Aidonian's blog

I have done a series of posts on the Hellenic Gods. Maybe its time to do one of the religion itself. Its not a easy subject to write about because there are so many aspects of it to cover.

Polytheism is a form of worship where one worships not one God, but multiple Gods. All cultures on the world where at one point polytheistic before monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam concquered them. There are three exceptions to this.

Zoroastrianism: which started as a polytheistic dualistic religion and evolved to a monotheistic dualistic religion which influenced Judaism, Christianity & Islam.

Hindusm:the polytheistic religion of the Hindus in India.

Shintoism: the polytheistic religion of Japan. All three managed to survive to this day. Budhism is different in that it can merge with other religions. I’m not talking about these religions. I’m going to talk about the polytheism of ancient Hellas (Greece). Hellenic polytheism, Dodekatheism, The religion is being revived in Greece, America, Europe. You have Hellenion in North-America, who spearheads the revival of Hellenic polytheism there and in the world, and you have several groups like the Supreme Council of Ethnic Ellenoi in Greece itself who work on reviving the religion of the ancient Greeks.

The name aside, which is another set of discussion. Lets talk about Hellenic polytheism.

What is Hellenic polytheism?

Hellenic polytheism is the term used to describe the religion of the ancient Greeks being revived today. There are two ways to go about it: those who want to reconstruct it as close as possible to the original and as we have alot of resources on it to pull from, its possible to do so. Another way is different. I fall in the middle. Hellenic polytheism does not have sacred texts like with Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Polytheism is simple in theory: Not one God… but many. Yet Hellenic Polytheism is much deeper than that. Long before monotheistic religions spread across the world, most cultures were polytheistic. Only a few traditions like Hinduism and Shinto survived continuously into the modern world. Today, however, the religion of ancient Greece is slowly being revived again. But what exactly is Hellenic Polytheism? It’s the modern revival of the religion of the ancient Greeks. And unlike many religions today — there is no single holy book. No single authority.

No single “correct” way.Hellenic polytheism is the historical religious framework of ancient Greece, centered on a structured relationship between humans and a wide family of divine beings. It is not a single “belief system” in the modern sense, but a lived practice: ritual, reciprocity, ethics, myth, and daily observance. At its core is a simple principle: the world is inhabited by intelligences, and humans maintain balance through respect and exchange.

I came to this religion thanks to reading of Greek myths and i fell hard for it. It was different than monotheism is every way. Its a religion where you have to do your own research because no one can tell you how to do it. With the internet, it became easier to dissiminate information on this topic and to get your hands on books that are otherwise hard to get. Fluency in English is an must, because you wont find any books translated into Dutch. Luckily many people have written books form the perspective of the polytheist and for polytheists so its somewhat easier than let’s say 30 years ago. Still you have to sorth through them and you have to educate yourself and keep evolving your religions practices. My religious practice is not the same as it was 20 years ago.

Concerning the Gods.

Rather than one god, Hellenic tradition recognizes multiple Gods, separated in various groups like Protogenoi(Primordial Gods), Titans( nature Gods), Olympians. Next to that the Gods are also divided into groups: like Ouranoi(heavenly Gods), Chronic (Earth and Underworld Gods), sea Gods, Those types of groups you can find in any pantheon of Gods. The Gods also have many names and epithets — reflecting their different aspects. Dionysos, for example, is also known as Zagreos, Bakkhos, and Sabazios. Even Aphrodite has darker aspects — sometimes called “killer of men. The Gods are not simple. They are complex — like nature itself. 

Humans are not the center of creation. We are part of nature. The Gods do not need our worship. We worship to build a relationship with Them. Prayer, offerings, libations, hymns — these are acts of devotion.They create reciprocity between humans and the divine. Each relationship with the Gods is personal. Well first of all, seperate mythology from theology. Its not the same. It can be confusing for some to see that Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and sexuality has two versions of her birth where she is the daughter of Dione & Zeus and the other where she came forth from the sea after the genitals from Ouranos fell into it after being cut by his youngest son Kronos. This is so because each city-state could have their own versions of myth. The theology is as follows: first there was Khaos, from him came forth the Protogenoi, the First Born Gods like Gaia, Ouranos, Nyx, Erebos, etc.. They were followed by the Titans, led by Kronos and after They were defeated, the Olympian Gods ruled, led by Zeus & Hera. The Gods have many titles or epithets, titles meant to demonstrate their various aspects of Their being. They don’t have just epithets, but also other names. For example, Dionysos is also called Zagreos, Sabazios, Bakkhos All Gods have darker aspects even Aphrodite. She is also known as the Killer of Men. The epithets show us this. The myths also shows us this. Hellenic polytheism puts humans not as the pinnacle of creation but as part of nature. The Gods don’t need our worship. Unlike movies like Wrath and Clash of the Titans have portrayed, the Gods don’t need our worship as some kind of food. While back in the day, people thought that through communion with the Gods, they could bring forth prosperity for the community. So city-wide festivals where festivals where all people were expected to participate in it.

When we pray, dedicate stuff to Them, sacrifice, or pour libations, the act is an act of devotion to help form a reciprocal relationship with the divine. Each experience is unique and different. For example, i called Plouton Hades or Aidoneos but never got a real connection until i started using Plouton and then it came. He let me know that He preferred to be called Plouton instead of Aidoneos. This is not so for other Gods. Even the other names for Dionysos were for some not other names but other Dionysos’. Yeah, Dionysos is a strange and unique God in the Hellenic pantheon.

How to create a bond with the Gods?

Well, this bond with the divine is formed through prayer and sacrifice & libations. Its through that, that a bond can be established. There os no other way than that. You are free to reach out to any God for help, to honour Them and you will find out if They reach out as well. Read their myths, meditate on it. Like I said, They don’t need us. They are not dependent on us. Praying is different. The way I do it, is to greet the God under any epithet i want to adress Them, than I say how Their relationship is with the other Gods and to humans followed by any name He or She wants to be known. Before I start to pray, i read a hymn to Him or Her, followed by libation and than with the prayer. Feel free to change it anyway you want and how you feel about it.

There are numerous sites dedicated to Hellenic polytheism and several organisations as well dedicated to reviving the religion of the ancient Greeks & Romans.

Ethics are embedded, not imposed. There is no single universal commandment system. Instead, ethics emerge from principles like:

• Xenia (hospitality and respect toward guests)
• moderation and self-awareness
• honoring spoken commitments
• maintaining balance between excess and restraint
• understanding consequences as part of natural order

Moral responsibility is personal and contextual, not centrally enforced by doctrine. For many, it is less about “returning to the past” and more about re-engaging with an older way of interpreting reality: layered, symbolic, and relational. Common misconceptions are that It is just mythology. Mythology is the language, not the entirety of the system. It isnt about worshiping statues or fantasy figures. It is about engaging with divine forces through ritual and meaning. It is rigid or unified. Historically it varied by city, region, and household practice.It disappeared completely. Elements survived through philosophy, literature, and cultural transmission. Hellenic polytheism can be understood as a worldview where reality is alive with meaning, structured through relationships between humans, nature, and divine forces. Not a closed system. A living interpretive framework. 

I have been on this path for more than 20 years and my practice has evolved over the years and i’m very happy that I have the Gods in my life. I’m not authority on the topic. I’m just one man. I have drawn strength from Them, giving me signs and strength.What all religious people have in common is what they get out of it of worshipping. A sense of peace, calm, tranquility. I hope this helps.