eusebia - piety and love to the Gods

Eusebia, meaning “pious”, is the belief that one should have respect towards the Gods and praise and honor them, via festivals, prayers, sacrifice, and devotion. It also relates to knowing *why* you should be doing the ritual and how it helps the Gods.

Hagneia - purity before the Gods

Hagneia, meaning “cleanliness”, is the belief that in the presence of the Gods, one should be clean. This is related to the concept of miasma, meaning “pollution” but not akin to sin, and removing it before praying to the Gods, as not doing is so is considered highly disrespectful.

Kharis - giving to the Gods and our relationship with Them

Kharis, meaning “grace”, is the belief that one should always give to the Gods but do not expect things in return, but if something is given in return, be thankful for it. In Hellenic Polytheism, when you ask a God for something, you *always* leave an offering. You give so that They can bless you with something in return, but do not expect them to. It can also mean the relationship between the Gods and us, with many saying it is like how much trust a God has with you. If you have good kharis with a God, They will be more inclined to fulfill your request, as they can trust you. But, if your kharis is low, They probably won’t trust you due to thinking you won’t do anything with it.

Nomos Arkhaios - being as close to the original religion as possible

Nomos Arkhaios, meaning “ancient ways”, is the belief that the religion should not change that much over the time. It is the belief that even when governments and society changes, the religion will always remain the same and gives a sense of structure and belief. This is probably the biggest difference between reconstructionism and revivalism. 

Sophia - pursuit of wisdom

Sophia, meaning “wisdom”, is the belief that in order to not offend the Gods, you should always be trying to learn and understand more. This is to help get rid of an ignorant mindset and better prepare yourself before the Gods.

Sophrosyne - having self-control

Sophrosyne, meaning “temperance”, is the belief that you should do things in moderation. It is also the belief that one must moderate yourself so you do not cross the other pillars and become inflicted with hubris.

Xenia - hospitality

Xenia, meaning “hospitality”, is the biggest pillar here. It is the belief that one should always help someone out and treat them as a friend in the house, even if they are a complete foreigner. Many myths have the Gods punishing mortals for the lack of xenia.

I just want to raise awareness that these pillars aren’t from Hellenismos, they’re made up by Timothy Jay Alexander, who is an outspoken homophobe. They aren’t inherently a part of Hellenismos at all, and TJA certainly never practices them. Hellenismos as it existed didn’t have some kind of proto-Ten-Commandments, nor did it have a central, organized dogma – worship style, even the Olympians were regional.

My main problem with this list (aside from it’s creator and it’s proto-Ten-Commandments feel) is the gate-keepy things in it especially in reference to the low-spoony community:

1) Hagneia: “purity before the gods” - people with depression, executive dysfunction and other things that’ll keep you from being cleanly, will find this step especially hard since the times you need the gods the most is not when you’re having a good day and can manage to take a bath or shower. Also the idea of sinning changes depending on the god and region so it just sounds like needless barriers that will keep people away from actually connecting with their gods.

When’s the best time to contact the gods? When you NEED to (even the desire to want to connect stems from the feeling of needing to connect.)

Nomos Arkhaios - “being as close to the original religion as possible” - Which religion? What’s the definition of the religion? Which version of the religion? Ancient Greece didn’t have a set religion for the whole region. Each Polis had it’s own cult (not the same definition in how we mean “cult” today).

This shouldn’t be a “rule” it should be a potential option for those who want to experience what the ancient greeks did but I often see reconstructionists add anything and everything found in ancient Greek text regarding worship and this wasn’t how it was done back then because one is essentially mixing Athenian cult with corinthian or Spartan cult which is all very different.

Can you mix ancient traditions? If it’s part of your belief system, go ahead but this is my point: I’m majoring in Classical studies with a focus on the ancient Greek religion not because I’m a reconstructionist but because I’m a revivalist and want to see how to best modify and apply the ancient methods to modern times but that’s because it’s part of my beliefs.

If you wish to be a reconstructionist that’s 💯 okay! If you wish to be a revivalist that’s 💯 okay! Should revivalist study as much as reconstructionists in order to worship the gods? It has personally enriched my own beliefs and relationship with the gods as well as helped me differentiate them from the Roman gods so research will definitely benefit your beliefs but you do not have to recreate it if it’s not something you feel compelled to do.

These are the 2 main ones I had issues with but as OP said these are just suggestions.

If something doesn’t work well for you and your relationship with the gods go ahead and leave it behind, these suggestions can get you started but just like how Ancient Greece had no Bible, the religion varied from polis to polis.

* New student, very small. Grace said it was pebble. Pebble is small Earth rock. Pebble likes name.

* He found out Eridians have no gender rules.

* Students brought him mineral sample. After he stopped crying he said he loves show-and-tell game. Human naming conventions oddly literal.

* I told him Earthsun grew bright.

* I took him up atop atmosphere bypass elevator to look at stars.

* He woke up from nap and found me still with him. I did not wait on his chest; he says I am heavy like “elephant” and he “couldn’t breathe.” I laid my arm over him instead, kept him close, feeling safe. He said “cuddle” was warm.

* Before class he heard younglings singing.

* He has plants in house from sprouts on ship. Plant grew “bud.”

* Engineers got seawater temperature right. He took off shoes and stood in water, sighing. He didn’t care about pants getting damp. Cried until shirt was also damp. Humans very endlessly wet.

* He missed “Doritos.”

* Adrian helped food scientists make taumoeba dried paste. Made it crunchy after heating. We fused it into triangle form. Told him it was Tauritos. That made him laugh-cry. Laugh-cry is rare and precious.

* He remembered Eridians have no gender rules.

* We made him celebration outfit. Used metals he calls pretty. He can see frequencies named “colorful” and “shiny.” These make humans happiest.

* I gave him hug when he wasn’t expecting it. Easier to hug close now with exosuit. Hug when Grace sitting down so he does not fall over.