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Hellenic Theology

Write an essay explaining your understanding of the nature of our gods and their relationship to humanity. Analyze the traditional views presented in Hesiod and Homer and compare them with your own. In addition to the Olympians, address the positions of heroes, nature divinities, divine "personifications" such as Eirene or Dike, and non-Hellenic deities in your theological worldview.

Following Cicero, the first part of this question can be divided into four parts: "first they prove that the gods exist; next they explain their nature; then they show that the world is governed by them; and lastly that they care for the fortunes of mankind." (125)

Do the Immortals exist? For worshippers of the Olympians (especially those attempting to become clergy) the answer to this must be assumed to be yes. If they don't exist, all worship becomes a mockery and a waste of time. Those trying to become clergy to gods that they don't believe to exist, are either fools or charlatans. The Immortals do exist: "And you shouldn't swear, 'this will never be,' for the gods are resentful and the outcome depends on them" (Theognis, 271). However, Can we prove that they exist?. I would say no (my reasons should become clear from the arguments below).

What is their nature? The answer to this question is unimportant and dangerous to pursue: "the mind of the Immortals is altogether hidden from men" (Solon, 139). Using the story of Flatland (Abbott) to illustrate, the citizens of Flatland could not understand the nature of three-dimensional beings since they didn't have a common point of reference to use in their comparison. Those who continued to try, were driven insane. In our case, the nature of the Immortals is so different from the nature of mortals that we can never grasp it to any extent and those who continue to try will go mad: "if a man moves gravel, stone not safely workable, he will probably get a sore head" (Alcaeus, 379). As another illustration, if a single ant barely misses being stepped on, it doesn't help it to consider the color of the eyes of the being stepping on it nor what the being's motives are. It is also a bit presumptuous of the ant to think it knows the nature of the being, as it is for us to think we know the nature of the Immortals: "appearance does violence even to the truth" (Simonides, 475).

There are, however, some things we can easily deduce about the nature of the Immortals. They are not omnipotent individually since there are myths where the will of each of them has been thwarted at one time or another. They are also not omniscient: "The gods, I think, do not know the future in the same way as men claim to." (Aristides, Orations, 273). They can walk among us in the guise of mortals: "she was in the likeness of a stranger, Mentes, the leader of the Taphians" (Homer, The Odyssey, 21). If they have physical needs, their needs are also beyond our comprehension. It is not possible for mortals to cause physical suffering to Immortals but mental anguish can be caused by groups of mortals (or powerful individuals) actively working against what the Immortals value.

Do they interact with the world? If we cannot determine the nature of the Immortals, as I have proposed above, then the answer to this question is closely related to the next one. What do we care if Zeus can control lightning bolts if our prayers and actions cannot change who he strikes with those bolts? What is the purpose of prayer and moderating our actions if the Immortals cannot do anything to change our lives? The answer, therefore, is that the Immortals do interact with what happens in the world: "the deathless gods are near among men and mark all those who oppress their fellows with crooked judgements" (Hesiod, Works and Days, 21). When Homer speaks of the Immortals battling at Troy, they interact by controlling the physical environment and by appearing in the guise of people.

Are they concerned with the fate of mortals? This too can be answered by studying past and current events. The Immortal's interest in the fate of mortals is shown by the times that mortals have lived the life the Immortals approve of to be rewarded: "whoever knows the right and is ready to speak it, far-seeing Zeus gives him prosperity" (Hesiod, Works and Days, 25); the times that mortals went against the will of the Immortals to be punished: "but whoever deliberately lies in his witness and forswears himself, and so hurts Justice and sins beyond repair, that man's generation is left obscure thereafter" (ibid); and the prayers that have been answered: "if ever in the past you heard my voice from afar and acquiesced" (Sappho, 53).

This is not to say that every action by every mortal is controlled or judged by the Immortals: "if you have suffered grief because of your wrong action, do not lay the blame for this on the gods" (Solon, 127). To get the attention of the Immortals requires the actions of a large number of people: "it is the citizens themselves who by their acts of foolishness and subservience to money are willing to destroy a great city" (Solon, 113). The actions of influential leaders frequently come to the attention of the Immortals and the whole community is rewarded or punished as a result: "Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and devises presumptuous deeds, and the son of Cronos lays great trouble upon the people." (Hesiod, 21)

So the important questions are not Do the Immortals exist? and What is the nature of the Immortals? but How should we live our life in a manner that pleases the Immortals?: "No man, I say, is blessed or cursed with disaster without the will of the gods." (Euripides, 67) The accumulation of wealth without consideration of the consequences is not the answer: "Wealth should not be seized: god-given wealth is much better" (Hesiod, Works and Days, 27); nor are we to simply accept poverty: "for giving way to need and hateful poverty . . . brings disgrace on his line" (Tyrtaeus, 51). Even something as simple as personal hygiene is important: "Don't take pride in being unwashed" (Semonides, 317) or as complex as the keeping of oaths: "This is what I'd like him to experience, who treated me unjustly by trampling on his oaths" (Hipponax, 439).

Much more on the subject of how to live one's life will be presented for the assignment on ethics but, as a brief preview, the most important rules are nothing too much: "for excess breeds insolence" (Solon, 123); and know yourself: "Mortals, you know, should not try to bring to their lives too high a perfection" (Euripides, Hippolytus, 169); to aid friends and to avoid enemies: "the definition of justice - to do good to one's friends, harm to one's enemies" (Simonides, 497).

In answer to the final part of the assignment, ghosts, hero spirits, nature divinities, spiritual beings and demigods exist and fill the void between mortal and Immortal: "Thales, Phthagoras, Plato and the Stoics know of a distinction between daimones (gods, spirits) and heroes (demigods)." (Tzetzes, 441). Examples of such spirits are the Agathos Daimon, which are protective spirits for individuals and are the descendents of the Golden Race: "But after the earth had covered this generation they are called pure spirits dwelling on the earth, and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men." (Hesiod, Works and Days, 11); and tree spirits: "these are called Hamadryad nymphs" (Athenaeus, 391). I have yet to see any examples where divine personifications show a will of their own so I assume they are personifications of the universal laws or tools of the Immortals.

In summary, I find almost everything I have read about the beliefs and practices of the ancient Hellenes to be completely acceptable to modern ways of life. I see nothing about the belief in intermediate spirits to be unacceptable and, many times, things that happen today, are easier to explain by such belief.

Compose a devotional rite or a series of hymns to your patron / matron deity.

I sing of Bacchos and Bromios (Vak hos and Vrom ee os)
enthusiastic and boisterous.
The neighbors complain
Of your loud refrains.
Keep me from being sad and morose.

I sing of noble Eleuthereus (E lef ther ees)
Liberator whom we doth appease.
Bain of all restraints
and stressful constraints.
Free me and deliver heart's ease.

I sing of Dionysos Enorches (Deeo nee sos En or hes)
Betesticled as none would displease
Lend me your courage
To face any outrage
And walk away with greatest of ease.

I sing of Dionysos Eriphos (Deeo nee sos Er ee fos)
As a kid whom all doth engross,
Inspire my interest
With all that is best
Of fantasy, poetry and prose.

What advice would you give to a person who believes they are called to worship your patron / matron deity? How could they recognize such a call as authentic? How might they respond to the call?

Some imagine they want to worship Dionysos as a license to overindulgence in drink and debauchery. This is a very dangerous assumption. Indulgence is necessary to the worship of Dionysos:

"Let us fasten garlands of roses on our brows and get drunk, laughing gently. Let a gorgeous-ankled girl dance to the lyre carrying the tharsus with its rich ivy tresses. With her let a boy, soft-haired and with sweet-smelling mouth, play the lyre, pouring forth a clear song. And golden-haired Love with beautiful Lyaeus and beautiful Cythere will join happily in the revel that old men find delightful." (Anacreontea, 171).
but overindulgence is hubris and will always be punished, often in extreme ways. Dionysos expects us to become other than ourselves by the consumption of alcohol just to the point that we feel the spirit within us: "while skies are still cloudless drink, play dice and pour libation to Lyaeus" (Anacreontea, 171); by an orgy of food or sex with an animalistic loss of control: "His myths and cults also refer to the liberation . . . from social controls, including sexual controls" (Jameson, 44); or by giving ourselves over to another character through acting or role-playing: "Dionysus teaches or compels us to become other than what we ordinarily are, to experience in this life here below the sensation of escape toward a disconcerting strangeness." (Henrichs, 34).

When we drink to the point that we pass out and don't remember what we did the night before: "Drinking wine in large quantities is indeed a bane" (Theognis, 205); when we are so driven by gluttony and lust that we give up all that we have, when we get so wrapped up in a role that we lose track of our reality, we have gone to far and will be punished by the disintegration of our lives: "From the condition of drunkenness they compare Dionysus to a bull or a leopard, since drunk men turn to violence" (Athenaeus, Scholars at Dinner, 399). Dionysos will protect someone who overindulges through lack of experience: "But when you have drunk, have no fear that you are likely to fall on your back; for that cannot happen to those who drink the wine which Simonides calls the repeller of worries." (Athenaeus, 509). Those deliberately overindulging or those who overindulge frequently are quickly and severely punished.

To tell if a visitation from Dionysus is authentic, one must examine the call and to examine one's life. Dionysus, like the other Immortals, want us to grow in balance. If everything in your life can be explained and every event is as expected, Dionysus is likely to step in bringing the needed chaos: "to make his presence felt by affecting their personalities and changing their lives" (Henrichs, 23). If, on the other hand, your life is already in chaos and out of control, it is highly unlikely that Dionysus will step in to make matters worse.

Works Cited

Theoroi Hellenionou.
Approved
04-Nov-02.