Hellenism

Origins

Hellenism, also called Hellenismos or Hellenic polytheism, is a modern reconstruction of ancient Greek religion. It took organised form in the late 20th century, in Greece and abroad, working from surviving texts, inscriptions and archaeology.

Beliefs and values

Practitioners honour the Olympian gods along with local deities, heroes and ancestors. Worship rests on reciprocity: offerings and respect are given in the hope of goodwill in return. Piety, hospitality and moderation are central virtues.

Timeline

c. 700 BCE

Homer and Hesiod give the earliest written accounts of the Greek gods, by the usual dating.

391–392 CE

Roman imperial decrees ban public pagan worship, and temples close over the following centuries.

1990s

Hellenic groups form in Greece and abroad, and begin to hold public rituals.

1997

The Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes (YSEE) is founded in Greece.

2017

The Greek state recognises Hellenic polytheism as a 'known religion'.

Key terms

eusebeia

Piety: showing the gods and ancestors proper respect through right action, not only belief.

xenia

Hospitality to guests and strangers, which the gods were thought to protect.

charis

Reciprocal goodwill: offerings given in the hope of favour returned.

miasma

Ritual impurity, removed by washing before worship.

libation

A liquid offering, such as water, wine or olive oil, poured out for a god or the dead.

How it keeps the festivals

Most Hellenists follow the ancient Greek festival calendar, which is tied to months that begin with the new moon, and not the Wheel of the Year. The year includes festivals such as the Anthesteria in late winter, the Thargelia in early summer and the Panathenaia in midsummer.

Details vary between groups, because the ancient calendars differed from city to city and the exact dates of many festivals are uncertain. Some practitioners keep a few Wheel dates as well, as a convenience, but this is a personal choice.

See the Wheel of the Year and the glossary.

Where to read

• Homeric Hymns
• Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days
• Homer, Iliad and Odyssey
• Walter Burkert, Greek Religion

Cautions

There is no central authority and groups differ. Ancient sources describe animal sacrifice, which modern practitioners generally replace with food, incense, or libations of water, wine or olive oil.