Honoring The Greek Pantheon

What most people think of as the stories of Greek mythology are in fact the remains of the Greek religious belief system. The ancient Greeks believed that there existed a rich pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, who ruled over various aspects of the natural world and who actions could help or hinder Man depending on their whims and wishes.

The Greeks believed that the World was created out of Chaos. The first generation of gods, the elder gods known as the Titans, ruled over the world at this time. Some of the key Titans are:

• Atlas - After being defeated by Zeus in the war of the Titans, Atlas was sentenced to support the world on his back for all time.
• Cronus - Son of Gaea and Uranus, he became ruler by defeating his father.
• Gaea - Earth goddess - mother of Uranus, whom she mated with to give birth to the remaining Titans
• Hyperion - “light” - Father of Helius (the sun), Selene (the moon) and Eos (the dawn)
• Mnemosyne - “memory” - mother of the Muses
• Oceanus - A continuous stream of water that encircles the world
• Prometheus - Wisest of the Titans. Giver of Fire to Man.
• Rhea - Mother of Zeus
• Tethys - Wife of Oceanus. Mother of rivers and ocean nymphs
• Themis - “order and justice” - mother of the Fates and the Seasons
• Uranus - Sky god, son and husband of Gaea

The Titans were overthrown by their own children, the Olympians. It is this grouping of twelve gods and goddesses that most people are familiar with. These were the primary deities for Greek worship. The cities and states of ancient Greece all had patron gods for whom their would be a major temple dedicated.

• Aphrodite - Goddess of Love. She was symbolized with myrtle trees and birds, especially the dove, the swan and sparrow.
• Apollo - God of Civilization and the Arts. His sacred symbols were the laurel tree, the crow and the dolphin.
• Ares - God of War. His sacred animals are the vulture and the dog.
• Artemis - Goddess of Childbirth and Hunting. Her tree is the cyprus and all wild animals were sacred to her, especially deer and wolves.
• Athena - Goddess of War, Wisdom and Arts. Her sacred symbols are the olive tree and the owl.
• Hades - God of the Underworld and the Dead. Also God of Wealth and Precious Metals.
• Hera - Goddess of Marriage, Family and Home. Her sacred animals are the cow and the peacock.
• Hermes - God of Merchants and Thieves. He also guides the dead to the Underworld.
• Hestia - Goddess of Hearth, Fire and Family Life. She is never shown in human form, depicted only as an eternal flame.
• Hephaestus - God of Fire and the Forge. Patron of smiths and weavers.
• Poseidon - God of Horses, Earthquakes, Storms and the Sea
• Zeus - Ruler of the Gods. God of the Sky and Rain. His symbol is the thunderbolt.

With the Olympians as the ruling group, there then came a long array of other gods, semi-gods and their hero children. Localities might also have resident deities who were also honored with rites of their own. There were also various energies and inspirations that were worshiped. These include

• Graces - Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer).
• Erinyes, or Furies - Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. They are punishers of crime.
• Fates - The Fates are old and predate the gods. Clotho spins the thread of life. Lachesis measures out your lot in life and how long it will be. Atropos cuts the thread at the end of life.
• Muses - Clio (History), Urania (Astronomy), Melpomene (Tragedy), Thalia (Comedy), Terpsichore (Dance), Calliope (Epic Poetry), Erato (Love Poetry), Polyhymnia (Songs to the Gods), Euterpe (Lyric Poetry)

To the majority of people, when they think of Greek mythology, they often think of ancient literature or fairy tales. However, to a growing number of people, the Greek myths are the remains of an ancient and unique religion. In Jamil Said’s documentary I Still Worship Zeus we are shown the situation for people in modern-day Greece who have chosen to follow the old religion of the twelve gods.

Before the film even really starts the viewer is given a few statistical facts. Ninety-eight percent of Greece follows the Christian Greek Orthodox religion, 1.3% are of the Muslim faith and a mere 0.7% are “other.” The Greek pagans are an unknown quantity of this fraction of percent. A few of the subjects in the film had their spiritual beliefs passed down to them by family, but most have come to their spirituality through their own means. Some felt disenfranchised with Christianity as children and began to read and research as when they got older. Others had spiritual awakenings or epiphanies as adults. One gentleman moved from Britain to Greece as he felt “called” to work with Apollo, and now twelve years later, gives oracles at Delphi. All of the pagans interviewed speak of finding more happiness and peace in their lives from their chosen religion. Many had always had a deep love for Greek culture and history, and feel that their spiritual practices add to that connection.

Sadly, all of the subjects interviewed also spoke of great opposition and prejudice against those who practice the old religion. Many of them are forced to practice in private. Small home altars with statues are maintained by the worshippers. Those who do not practice solitarily sometimes meet secretly with others to share their religious ceremonies.

Interviewees describe reactions to their beliefs as ranging from peaceful tolerance by family to bewilderment from coworkers to outright active opposition from the church and government. Very few of the people shown in the film practice their beliefs openly. The majority fear the reactions of others or reprisals like the loss of their jobs should their religious beliefs become known. Despite the fact that on the books Greek law allows freedom of religion, not a single pagan group has ever gotten permission to legally build a temple of worship. People who organize religious rituals for the Greek gods, or who participate in them can have criminal charges brought against them, even if these rituals are held in a private home.

Several of the people interviewed expressed the hope that with Greece becoming part of the European Union and signing a Declaration of Human Rights that more international attention can be directed towards their plight. Others hope that pressure can be brought to bear on the Greek government and Greek Orthodox church in their oppressive and unequal treatment of pagans by other Union member countries.