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“Wherever we look, among the lives of the heroes, we are met by the unwavering, implacable gaze of the goddess, that bovine eye that never seems to close. The very name Heracles (“glory of Hera”) tells us right from the start that glory is neither more nor less than a by-product of Hera’s revenge. But how did it all begin? As children, Zeus and his sister Hera quickly discovered secret love. “Unbeknown to their dear parents, they embraced in bed,” says Homer. They enjoyed the most extravagantly drawn out amorous childhood of all time. “Then Zeus petted [with Hera] for three hundred years.” In their ears they could hear the endless thunder of the Imbrasus, the river of Samos. They embraced between the river and the sea. They never grew weary, they forgot the world beyond those waters-and Zeus put off the moment when he would rule over it. Thousands of years later, in the wet sand of the Imbraso, a stone relief that must once have stood on a wooden bed was found. It shows Zeus, standing, moving toward Hera. Her chest is bare, and he is taking her right breast in his hand. Hera is goddess of the bed-she even worries if old Oceanus and Tethys, who brought her up as a girl, are depriving themselves of it. For her, the veil, the first veil, is the pastós, the nuptial curtain that surrounds the thalamos. In Paestum, in Samos there is still evidence that the bed was a central devotional object of the cult. And when Hera makes love to Zeus on top of Mount Gargaron, the earth sprouts a carpet of flowers for the occasion. “Thick and soft, it lifted them up off the ground.” The pseudo-bed is then surrounded by a golden cloud, to substitute for the pastós. The bed, for Hera, was the primordial place par excellence, the playpen of erotic devotion. In her most majestic shrine, the Heraion in Argos, the worshiper could see, placed on a votive table, an image of Hera’s mouth closing amorously around Zeus’s erect phallus. No other goddess, not even Aphrodite, had allowed an image like that in her shrine. And it was in the Heraion that the story of Zeus’s first betrayal, origin of all vendettas, began. To betray Hera, Zeus chose one of her priestesses, the human being closest to her, since it was she held the keys to the shrine. Her name was Io. In looks and dress it was Io’s duty to re-create the image of the goddess she served. She was a copy endeavoring to imitate a statue. But Zeus chose the copy; he wanted that minimal difference which is enough to overturn order and generate the new, generate meaning. And he wanted it because it was a difference, and her because she was a copy. The more negligible the difference, the more terrible and violent the revenge. All Zeus’s other adventures, all Hera’s other vendettas, would be nothing more than further heaves on that same wheel of necessity Hera set rolling to punish the woman most like herself.”

— Roberto Calasso, The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony

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Archaic Deo 🌾

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for @temperamentalgreen

I am so sorry if my response was longer then expected, I just wanted to make sure you are prepared

And apologies if it's very academically dense, it's kinda my communication style 😅 especially for these topics

Note: This is NOT my main field of expertise! These insights are coming from my perspective built on the knowledge and skills that I have developed, and insights that I personally would like to provide if I were to give an overview, I'd advise looking into the perspectives of others as well!

On researching Archaic Greek Religion

Sources & Resources

(An Extensive Preparation)

Before I start, I want to remind you that YOU DO NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING! And you are not expected to know everything, because nobody truly knows everything, that's why the academic community relies on each other and other fields

Your knowledge will build itself automatically, just make sure that you are open to the information, take lots of notes, and take your time to process everything, learning is a life-long process, no rush 💛

General Advice

Ah, yes, the Archaic Period! Very interesting topic to research

The general consensus is that the Archaic Period lasted around 800 to 500 or 480 BCE

Hesiod and Homer are speculated to have lived during that time! ;)

In case you haven't already, I'd recommend looking into Hesiod's Theogony the Homeric Hymns to get a better understanding of the characteristics of ancient Greek Religion during the Archaic Period

Note: they're called 'Homeric' for their Dactylic Hexameters and chronological proximity to Homer's time

I’d bet you already know where to look for the texts and translations online, like Perseus, Theoi, ToposText, etc, so I’ll just jump over that (but if you’d like to know more then please let me know!)

Sidenote: check out The Digital Classicist Wiki, it’s super neat.

This isn’t necessary, but I’d advise you to familiarize yourself with the academics / scholars / researchers within the field, check out the Database of Classical Scholars! They have a search engine for authors and their works

OUPblog also have a brief post (A history of modern scholarship on Ancient Greek religion) I’d recommend to check out If you’re interested in the history of the general scholarship of Ancient Greek Religion

Here are some authors and scholars I think might help. they might also have some really helpful books and articles you can find 

Walter Burkert

Jean-Pierre Vernant

Julia Kindt

Esther Eidinow

Robert Parker

Jon D. Mikalson

Marcel Detienne

Catherine Morgan

Hans Beck

Hans van Wees

Kurt A. Raaflaub

Brian M. Lavelle

Note: some might talk about general Ancient Greek Religion including the Archaic Period, some might talk about general Archaic Greece and include aspects of religious history

Context and Greek Colonization

During the Archaic Period Greek Colonization was also in action, meaning that the Greeks would spread their culture and religion with them to various geographical regions and locations, colonies (apoikiai) and cities would be founded, some could even turn into an independent Polis.

Furthermore, the Greeks would not just bring their cults but also adapt them to the environment they found themselves in!

Additionally, Cultural and Religious Syncretism would also occur if the Greeks came into contact with other cultures and civilizations, this is why and how the Greeks knew of foreign deities like Atargatis (north Syria), Isis (Egypt), Kybele (Phrygia), and Thracian deities like: Bendis, Sabazios, and Kotys. This process of translation is also known as Interpretatio Graeca

Some colonies for context:

Syracuse (Sicily): Founded by Corinth in ~ 730 BCE.

Naxos (Sicily): Founded by Chalcis in ~ 730 BCE, the first Greek colony in Sicily.

Gela (Sicily): Founded by colonists from Rhodes and Crete ~ 689 BCE.

Cumae (Italy): Founded by colonists from Chalcis ~ 740 BCE

Sybaris (Italy): Founded by Achaeans ~ 720 BCE.

Croton (Italy): Founded by Achaeans ~ 710 BCE.

Tarentum (Italy): Founded by Sparta ~ 705 BCE.

Rhegium (Italy): Founded by Chalcis around ~ 720 BCE.

Sinope (Turkey): Founded by Miletus ~ mid-7th century BCE

Panticapaeum (modern Kerch, Crimea): Founded ~ 600 BCE

Elea (Italy): Founded by Phocaea around ~ 540 BCE.

For the general historical context of the Archaic Period, here are some resources that might provide further insights

On Secondary Sources

I love books and academic literature, I think the best way to get an overview of topics is to read (more) books :)

Academic Literature

For secondary sources and academic literature, I’d recommend checking out Perlego.com, they have a very affordable subscription that gives you access to countless academic e-books

For general intros, I’d recommend:

The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion [not on Perlego]

A Companion to Archaic Greece (Wiley-Blackwell) [Available on Perlego]

Archaic Greece: The Age of New Reckonings (Chapter 5: Archaic Greek Myth and Religion) [Available on Perlego]

For the more niche books, I’d recommend:

Dionysos in Archaic Greece: An Understanding Through Images [Available on Perlego]

Mourning Rituals in Archaic & Classical Greece and Pre-Qin China [Available on Perlego]

Athletes and Oracles: The Transformation of Olympia and Delphi in the Eighth Century BC (by Catherine Morgan) [Available on Perlego]

Research Literature

Note: you can skip this if it isn't relevant to you! [it's very nerdy]

For the Research literature, I’d recommend downloading Zotero, it’s awesome!

And then scavenge through research databases like JSTOR and download the files via Zotero for better reading experience

Here are some articles I’ve found that I thought might be helpful

Connor, W. R. (1987). Tribes, festivals and processions; civic ceremonial and political manipulation in archaic Greece. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, 107, 40–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/630068 

Hodkinson, S. (1998). Patterns of bronze dedications at Spartan sanctuaries, c. 650—350 BC: towards a quantified database of material and religious investment. British School at Athens Studies, 4, 55–63. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40960258 

Shapiro, H. A. (1991). Theseus: Aspects of the Hero in Archaic Greece. Studies in the History of Art, 32, 122–139. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42620663 

Kopanias, K. (2009). Some ivories from the Geometric stratum at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia, Sparta: interconnections between Sparta, Crete and the Orient during the late eighth century BC. British School at Athens Studies, 16, 123–131. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40960628 

Morris, I. (1999). Archaeology and Gender Ideologies in Early Archaic Greece. Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), 129, 305–305. https://doi.org/10.2307/284433 

On Primary Sources

Archaeology

When looking at the archeology, I’d advise being aware of the geography and locations that you’re researching when looking into the primary sources! 

Reminder: Ancient Greece was not a united collective, so the beliefs and practices might differ (ever so slightly) based on geography and region, also: Greek colonization occurred during the Archaic Period

So maybe think about what regions and sites you wanna look more into compared to others

For general archeology I’d recommend these resources:

Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum (CVA)

Archaeological Cadastre of Greece

Arachne (archaeological database)

Archaeology in Greece Online

Beazley Archive Pottery Database

Digital Resources for Corinth (ASCSA)

Sanctuaries and Temples

Temenoi (Temenos in singular) marked the boundaries for sacred and liminal spaces connecting the mortal realm to the divine, they were places of worship where one could provide their offerings

they were not just significant landmarks but also major hubs for connection and interaction!

Here are some that you might wanna check out and look further into

Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi

Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia

Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus

Temple of Aphaia on Aegina

Temple of Apollo in Corinth

Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron

Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta

The Sanctuary of the Great Gods at Samothrace

The Heraion of Perachora

Inscriptions

For epigraphy and inscriptions I’d recommend to look into these databases:

CGRN Collection of Greek Ritual Norms

Epigraphic Database Heidelberg [Latin & Greek]

PHI Greek Inscriptions

Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (LGPN)

Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum

Opera Graeca Adnotata (OGA)

Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum

Archaeological Cadastre of Greece

Attic Inscriptions Online

See also:

Wiki Commons | 6th-century BC inscriptions in Greece

Wiki Common | Archaic Greek inscriptions in Naxos

Wiki Commons | Archaic Greek inscriptions in Paros

Some more specific examples you can look into:

Mantiklos “Apollo” (700–675 BCE).

Nikandre dedication (Delos, c. 650 BCE).

“Nestor’s Cup” graffito (Pithekoussai, late 8th c.).

Dipylon prize inscription (Athens, late 8th c.).

Cant read or speak Ancient Greek? that's alright (me neither), check out these dictionaries

The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek Dictionary Online Translation

LSJ - Ancient Greek Dictionaries

Logeion

YouTube is also great to learn more about the Archaic Period :)

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Thinking of drawing Poseidon with this hairdo, the curls flow like waves and his beard vaguely like flowing streams

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I think we should honor Poseidon more. All waters come from the sea to nourish our land, and Zeus needs his water to send us rain. Plants thrive from underground water sources, providing food for all life. Also 50-80% of our oxygen comes from the ocean. Give my man some love!!!

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What Were The Eleusinian Mysteries?

The Eleusnian Mysteries were one of, if not the, most important religious ceremonies of the Ancient Greek world. They were praised and lauded by philosophers and scholars, and were attended by kings, citizens, and emperors alike.

The Mysteries were said to be transmitted directly to an ancient king named Celeus, according to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. While we don't have the clearest picture of what exactly happened during the Mysteries, we have clues and hints preserved in literary and archaeological evidence.

Cultic and religious activity within Eleusis predates the start of what we now know as the Eleusinian Mysteries. Beneath the Telesterion, or the central temple, lay the remains of a Mycenaean structure, called a Megaron. Because of this, scholars believe the Mysteries may stretch all the way back to the era of the Mycenaeans, and that they may have originally been more private.

As for what we little we know of the Mysteries from literary evidence, we can get a general sense of how events would have played out.

In order for initiates to witness and participate in the "Greater Mysteries," which took place in the month of Boedromion, (September/October,) they had to first prepare themselves via the "Lesser Mysteries," held in the month of Anthesterion (February/March).

The Lesser Mysteries involved the sacrifice of a piglet to Demeter and Persephone (Kore) followed by purification via washing in the Illisos river. Once this was done, initiates would then have to wait till the next year in order to participate in the Greater Mysteries.

The general timeline of the Greater Mysteries, which took place over the course of about ten days, looked something like this:

1st Day-- (14th of Boedromion)

The sacred objects would be carried from Eleusis to a small temple near the Acropolis, called the Eleusinion.

2nd Day-- (15th of Boedromion)

The priests would commence the official beginning of the rites and perform a sacrifice.

On the next day (the 16th) all initiates would make their way from the city of Athens on the road called the Sacred Way, or the Ἱερὰ Ὁδός. Stopping at the coast of Phaleron, they would wash themselves in the sea, purifying their bodies and preparing them for the rites to come.

4th Day-- (17th of Boedromion)

This day marked the start of the "Epidauria" a festival within a festival-- dedicated to the god Asklepios and his daughter Hygieia. Initiates would process back to the Eleusinion in Athens, after which sacrifices and feasting commenced.

5th Day-- (18th of Boedromion)

The main procession to Eleusis began, with initiates walking from Athens along the Sacred Way. After arriving, they participated in an all-night vigil. Fasting was involved in the preparations for the Mysteries as well. Initiates would be given a special drink, called Kykeon, which was typically made from barley and pennyroyal. (It's thought that this drink may have had psychoactive ingredients, but we don't have a lot of substantial evidence for this.)

6th Day -- (19th of Boedromion) On the final day of the Mysteries, initiates entered the Telesterion, the central and largest temple. The pinnacle of the Mysteries, called the epopteia, occurred within the innermost chamber, called the Anaktoron. It was in this chamber that the sacred items were housed, ready to be displayed to the initiates. The throne of the high priest, known as the Hierophant, sat next to the Anaktoron.

The climax of the rites can be divided into three elements: - Dromena, or things done - Deiknumena, or things shown - Legomena, or things said The things done are thought to be a dramatic and ritualized reenactment of Kore's abduction, and the mourning of Demeter. The things shown are the sacred items, and the things said were words that were uttered during the showing of the items. The penalty for sharing the secrets of the Mysteries was death, hence why these three elements were collectively called the "aporrheta," or ""unrepeatables." As for the exact details of what initiates would have seen, heard, felt, and experienced at the climax of the Mysteries, we can only really speculate. Some theorize there were psychoactive visions involved, thanks to the ingredients in the kykeon. Others think there was a fire involved, and that during the presentation of the sacred items, the blinding light would seize the initiates and grant them a vision of divinity, allowing them to see the Great Goddesses. The combination of fasting and sensory deprivation, as well as the general architecture of the Telesterion itself, would have allowed for initiates to receive visions and find themselves in a state of ecstasy. This is why the Mysteries endured as long as they did-- they were genuinely life changing. Plutarch, a Greek priest of the Temple of Apollon at Delphi who lived in the 2nd century CE, recounted the transformative nature of the Mysteries when he said,

"First there was wandering and tiresome running about alongside apprehensive and endless journeys through darkness. Then, before the final stage, there were all sorts of terrors: shivering, trembling, sweating, and terrible awe. After that a wondrous light confronted them, and purified landscapes and meadows received them, with voices and songs and rites of sacred harmonies and holy visions. In the midst of these the wholly fulfilled and initiated person has become liberated and free to roam about, celebrating the mysteries with a crown atop their head and communing with blessed and pure people. They look back at the impure and uninitiated multitude back on earth, who stampede and squabble with one another in dense mire and mist, clinging onto their sufferings because of their fear of death and lack of faith in the good things the next world holds."

The Mysteries lasted an incredibly long time and remained a critical aspect of Greco-Roman culture, even allowing Roman emperors to become initiates. The last Roman emperor to be initiated was Julian, who reigned from 361-363 CE. Sadly, the Mysteries finally came to an end during the 4th century CE, by decree of Theodosius, who ordered that all polytheistic rituals, temples and traditions were now illegal. Afterwards, the Telesterion itself was destroyed by the Visigothic ruler Alaric, in 396 CE. Now for some personal reflection! The Eleusinian Mysteries are heavily important to me, if you couldn't tell from my username. They are incredibly fascinating and yet so mysterious-- we know so little about them. I feel a deeply personal connection to the Mysteries though, seeing as Haides and Persephone were the two deities that guided me on my initial path into Hellenic Polytheism. I fully believe a time will come when we will establish new mysteries, and be able to tangibly and personally experience the power and presence of the Gods in the same ways that those initiates experienced them centuries ago. Hope you all enjoyed this, this was SUPER long but worth the effort! I'll be linking my citations below as well. Wikipedia contributors. (2025, July 17). Eleusinian Mysteries. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleusinian_Mysteries

Woodward, S. (2025, June 20). For Plato, rationalists and mystics can walk the same path. Psyche. https://psyche.co/ideas/for-plato-rationalists-and-mystics-can-walk-the-same-path Archaeologist. (2024, March 27). The Eternal Whisper of the Eleusinian Mysteries: a journey through ancient secrecy and sacred rituals of ancient Greece. The Archaeologist. https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/the-eternal-whisper-of-the-eleusinian-mysteries-a-journey-through-ancient-secrecy-and-sacred-rituals-of-ancient-greece Museum, H. (2021, October 7). The Eleusinian Mysteries. Hellenic Museum. https://www.hellenic.org.au/post/the-eleusinian-mysteries

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Archaic Deo 🌾

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"Upper part of a terracotta dyad figure of Demeter and Persephone seated, with traces of red colour on hair; mould-made."

Asset number : 1613160491

"Terracotta figure of Demeter and Persephone"

Asset number : 1502241001

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I actually have made way more progress on this piece than this, but I felt like I haven't posted on here in a while.

This is the lineart of Deo that I made a while back. I wanted to see if I could make her bangs look like grain

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WIP of Sweet Sito

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Queenly Deo, the sender of splendid gifts 🌾

To Demeter Eleusinia. O universal mother, Deo famed, august, the source of wealth, and various named: great nurse, all-bounteous, blessed and divine, who joyest in peace; to nourish corn is thine. Goddess of seed, of fruits abundant, fair, harvest, and threshing are thy constant care. Lovely delightful queen, by all desired, who dwellest in Eleusis' holy vales retired. Nurse of all mortals, who benignant mind first ploughing oxen to the yoke confined; and gave to men what nature's wants require, with plenteous means of bliss, which all desire. In verdure flourishing, in glory bright, assessor of great Bromios bearing light: rejoicing in the reapers' sickles, kind, whose nature lucid, earthly, pure, we find. Prolific, venerable, nurse divine, thy daughter loving, holy Kore . A car with Drakones yoked 'tis thine to guide, and, orgies singing, round thy throne to ride. Only-begotten, much-producing queen, all flowers are thine, and fruits of lovely green. Bright Goddess, come, with summer's rich increase swelling and pregnant, leading smiling peace; come with fair concord and imperial health, and join with these a needful store of wealth. --- The Orphic hymn to Demeter

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Portrait of Demeter, I was mainly practicing working with colors and drew from a lot of artistic references for this. Overall, I'm happy with the piece (despite how rough and messy she still looks) , and I had a lot of fun working on this for her

🌾I hope that everyone is doing well, and may Demeter keep your plate full and your cup overflowing 🌾

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WIP portrait of Demeter

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~ Statuette of Aphrodite. Culture: Greek Place: Eastern Mediterranean Date: first half of 2nd century B.C. Medium: Bronze

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… Goddesses [of music] come down from heaven and sing with me a hymn to the Mother of the Gods:5 how she came wandering over the hills and vales her [long] hair trailing, distraught in her senses. Zeus the great king saw her - the Mother of the Gods - he aimed a thunderbolt and made to take her drums, he split rocks in two and -made to take her drums.15 ‘Mother, be off to the gods!Don’t wander over the hills in case the ravening lions or timber wolves [get] you…’ ‘… I won’t go off to the gods20 unless I receive my share: a half of the sky above and a half of the earth and, third, a half of the sea. Only then will I go.’25 Hail! Great Queen!Mother of all Olympus! - The Epidaurian Hymn for the Mother of the Gods

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Holy Queen of Sanctity, we hymn you, Hestia, whose abiding realm is Olympus and the middle point of earth and the Delphic laurel tree!5 You dance around Apollo’s towering temple rejoicing both in the tripod’s mantic voices and when Apollo sounds the seven strings of his golden phorminx and, with you, 10 sings the praises of the feasting gods. We salute you, daughter of Kronos and Rhea, who alone brings firelight to the sacred altars of the gods; Hestia, reward our prayer, grant 15 wealth obtained in honesty: then we shall always dance around your glistening throne. - Aristonoos, Hymn to Hestia

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"Upper part of a terracotta dyad figure of Demeter and Persephone seated, with traces of red colour on hair; mould-made."

Asset number : 1613160491

"Terracotta figure of Demeter and Persephone"

Asset number : 1502241001

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a devotional drawing of demeter, inspired by @temperamentalgreen

Revered, holy Demeter Daughter of rich-haired Rheia Mother of sweet maiden Kore Bringer of the seasons Bestower of splendid gifts She who fought for her daughter She who layed in love with Iasion I give praise to you, bountiful goddess