hermitslibrary

[hermitslibrary]

on magic in the ancient greek world

"individuals in antiquity turned to such rituals in the hope of bettering their fortunes in a natural world that seemed hostile and unpredictable, in a society that competed fiercely for the use and control of limited resources and advantages... indeed a close reading of the extant sources for daily life in the ancient world reveals many such common fears and persistent uncertainties that daily beset all men and women, rich and poor, slave or free. unrequited love, sterility, impotence, gout, eye disease, bad luck at the races, or an unexpected setback in a legal case—all these and a multitude of other distresses are revealed in the texts of the magical inscriptions and papyri."

the preface of magika hiera: ancient greek magic & religion (pdf pg. 6)

[hermitslibrary]

Megapost: Resources for Hellenic & Roman Polytheism

3 May 2025 Update: I used to keep this post at my tumblr home page because it's long and heavy with links, but tumblr recently eliminated home pages (perhaps in the change to WordPress servers?) so it's now just a regular post. Tumblr currently limits blog posts to 10 links, so none of the links here are going to be "hot", you'll have to copy and paste the URLs.

Unfortunately, a number of books in this list, which were formerly available to read online free at internet.org, are now currently listed as “Borrow Unavailable” as a result of the 2023 judgement in Hachette v. Internet Archive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachette_v._Internet_Archive

The titles may be available from your local public library or a used books store.

Let me know if you find links that don't work!

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The Basics for Hellenic and Roman Polytheists

Caveat: These resources and opinions (even mine) are offered as a starting point for study and developing your own well-researched opinion and practice. There’s no “one right way” to worship: we’re all at different points of the journey, each of us trying to do our best, helping each other along the way, and loving our deities.

Theoi Greek Mythology (https://www.theoi.com/) is a very good resource for classical mythology, historic cult information, the Homeric Hymns, the Orphic Hymns, the Delphic Maxims and other primary texts, including:

The Orphic Hymns:  http://www.theoi.com/Text/OrphicHymns1.html

The Homeric Hymns:  http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomericHymns1.html)

The Perseus Digital Library offers a wide range of complete primary and secondary sources for the study of ancient Greece and Rome:  http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/collections

Hercules: Greece’s Greatest Hero http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/index.html

Athanassakis, Apostolos N. The Homeric Hymns. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. https://archive.org/details/homerichymns0000unse_i3p1

Atnanassakis, Apostolos N. The Orphic Hymns. Missoula, Mont. : Published by Scholars Press for the Society of Biblical Literature, 1977. https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780891301196

Books and articles

Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard. Oxford: New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.    

Apollodorus. The Library of Greek Mythology. Translated by Robin Hard. Oxford: New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.                          I recommend this particular summary of Greek mythology, compiled in the 1st or 2nd century CE from numerous sources over similar collections by Thomas Bullfinch, Edith Hamilton, and Robert Graves because it’s free of Christian/secular biases and personal ideologies which all too often make understanding the meaning of a myth more difficult.) https://archive.org/details/libraryofgreekmy00apol

Burkert, Walter. Ancient Mystery Cults. Harvard University Press, 1987. (Burkert is one of the foremost authorities on Ancient Greek Religion.) https://archive.org/details/AncientMysteryCultsWalterBurkert1987/page/n2/mode/2up

McDaniel, Spencer. “No, the Romans Did Not Just “Steal” All the Greek Deities.“ Tales of Times Forgotten, 29 September 2019. https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/09/29/no-the-romans-did-not-just-steal-all-the-greek-deities/

Meyer, Marvin.The Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook: Sacred Texts of the Mystery Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean. San Francisco : Harper & Row, 2013.  https://archive.org/details/ancientmysteries0000unse_p7i2

Ritari, K., Stenger, J. and Van Andringa, W. (eds) (2023) Being Pagan, Being Christian in Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.33134/AHEAD-4

AND

https://hup.fi/books/35/files/d8fc5e86-927a-40fe-bf89-9fc5f68e7509.pdf (I found this one loaded faster - ymmv).

William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. John Murray, London, 1875. (Articles on Greek and Roman religion, including divination, festivals, funerals, magic, priestly officers, and rituals.) https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA/Religion/home.html

The Monster Compilation of Free Online Resources for Classical Studies: a compilation of links to free academic sources about archaeology, language, literature, culture, history, magic, philosophy, religion, and more in the ancient Mediterranean world:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/186537661706/the-monster-compilation-of-free-online-resources

Adult Home Study for Hellenic and Roman Polytheists: ideas for self-study to enrich understanding and aid in interpretation of mythology:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/162142268516/adult-home-study-for-hellenic-and-roman

Altars - the basics

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/620197080304123904/hi-do-you-have-any-bookpdf-recommendations-on

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/152645127251/what-is-a-good-place-to-buy-idols-any-great

Worship - the basics:

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/190346773596/ive-got-a-question-i-hope-you-can-answer-how-do

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/185082213331/how-to-make-a-libation-super-simple-picture

Bloodless sacrifice reading list:

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/169120886091/hearthglow-honorthegods-an-offering-of

Divination and Magic Resources:

Popular divination methods in ancient Greece: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/163293305101/popular-divination-methods-in-ancient-greece

Astragalomancy (dice):  https://spiritusarcanum.tumblr.com/post/29278618720/astragalomancy-divination-with-dice

Homeric Oracle: https://aur-ochs.tumblr.com/post/185994910629/the-homeric-oracle-comprehensive-edition

Academic article about the Homeric Oracle: http://www.chs-fellows.org/2014/03/28/using-homer-for-divination-homeromanteia-in-context/

Homeromanteion - the Online Homeric Oracle. Roll 3 dice and ask the oracle, which will provide a passage from Homer in answer to your query: http://www.homeromanteion.com/

Divination and magic reading list: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/170457576371/so-i-know-that-minerva-was-the-roman-equivalent-to

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Hellenic Polytheism Resources

Hellenic polytheism is the modern worship of the deities of the ancient Greek pantheon. Hellenic polytheists may also honor the nymphs and other nature spirits, and personified virtues, and practice some form of ancestor cult, sometimes combined with hero cult.

Hellenic polytheism is also known as Hellenic paganism/neo-paganism, Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionism, Hellenismos, Hellenic paganism, Olympianism, and Dodecatheism or Dodekatheism.

It’s occasionally called Hellenistic Polytheism, though it should be noted that the term “Hellenistic” refers specifically to the time period from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony by Octavian in 31 BCE.

The term “Hellenism” was used to describe traditional Greco-Roman religion by the Emperor Julian and is still being used by some modern reconstructionist and revivalist groups, especially those in Greece. There has been controversy over this usage of “Hellenism” over the past few years, because the present meaning of the word is "the appreciation of Greek culture".

“Hellene” is a word used to describe Greeks and people of Greek heritage; it is therefor incorrect to use it as a synonym for practitioners of Hellenic polytheism.

The main tag to search for information of interest to beginners at my blog is #Hellenic Polytheism 101.

🏺 Prayer and Worship

Modern prayers to the Theoi:

Hearthstone:  https://greekpagan.com Note: downloads of Hearthstone’s four books of Hellenic prayers may be purchased at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ Hearthfire Handworks for $5 US each 

https://winebrightruby.tumblr.com/devotional

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/176587866746/ive-never-prayed-before-and-not-entirely-sure-how

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/180306585886/hey-ive-been-trying-to-incorporate-prayer-more

https://www.tumblr.com/honorthegods/684185033509126144/is-there-a-word-in-hellenismos-or-roman-recon-to

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/174545555546/as-someone-whos-just-thinking-about-starting

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/163612768156/what-kinds-of-things-can-i-sacrifice-to-the-gods

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/190346773596/ive-got-a-question-i-hope-you-can-answer-how-do

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/185082213331/how-to-make-a-libation-super-simple-picture

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/160481841661/what-am-i-to-do-with-left-over-food-offerings-that

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/157714542371/the-gods-do-not-need-sacrifices-so-what-should

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/177522616751/any-advice-for-someone-who-is-piled-with-constant

🏺 Festival Calendars and When to Worship

HMEPA Hellenic Month Established Per Athens Version 1.0.: the Athenian calendar, updated to be a calendar for the modern world and a Compiled List of Festivals and Sacrifices in Athens: http://www.numachi.com/~ccount/hmepa/

http://www.hellenion.org/calendar/ (I don't endorse the organization - I don't endorse any religious groups - but their calendar is useful, though it does have some idiosyncrasies.)

http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/hymns/index.php?page=calendar

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/619995966979833856/id-like-to-know-the-routine-of-a-hellenic-pagan

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/189974963276/hello-do-you-have-a-schedule-for-your-worship-or

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/185820921256/what-holidays-do-hellenic-polytheist-people

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/143171897776/how-do-you-know-the-dates-of-festivals

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/174665458836/so-i-understand-that-you-arent-hellenic

🏺 Building A Knowledge Base: Books, Articles and Websites

Hellenic Polytheism - free (and reliable!) resources Updated 23 February 2022:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/612595707697840128/hellenic-polytheism-free-and-reliable

🏺Evaluating the reliability of sources:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/185112455671/hellenic-polytheism-how-to-sources

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/184538461866/how-can-i-know-if-a-book-on-hellenic-polytheism-is

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/184254209886/how-to-determine-if-a-book-on-mythology-is-legit

🏺Resources for epithets of the Theoi: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/184436720456/resources-for-cult-epithets-of-the-greek-gods

🏺About the Eleusinian Mysteries:   https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/150632102731/hey-im-new-to-all-this-what-are-we-supposed-to

🏺About the “Pillars of Hellenisimos”:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/173258771786/pillars-of-hellenismos

🏺 Delphic Maxims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphic_maxims

🏺Beliefs about the afterlife:   https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188387856416/did-ancient-greeks-believe-in-reincarnation

🏺Funerary customs:

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/624550327095607296/also-does-anyone-have-any-book-or-article

https://www.tumblr.com/honorthegods/182874725521/theancientgeekoroman-im-sad-reblog-or-comment

🏺Hades and Persephone reading list: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/174794576611/honorthegods-hades-and-persephone-side-a

🏺Chthonic deities reading list:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/179703232746/are-there-any-reasonably-priced-books-or-scholarly

🏺Dionysus reading list: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/183521520461/monsterbychoice-does-anyone-have-good-sources

🏺 Heroes and hero-cult reading list: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/106530516261/heroes-and-hero-cult-in-classical-antiquity-a

🏺Weddings

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/183749333001/how-can-the-gods-be-honored-in-a-wedding-ive

https://winebrightruby.tumblr.com/post/151719592260/binding-goddess-of-love-and-happiness-i-call

https://winebrightruby.tumblr.com/post/151262049285/hymeneal-i

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Roman Polytheism Resources

Roman polytheism is the modern worship of the ancient Roman pantheon. Roman polytheists may also honor the nymphs and other nature spirits, genii locorum, Lares, Penates, and practice some form of ancestor cult, sometimes combined with hero cult and Imperial cult.

Roman polytheism is also known as Roman Polytheistic Reconstructionism, Roman paganism, Religio Romana, Cultus Deorum, and Cultus Deorum Romanorum.

The main tag to search for information of interest to beginners is #Roman Polytheism 101

📜 Worship and Prayer

Religio Romana Handbook: A Guide for the Modern Practitioner by L. Vitellius Triarius:  https://archive.org/details/ReligioRomanaHandbook   (I don’t like or usually recommend Polytheist 101 handbooks, but this one is pretty good for those anxious to dive into worship.)

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188126659106/i-know-that-it-may-be-a-very-general-question-but

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/160383390436/i-know-this-isnt-greek-but-im-only-just-getting

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/180463260661/lararium-replicas-first-row-wood-lararium-kit-20

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/190932464563/lararia-of-pompeii-by-italian-painter

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188068225581/so-i-have-been-wanting-to-do-more-research-on-the

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/152392762011/modern-lararium-on-the-kalends-ides-and-nones

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/154484437866/book-review-sofroniew-alexandra-household-gods

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/168573120761/book-review-household-and-family-religion-in

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/178978387851/roman-fresco-from-the-lararium-of-the-house-of

📜 Festival Calendars:

Ovid. Fasti, translated by A.S. Kline, 2004. Roman festivals January - June, written in the 1st century CE, https://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Latin/Fastihome.php?textLinkTarget=ZmFzdGk=

http://www.epistemeacademy.org/calendars/ Convert today or any date to Roman (kingdom and Republic) or Julian calendar date.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_festivals

http://www.musesrealm.net/rome/festivals.html

http://people.ucls.uchicago.edu/~fspaltr/Roman%20Festivals.pdf

http://www.novaroma.org/calendar/index.html

http://romanpagan.blogspot.com/2014/01/roman-calendar.html

Festival Calendar of Antinous: https://naosantinoou.org/all-festivals-and-observances/

📜 Building A Knowledge Base: Books, Articles and Websites

Roman Polythesim: free (and reliable!) resources! Updated 14 July 2022. https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/612756976981671936/roman-polytheism-free-and-reliable-resources                       t

📜 Resources about augury and divination:

Cicero. De Divinatione. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cicero/de_Divinatione/1*.html

Driediger-Murphy, Lindsay G.  Roman Republican Augury: Freedom and Control. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  https://theeye.unblockit.id/public/Books/Bibliotik/R/Roman%20Republican%20Augury_%20Freedo%20-%20LINDSAY%20G.%20DRIEDIGER-MURPHY.pdf

Linderski, Jerzy. “The Augural Law: ANRW II 16.3. 1986. https://www.academia.edu/18884007/J.Linderski_Watching_the_Birds_Cicero_the_Augur_and_the_Augural_Templa_CP_81_1986_330-40_RQ_1995_485-95_Addenda_668_Addenda_altera_RQ_II_2007_633

Linderski, Jerzy. “Watching the Birds: Cicero the Augur and the Augural Templa.“ https://www.academia.edu/18884007/J.Linderski_Watching_the_Birds_Cicero_the_Augur_and_the_Augural_Templa_CP_81_1986_330-40_RQ_1995_485-95_Addenda_668_Addenda_altera_RQ_II_2007_633

📜 Ancient Roman Virtues:

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/173298432346/the-virtues-of-ancient-rome

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/170662119466/charities-and-philanthropies-in-the-roman-empire

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188260977191/revere-the-gods-watch-over-human-beings-our

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/168825525321/the-honour-that-is-paid-to-the-gods-lies-not-in

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/173304213321/how-can-anyone-who-while-worshiping-zeus-the-god

📜 Beliefs about the Afterlife:

The Ancient Roman Afterlife: Di Manes, Belief, and the Cult of the Dead by Charles W. King https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477320204/the-ancient-roman-afterlife/

I enthusiastically recommend this book! If you'd like to buy it, you should definitely sign up for the University of Texas Press mailing list because they have really good sales throughout the year, like, 30% to 50% off.

https://www.tumblr.com/honorthegods/188109841316/salve-amice-i-was-wondering-if-you-had-any

📜 Resources about the worship of Antinous: https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188654586206/the-cult-of-antinous-free-online-resources

📜 Resources about the Mithraic Mysteries:  https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/619125563802746880/free-and-reliable-sources-for-the-mysteries-of

📜 Imperial Cult:

Death and the Emperor: Roman Imperial Funerary Monuments from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius by Penelope J. E. Davies https://utpress.utexas.edu/9780292789562/

This book is amazing! It totally changed my mind about Imperial Cult! If you'd like to buy it, you should definitely sign up for the University of Texas Press mailing list because they have really good sales throughout the year, like, 30% to 50% off.

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/188765426281/this-is-probably-a-dumb-question-but-do-people

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/612228400138092545/hi-i-love-your-blog-and-the-research-you-put-into

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/162349342106/do-you-pray-to-caligula

📜 Weddings

https://honorthegods.tumblr.com/post/190182930321/hello-ive-always-been-interested-in-classical

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Featured image info: Woman with phiale (libation bowl) at altar. Terracotta kylix, circa 460 BCE, attributed to the Painter of London. Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terracotta_kylix_(drinking_cup)_MET_DP114837.jpg

Image License:  Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

[hermitslibrary]

Controversial Truths About Ancient Egypt Masterpost

The pyramids were built by contemporary workers who received wages and were fed and taken care of during construction

The Dendera “lightbulb” is a representation of the creation myth and has nothing to do with electricity

We didn’t find “““copper wiring””” in the great pyramid either

Hatshepsut wasn’t transgender

The gods didn’t actually have animal heads

Hieroglyphs aren’t mysteriously magical; they’re just a language (seriously we have shopping lists and work rosters and even ancient erotica)

The ancient Egyptian ethnicity wasn’t homogeneous

Noses (and ears, and arms) broke off statues and reliefs for a variety of reasons, none of which are “there is a widespread archaeological conspiracy to hide the Egyptian ethnicity”

[hermitslibrary]

DO NOT let academia scare you away from reading philosophy. In an academic setting, a lot of philosophy, especially classical philosophy, gets overanalysed and explained in secular, modern terms which take it out of its original, often pagan context.

There are plenty of short, clear, and easy to grasp texts that will help you immensely on your spiritual journey and provide a new outlook, often written by an actual historic worshipper of the Gods.

I recommend starting out with Cicero and Plato. Cicero might have a very political connotation nowadays, but he wrote plenty of beautiful and fluid texts about the Gods and ethics that belong on every pagan's bookshelves.

[hermitslibrary]

pssssst hey. hey. free and expansive database of folk and fairy tales. you can thank me later

[hermitslibrary]

because the og post had reblog bait and really doesnt help people with ocd:

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433

LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673

Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272

Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

If you ever want to talk: My tumblr ask is always open.

[hermitslibrary]

athena: lover of war and wisdom

"[you, athena] ... who once conquered the tribes of earth-born giants who fought against the gods °..." lines 8 - 9 from proclus hymn no. 7: to wise athena

see this translation here on page 63 of the pdf, 48 on the page

° "according to a neoplatonic allegorical interpretation, the giants stood for the material world and the gods for the platonic forms (eidea) that are the basis of the material world and that emanate from the demiurge. athena is a 'lover of wisdom' because she is the thought of the demiurge. she is a lover of war because a war is going on between the material world, represented by the giants, and the eternal immaterial forms, represented by the gods, which constantly threaten to mingle with the material world. athena does not allow the forms to be contaminated by matter. the war between the olympians (the intelligible world, the world perceived by the intellect) and the giants (the material world) takes place not only in the universe as a whole, but also in the human soul, which is attracted to the material side of existence (the realm of the giants) and forgetful of its spiritual side (the olympian realm). athena, then, goddess of wisdom, inspires us to flee the material realm and seek the divine world."

barry b. powell, poems to the gods: hymns from homer to proclus

[hermitslibrary]

i was born in the wrong generation, i should be singing hymns to the gods in their temples rn

[hermitslibrary]

Art by Chloe’s arts

[hermitslibrary]

unexpected epithets of artemis: lygodesma and orthia

artemis lygodesma: willow bound (Λυγοδέσμα)

artemis orthia: upright (Ὀρθίας)

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

it seems that artemis lygodesma and artemis orthia are both epithets that are connected and that were worshipped separately. pausinias connects the two, writing:

"they call [this image of artemis] not only orthia but lygodesma, a surname of artemis whose statue had been found by the brothers astrabacus and alopecus under a bush of willows (lygos) by which it was surrounded in such a manner that it stood upright (orthos)." (pausinias)

for information on how to interpret this mythology and the willow bound aspect of artemis, i found something fascinating from carla ionescu's dissertation titled "the enduring goddess":

"[claude calame]... states that in the ancient world the plant was used for anything from wicker work and perfume making, to medicine, and all other ritual purposes. the lygos/agnos plant has flexibility as it can be made into rope which can bind, and its medical qualities encourage menstruation and lactation."

artemis was worshipped to for safe and happy childbirths (the oxford encyclopedia of greek and roman religion, page 239), and had epithets / aspects specific to her function as a midwife and fertility goddess (she was assisted her mother during apollo's birth in most interpretations of the myth; the artemis of ephesus was likely a goddess of fertility). this mythology about the willow tree could be another element of this aspect of her as a goddess who presides over childbirth and procreation.

"by clinging to her ancient roots she maintains the wilderness, the violence, and the freedom of being a nature goddess. at the same time, in wearing the mantle of her responsibility in greek ritual she exhibits the qualities of nurse, saviour, and mother. these attributes can be clearly seen as she is revered both as protector and as terrifying enforcer. artemis is the embodiment of opposites, duality, and the paradox of protection and punishment." (the enduring goddess)

the willow tree is a neat metaphor for this paradox - both part of the radical force of nature and a sturdy source of support, both indicative of the "wild" that destroys us and a source that can be used to support us through something as vulnerable as childbirth.

"... it is only logical that artemis preside not only over rituals that involve healing, birth, marriage, and other life-giving rituals, but she must also oversee rites that involve aspects of war, sacrifice, and blood. this supports the argument that artemis is a goddess of transition and life passages, playing a fundamental role in the community of her followers at all stages in their lives." (the enduring goddess)

we've discussed artemis as a goddess presiding over "life-giving rituals"; we'll turn to her as one who oversees "war, sacrifice, and blood". artemis orthia's interpretation can be seen through the description of her shrine (check out the source, topos text, to see the modern geographical site where this shrine was located):

"ἱερὸν Ἀρτέμιδος Ὀρθίας - artemis ortheia , shrine of a bloodthirsty spartan goddess near sparta in lakonia peloponnese."

thinking of sparta evokes the clanging of spears and the echoes of battle cries. the people coming up in this society needed to be prepared for battle and hardened to survive. artemis orthia was who they turned to to ritualize this preparation. michael gagarin wrote in the oxford encyclopedia of greek and roman religion that artemis orthia was a goddess of male initiation. he briefly describes how she was worshipped:

"adolescent boys at sparta endured a ritual flagellation [beating] at the sanctuary at artemis orthia."

for more on the background of this ritual beating, i turned back to carla ionescu's dissertation:

"[in response to violence at the altar of artemis], the oracle prescribed that the altar should be soaked in blood. the citizens selected an individual by lot who would be the human sacrifice (herodotus 1.65). this original tradition was eventually considered barbaric, and the ritual was adapted by lycourgos so that boys were scourged at her altar in such a manner that it became sprinkled with their blood. this cruel ceremony was believed to have been introduced in the place of human sacrifices. (dictionary of antiquity) according to [james] redfield (from sex to politics...), these were not boys but warriors, and instead of one of them dying they could all bleed together." (the enduring goddess)

this ritual beating has been described a few times by writers of antiquity. they seem to describe the ritual as one where cheeses are piled on the altar, and adults guard it with whips. xenophon describes this as a way of "hardening against slackness"; plato refers to this as endurance training while "stealing under many blows". (more information at from artemis to diana... by several writers.) this ritual intends to harden adolescent boys into the kind of men worthy to fight in sparta's military. it also is intended to worship artemis orthia:

"... the statue of artemis orthia, breaks natural laws by becoming heavy when not offered enough blood and challenges human taboos with its need for the blood of human kings." (from the university of warwick website)

however, interestingly enough, this ritual stuck through roman times but lost its religious character, "[becoming] a bloody spectacle that attracted crowds of spectators." (quote comes from this source)

a symbol connected with artemis orthia is the sickle - see this image of a sickle with inscriptions that comes from the spartan sanctuary of artemis orthia. according to plutarch:

"in addition to diamastigosis (ritual flagellation), the cult entailed individual dances by young men and dances by choruses of girls. for the young men, the prize is a sickle, which implies an agricultural ritual." (direct quote from aristides in four volumes, translation by c.a. behr)

however, the agricultural implication should not be the automatic assumption. firstly, "... sickles have been found in several sites and in a number of contexts..." (from artemis to diana...) the sickles that were found at the sites were not necessarily of size to be functional. sickles were also used in battle by the non-elite spartans in the army for short-range ambushes.

there is also a connection to artemis orthia, fertility, and phallic symbols:

"in order to promote fertility, spartan girls would reportedly perform bawdy dances wearing masks and phalli, according to pollux the orator." (article by toryn sudadby)

her name at sparta was orthia, with reference to the phallus, or because her statue stood erect. (encyclopedia mythica)

the phallus is especially interesting with orthia being the feminine form for the greek word for ‘upright’. some of the images of artemis herself can also be seen as phallic symbols (an example comes towards the latter end of this article by nicki baugh)

artemis orthia was a prolific goddess of sparta, here are some examples of offerings given to her and images of her from the national liverpool museums website. there's more than a thousand such offerings listed on the british museum's website.

for more sources and information on artemis orthia, check out the wikipedia page about her sanctuary.

here are the takeaways i wasn’t expecting to have:

one of artemis orthia’s key rituals was for adolescent boys coming of age. when i think of artemis, i typically associate her with women and girls, yet she seems to have had important functions of different parts of ancient greek life for both ends of the gender binary. ((there are interesting cases in ancient greek life of people that would be considered gender diverse by todays terms, but modern queer terminology usually does not fit neatly for those folks).

artemis was someone that was looked to as an assistant through major life points of transition, from rites of passage (orthia) to childbirth (lygodesma). i see artemis as someone who is at graduations, she’s there when a ballerina gets her first pair of pointe shoes, she’s there when you are making important moves towards your future, she’s there during your saturn return. i’m applying for grad schools and i’m excited to look to this aspect of her for strength and hope.

artemis was someone who was invoked for strengthening one’s physical and hardening one’s spirit to endure difficult things. while everything about the beatings was cruel in a modern lens, what i can take from them is that artemis will assist me no matter what difficult things i might be going through. i also imagined artemis as a goddess who was quick enough so that she didn’t necessarily need to be sturdy, and would have expected to see ares in this role more.

artemis embodied paradox. how can i comprehend that she was worshipped in so many ways? to embrace artemis is to embrace the spirit of “both and”. with her i will learn to embrace uncertainty. with her i will learn to consider multiple possibilities at once.

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[hermitslibrary]

my devotional acts to my deities (so far!!)

i’m just starting out as a hellenic polytheist! but i’ve been going down this road for years as a tarot and astrology enthusiast, and as someone who has always felt drawn to greek mythology and religion. i want to document my devotional acts as of a few months in, to see how it changes, especially as i grow bonds with other gods and goddesses.

my practice in general:

i've been handwriting hymns to different gods in a notebook i love with a fancy pen. in this notebook i'm starting with barry powell's greek poem's to the gods, but i've been handwriting the orphic hymns for my own mental health for months now.

i am writing down epithets of different goddesses - started with aphrodite, hera, and athena. just finished artemis, and i think i am going to work on demeter's next. [using the theoi website, the hellenic gods website, this doc, and wikipedia as a starting pad before doing more research.]

i am taking time to learn more about astrology and tarot, and seeing how i can incorporate them into my helpol practice.

at the end of my shower, i thank all the deities i have a bond with, as well as the ones i hope to but don't currently (like zeus, hephaestus, and hekate)

my offerings have to be super lowkey. i leave them on top of a book shelf that has decoration i think my gods would like. i light candles to specific aspects [aphrodite antheia, venus felix, athena soteira], and leave them small offerings. ones that are more obvious [water, crystals, tarot cards, specific setups] are small enough that can be easily disassembled, i leave them for a few hours when im alone. others that look more like decoration stay.

my devotional acts:

i invite hermes on my drives. i feel very protected, especially as someone who has driving anxiety and needs to drive often. i feel more able to pay more attention to my surroundings, whether it be seeing something funny or interesting at a red light or just the general constant scanning that’s needed when driving. sometimes we play house music, sometimes we listen to podcasts about topics that have been nagging at my brain.

hestia joins me when i clean the house, i light a candle for her that has a clean smell and neutralizes our pet odor. im someone who puts cleaning last on my list of priorities, and hestia is slowly helping me change that. shes encouraging me not to shame myself when things get messy, instead reminding me that i feel better when its tidy and chores aren’t stacking up.

whenever i almost forgot about something and remember in time, i thank mnemosyne. i sometimes ask her to remind me about certain things, which she does diligently. she encourages me to get things done when i remember initially, rather than expecting me to remember to plan to do it down the line.

on days that i have a lot of important things to get done, i devote them to lady athena. i feel stronger and more able to get through my exhaustion. i am reminded to use my energy on the days that i have more, instead of putting it off, without knowing ill feel okay tomorrow. (chronic tiredness tings)

when i’m putting on perfume or using my scented massage bar, i devote it to aphrodite. she’s helped me take better care of myself and prioritize feeling good as much as i do the work im engaged in. the perfume i use is rose scented (which she loves) and the massage bar is sweet jasmine.

i also offer aphrodite pressed flowers, and specifically thank her blooming aspect (aphrodite antheia) as well as the blooming queen and her beloved attendant antheia.

i have been watching a lot of divorce court and devoting it to lady hera. i’ve been learning how to work through conflict, about not putting love for the other before love for the self and and ignoring the other for the self. hera is about how we can evolve through difference (see more about this take here) and what better way to see difference than divorce.

i have been downloading my favorite paintings and statues of apollo. looking at them as a focus of meditation has been incredibly powerful.

→ here's one of my favorite examples:

giovanni antonio pellegrini  apollo (1718) oil on canvas (191.8 x 261.8 cm) mauritshuis, the hague, the netherlands, currently on view

i’m excited to find ways to give the gods more offerings and carve out more time for them in particular. however, it’s been wonderful finding ways to fit them into my life as is, because that’s what i’m capable of at the moment. it gives me comfort and hope that this is a practice i can take with me throughout different phases of my life.

[hermitslibrary]

unexpected epithet of artemis: artemis apachomene

ἀπαγχομένη

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trigger warning for discussions of death by suicide, hanging, and strangulation.

the strangled goddess / she who hangs herself

the description of the origin of this epithet comes from pausinias: (definition) (source)

"some children, the number of whom is not recorded, while playing about the sanctuary [of artemis] found a rope, and tying it round the neck of the image said that artemis was being strangled. the caphyans, detecting what the children had done, stoned them to death. when they had done this, a malady befell their women, whose babies were stillborn, until the pythian priestess bade them bury the children, and sacrifice to them every year as sacrifice is made to heroes, because they had been wrongly put to death. the caphyans still obey this oracle, and call the goddess at condyleae, as they say the oracle also bade them, the strangled lady [apachomene] from that day to this."

i've been pondering the meaning of this myth and epithet. it seems to point to her as a protector of children and their innocence, to understand the importance of play in their lives and to not stifle it in the name of tradition and order. i appreciate this interpretation from sarah iles johnson, in chapter six of restless dead:

“... the children died because, in the perception of the inhabitants, they had been blaspheming artemis. that the children’s behavior was, on the contrary, proper — that is, correct behavior within the local cult of artemis — is indicated by the fact that the oracle not only told the inhabitants to make amends to the ghosts of the children but also told them to worship artemis as apanchomene.”

however, what sarah iles johnston hypothesizes earlier in the same chapter adds a layer of detail:

“i would suggest that this story began as two separate myths, which later became entangled with one another... [as for] the original form of the second story... i would hypothesize that it involved a girl whose tragic suicide, like those of erigone and aspalis, led to widespread disasters, and thereafter to the institution of a cult, in which she was worshipped as 'she who hangs herself.'"

despite a potential sympathy on the part of artemis for the girls, i can't seem to find ways to connect artemis to hanging. helen king, who wrote the chapter "bound to bleed: artemis and greek women", has this to say:

"artemis, who herself has never given birth, can give or withhold a successful labor; here she chooses to prevent birth because the kaphyan women will not call her 'strangled'. why should artemis be 'strangled'? strangulation, for the greeks, meant shedding no blood... normal' greek sacrifices shed blood and so ensured communication between men and gods. as a form of human death, strangulation or hanging evoked horror... but as a means of suicide it can be again related to shedding no blood. to avoid the bloodshed of rape or unwanted defloration a bloodless suicide is appropriate. the chorus in aeschylus's suppliants threaten to hang themselves rather than sleeping with men who they hate... strangulation can therefore be culturally opposed to unwanted sex..."

on one layer, artemis can be seen as a protector of those who have been raped. she granted immortality to women who escaped rape - such as aspalis and britomartis. this epithet could be a nod to her care for rape victims.

edit: appreciate the reblog that pointed out that mythology also has several examples of artemis being unkind to rape victims (callisto being the first that comes to mind). there seems to be a distinction in her sympathies between those who escaped it and those who suffered it. as a rape victim worshipping artemis, i kind of just want to ignore that element as a function of patriarchy and not as one that coincides with the goddess' intentions. however, i do think it would be unfair to just sidestep this element as we are discussing her mythology.

"artemis does not bleed, but she does shed the blood of others, both as a huntress and as protector of the process by which a parthenos [virgin] becomes a gynē [woman]... those in the peri partheniōn [hippocratic writings] are on the contrary 'ready for marriage', ready to bleed and thus to enter the gradual transition which will make them gynaikes (women). the gynē is the opposite pole to the parthenos; she should bleed, in menstruation, defloration and childbirth, as part of her role of reproducing society... but she should not shed blood... pausinias's story reflects artemis as both the goddess who sheds no blood and the goddess who makes others bleed." (helen king, "bound to bleed: artemis and greek women")

in another layer, artemis' function is to control the flow of blood for those who have uteruses, and that's what makes 'the strangled one' - as a reference to blood - a fitting epithet for artemis.

there's a lot of layers to this epithet that i'll be sitting with for a bit. i expected to look into this for a few minutes, and i've been searching this for hours now. i'm fascinated with the layers of meaning, the interpretations, the regional differences.

for another perspective and more information, here's a post about the epithet.

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[hermitslibrary]

Unlocking the Mysteries: A Contemporary Interpretation of the Hierophant Tarot Card

by Aaron Nosheny

[hermitslibrary]

new helpol devotee probs: the unfortunate paradox is that when life is better, i have more energy and im able to set aside more time for my deities. consequently, these are the times that i need to lean on them less, because life is going well. but, when i need my deities more, im cranky, in pain, and low energy, and not able to devote as much time to them as i need.

working on finding more balance and not being hard on myself for doing what i can. also reminding myself that if im working with them with good intention during the good times, thats still building kharis and a bond, and its almost more respectful to ask them for their help and support after you’ve formed this bond {from my understanding thus far}

[hermitslibrary]

proclus on interpreting mythology

proclus commentary on plato's republic:

"to a small number of people who have woken up to understanding, myths reveal the sympathy which they have towards reality, and the hieratic rites themselves impart faith that their power is connatural with things divine. for the gods themselves rejoice at hearing such symbols and they are persuaded readily by those who call upon them, and they show what is peculiar to them [tên heautôn idiotêta] through these tokens [synthêmata] because they are appropriate [oikeios] to them and most familiar [gnôrimos]." (in remp. I, 83.15-22)

commentary from e.p. butler:

"... myths manifest that which is 'peculiar' (idiotês) to the Gods, what is unique and individual to them, and not merely what is appropriate to them as a class. and the myths are in themselves synthêmata, a technical term from theurgy; they are just like the elements we use in ritual... one can neither interpret the myths literally, nor simply downgrade their ontological status. they are revelation, theophany, and just by virtue of that, demand interpretation, an interpretation, however, which is never completed, for the intellect can never exhaust the meaning of a myth."

source: e.p. butler's livejournal site. has a lot of interesting information that i've been chewing on for weeks.

edited to add my thoughts: love the idea that the myths are themselves theurgical tools that can be invoked and evoked. when i think of a theurgical tool i think of holy water, incense, etc., but it makes sense that for hellenic polytheists / neoplatonists / others who find meaning in greek mythology also put mythology in this category.

interested in how many levels myths are meant to be interpreted on. wondering if my brain will ever comprehend that there is no finite destination for intellectual comprehension of the myths.

[hermitslibrary]

art depicting greek and roman myth: databases

a very lowkey devotional act can be searching through art of your deities of choice. been learning a lot about their different depictions this way. heres some places i've found lots of art about the greek and roman pantheons.

jean-honoré fragonard the goddess minerva (1772) oil on canvas detroit institute of arts image source: art history project

from the theoi: images of roman and greek art

from the art history project

from wikipedia: paintings of greek myths

from wikipedia: paintings of roman deities

from the met: roman art

gustave moraeu the muses leaving their father apollo (1868) oil on canvas painting musée gustave-moreau, paris image source: art history project

from the met: greek art

from the art institute of chicago: greek myth

from the art institute of chicago: roman myth

from arts in context, roman and greek art in the louvre

from blanton museum of art: greek and roman myth on ut campus

from kemper art museum

from kemper art museum pdf

guiseppe mazza the bust of diana (1687 - 1700) marble bust (67.9 × 59.1 × 27.9 cm) image source: the art institute of chicago, currently on view

[hermitslibrary]

Hekate as depicted on a bowl, to her left is Athena and to the right, Artemis (225BC - 175BC, currently resides in the British Museum)