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Greek reconstructionism

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In theory, Greek reconstructionism is an attempt to revive Ancient Greek religion, in whole or part. In practice, the revival can only be partial, at best. Much of the relevant material needed for a full reconstruction did not survive the ravages of the Middle Ages, and some of what is described (such as the sacrifice of the pharmakos) is as morally abhorrent in the eyes of modern worshippers of the Greek gods, as a return to execution by stoning for marital infidelity would be to contemporary Jews, or burning a religious dissident at the stake for heresy would be to a modern Christian. It is a part of a largely otherwise treasured past long due for burial, in the eyes of the vast majority of today's faithful; the desire for recreation of the past is tempered by a respect for reason and what is understood to be common decency, and the progress that these inspire.

More commonly called "Hellenic Reconstructionism"; practitioners are called "Hellenic Reconstructionists", "Hellenic Recons", "Hellenists" and sometimes "Hellenes", though this latter usage has been criticised on the basis that it creates an unnecessary confusion between the ethnic Greeks (who have been known by the name by far longer than contemporary Hellenic Pagan movements have been in existence) and those worshipping the ancient Greek gods, in a rather presumptuous fashion. As if, for example, one were to start a group honoring the Aztec gods, and on this basis call oneself and one's followers "Mexicans", without asking the pre-existing Mexicans what they thought about this idea, borrowing their identity without their consent.

"Greek Reconstructionist" or "Greek Recon", while not inaccurate, are terms seldom used.

Not everybody who worships, honors or invokes the ancient Greek gods is a Greek or Hellenic Reconstructionist or Recon, though some will term themselves (or be termed) Hellenists (or the more controversial "Hellenes"), "Hellenist" being a more of an "umbrella" usage, covering a wider class of practitioners.

The use of the word "invoke" is deliberate; not all of these practitioners approach the gods in a worshipful or even a respectful way, raising complaints regarding "hubris", "the overweening pride that goeth before a fall". A rebuttal offered to this criticism seems to focus on a postmodern view that rights are but a social construct which are binding on one only if one accepts the construct as part of one's world view, and thus one can't do a disservice to the gods if, in one's view, one is doing right. A rebuttal to this rebuttal poses the question of how one distinguishes that view of morality from that of a sociopath. What, perhaps, lies at the root of this dispute (and gives it much of its hostile tone) is a pair of differing views regarding the nature of the Divine, leading to differing notions of what an ethical relationship with the gods might be, as illustrated in the section below, where Hellenic Wicca is discussed.

A term sometimes used to describe of the faith of some Hellenic Reconstructionists is Hellenismos.

Other Hellenic Pagan Faiths

Christo-Hellenism: Something of a curiosity in a number of respects, not the least of which are a collective refusal to establish or recognize any sort of clergy or hierarchy, and the political conservatism often associated with its followers, running quite contrary to the liberalism found in most of the rest of modern Paganism. This faith should not be confused with Hellenismos, though it does share a number of features in common, leading to a certain level of confusion. The Olympian gods and chthonic deities are honored, and regarded as distinct, objectively-existing divine beings. In many cases, much the same observances are carried out, reconstructed based on what is known about ancient practice. However, there are serious points of divergence.

The Hard Recon controversy

Elaion and its supporters took issue with the big tent policies of Hellenion and groups like it, under which (in a manner reminiscent of the Congregation of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) all "demoi" (groups of local Hellenic Pagans) were to be expected to welcome all comers and govern themselves democratically. This had already seen criticism during the days before the establishment of Christo-Hellenism as a distinct tradition, by the then Hellenic Reconstructionist Shrine of the Sleeping Gods as being more than slightly impractical, as it left the demoi too vulnerable to disruptive behavior on the part of visitors whose intentions might prove less than honorable. In particular, it would leave a small group, one which dissented ideologically or theologically with the larger, more established groups in its midst, vulnerable to a "flood attack", in which it would be swamped and taken over by the membership of a larger and older group before it ever had a chance to establish itself. This, the argument went, would be anything but an affirmation of religious freedom, in that religious freedom would be limited to whichever faction had organized first.

Elaion took that criticism one step further, in a manner some have taken issue with. Rather than simply seeking to have the occasionally troublesome Hellenic Wiccan community excluded from Hellenic Reconstructionist observances, these so-called "Hard Recons" sought to have everybody excluded, who enaged in any practices not "historically sanctioned"; ie. rooted in historical practice in ancient Greek religion, arguing that those who diluted the purity of Hellenic Pagan tradition were "unworthy" of attendance. This notion has been criticised by some.

The founder of Elaion, has countered by stating that he isn't interested in maximizing the popular appeal of Hellenism, but rather in honoring its spirit as best he can.

No reconciliation between the factions in question is expected in the forseeable future, by almost anybody in the community. This, however, may not bode as ill for the future of the community as it might seem to, at first glance. One might note that the groups already mentioned, however much they may have interacted with each other online, are seperated from each other by hundreds of miles at a minimum, Hellenion being primarily a coastal affair in the United States and abroad, Elaion apparently being mostly U.S., British and Australian, and the marginalized Christohellenists being almost entirely located in the Midwestern United States. These people are unlikely to encounter each other in person, and however interesting their disputes may be on a conceptual level, they are unlikely to produce the warlike atmosphere which might be perceived, from afar.

Hellenism outside of the English speaking world

As mentioned in the article "Ongoing Persecution of Pagans in Modern Greece", two laws, though of dubious constitutionality in Greece, have created difficulties for the Pagan community there. First, 


   "Greek Law No 1363/38, with amendment Law No. 1672/39 states: "Anyone
    engaging in proselytism shall be liable to imprisonment and a fine
    between 1,000 and 50,000 drachmas; he shall, moreover be subject to
    police supervision for a period of between six months and one year
    to be fixed by the court when convicting the offender."


rather limiting efforts to build groups. Further, 


   "The second law requires anybody that is not Orthodox to obtain church
    licenses from both the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and
    the local Orthodox bishops. However, the Ministry defines different
    religions under different laws. According to the law, only the
    Orthodox Church, Judaism and Islam are recognized as 'legal persons
    of public law,' and are therefore recognized. The 'legal persons of
    private law" category includes all other religious groups, including
    Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses and pagans. 

    Because the minorities are considered private and not public, they
    cannot own joint property -- making it difficult for them to establish
    a church -- or represent themselves corporately in court


The use of the word "persecution" in the title of the article might be argued to be hyperbole; certainly, nobody is being killed under these laws. But there is no denying that these laws do establish a preferential place in Greek society for the first three religions, while others are limited in their freedom to meet and grow. According to the producer of the film "I still worship Zeus", some get around these laws by meeting in homes, and by holding gatherings whose significance is disguised by giving them pretexts that might not seem essentially Pagan, at first glance. In response to a query as to how Pagans manage to find each other in Greece despite the restrictions, the maker of the film wrote: 


   "Most people find each other through word of mouth as Greece really
    does have a small community vibe to it. Since it is still a very
    male-dominated culture, wives I met automatically convert if their
    husband is a believer and they raise their kids with the religion
    as well. Also, groups do advertize events such as lectures and field
    trips (which they take once a month to different archaeological sites)
    I met one person who found out over the Internet and read magazines
    published by a group. He said he was never satisfied with the Greece
    he was raised with and said he felt there was something more out there.
    So I guess it's a mix of advertizing, word of mouth, and marriage."


The Greek government has defended at least some of its actions on the basis of its duty to protect antiquities; some of the groups apparently wished to meet among the ruins of some of the ancient temples, where, in fact, nobody would be allowed to gather for a religious observance or anything else other than a tour, Pagan or otherwise. This does not, however, help explain the criminal penalties which attach to the act of conversion, which would seem to be at odds with phrase two of the Greek constitution, which according to the cited article states 


   "There shall be freedom to practice any known religion; individuals
    shall be free to perform their rites of worship without hindrance
    and under protection of the law. The performance of rites of worship
    must not prejudice public order or public morals."


What sort of public morals would be prejudiced by the throwing of some barley into a fire is a question which might seem to present itself. The European Court of Human Rights has already fined the Greek government 1 million drachmas for its actions in a proselytism case. The law in question, however, upon which the case rested, apparently still remains on the books, in Greece.

Olympic mascot controversy

At the time of the 2004 Olympic Games, some Greeks objected to the use, as official mascots of the games, of cartoon figures called Fivos (Phoebus) and Athina (Athena), as being disrespectful to the ancient deities that they represented.

Outside Links

  • Sponde - Hellenismos 101 primer - excellent for beginners
  • Temenos Theon - a website devoted to discussing the different types of emerging Greek reconstructionism and their methods
  • Ta Hiera - Hellenic Polytheist Association