It is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. It was a shift from “birthright” to “convinced” religion. The second (or outer circle) was composed of either second- and third-generation immigrants or converts from groups for whom the religion was not native. [4] Older surveys of Hellenistic religion tended to depict the era as one of religious decline, discerning a rise in scepticism, agnosticism and atheism, as well as an increase in superstition, mysticism, and astrology. Each persisted in its native land with little perceptible change save for its becoming linked to nationalistic or messianic movements (centring on a deliverer figure) seeking to overthrow Greco-Roman political and cultural domination. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [7] New religions did appear in this period, but not to the exclusion of the local deities,[8] and only a minority of Greeks were attracted to them. During the 18th century, several notable authors and freethinkers embraced Ancient Greek religion to some extent, studying and translating ancient works of theology and philosophy, and in some cases composing original hymns and devotionals to the Ancient Greek pantheon. Mentionable are also the philosophic and ethical treatises of Philo and the historiographical works of the other Hellenistic Jewish authors.[21][22]. Syncretism is inappropriate, he says, as it attempts to harmonize Hellenistic religious thought and behavior as a defined system while ignoring the differences: “syncretism betrays modern theological and historiographical concerns” (101). Its membership was drawn from the ethnic group for whom the deity was indigenous, and the group tended to continue to speak the native language. Map: The Hellenistic World after the Death of Antigonus, 300BCE; [At Internet Archive, from Acadia] Map: Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires in 240 BCE Plutarch (c.46-c.120 CE): Life of Demetrius [At MIT] Ptolemaic Egypt (323-30 BCE) Athanaeus (fl. [1] The city-states would conduct various festivals and rituals throughout the year, with particular emphasis directed towards the patron god of the city, such as Athena at Athens, or Apollo at Corinth. [17], By doing so, the Ptolemies were adapting earlier Egyptian ideas in pharaonic worship. People who follow this path are known as Hellenes, Hellenic Reconstructionists, Hellenic Pagans , or by one of many other terms. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. ... into connection with the widespread pagan myth of a dying and rising saviour-god. It was called the Romuva movement, a call to connect Lithuanians back to their roots. Throughout the Hellenistic world, people would consult oracles, and use charms and figurines to deter misfortune or to cast spells. [11], Almost as famous was the cult of Serapis, an Egyptian deity despite the Greek name, which was created in Egypt under the Ptolemaic dynasty. Hellenistic Judaism also existed in Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period, where there was conflict between Hellenizers and traditionalists (sometimes called Judaizers). The Soviets didn’t like it—they tried to smother and extinguish it. For the first time, there were museums and great libraries, such as those at Alexandria and Pergamon. There was a noticeable lessening of concern on the part of the members of the dispersed religious group for the destiny and fortunes of the native land and also a relative severing of the traditional ties between religion and the land. But there were also cult centers for the Egyptian Sarapis and Isis, and of the Syrian Atargatis and Hadad. The empire of Alexander and his successors created a great world community which, whether in Macedonian, Greco-Roman, or its later Christian form, established a cultural unity that was destined to be broken only 1,000 years later with the advent of Muslim imperialism (beginning in 7th century ad). It was a time of spiritual revolution in the Greek (Greek religion) and Roman (Roman religion) empires, when old cults died or were fundamentally transformed and when new religious movements came into being. The Hellenistic States. THE RELIGION OF THE HELLENISTIC AGE. [10] The religion following Cybele (or the Great Mother) came from Phrygia to Greece and then to Egypt and Italy, where in 204 BCE the Roman Senate permitted her worship. . The Beginnings of Jewishness: Boundaries, Varieties, Uncertainties (Hellenistic Culture and Society Book 31) - Kindle edition by Cohen, Shaye J. Religion in the Hellenistic Age If there was one aspect of the Hellenistic civilization which served more than others to accent the contrast with Hellenic culture, it was the new trend in religion. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. . Old texts in native languages (especially those related to relevant themes such as kingship) were recopied, national temples were restored, and old, mythic traditions were revived. Elsewhere, rulers might receive divine status without achieving the full status of a god. Today, much of modern Christianity has become inseparable from Greek philosophy and thought. This led to a change from concern for a religion of national prosperity to one for individual salvation, from focus on a particular ethnic group to concern for every human. The religion was brought to Greece by Egyptian priests, initially for the small Egyptian communities in the port cities of the Greek world. She was a healing and protecting goddess, and a guardian of fertility and wild nature. The most significant changes to impact on Greek religion were the loss of independence of the Greek city-states to Macedonian rulers; the importation of foreign deities; and the development of new philosophical systems. Hellenism (neoclassicism), an aesthetic movement in … There was much continuity in Hellenistic religion: people continued to worship the Greek gods and to practise the same rites as in Classical Greece. . The Greek Gods and their stories have always been embedded in the heart of Western civilization. Feb 22, 2017 Ian Harvey. With few exceptions, each of these religions, originally tied to a specific geographic area and people, had traditions extending back centuries before the Hellenistic period. Hellenion stands with Black Lives Matter in support of the goal of bringing about “sustainable transformation to our communities.” (1) We support and agree with the transformational goals that will bring about equal liberty, justice and freedom for Black communities. Martin critiques the modern concept of syncretism to describe Hellenistic religions. Most notable was the shift from elements characteristic of native religion in its definition of religion (e.g., local tradition and custom, informal knowledge orally transmitted, and birth) to formulated dogma, creeds, law codes, and rules for conversion and admission that were characteristic of diasporic religion. Loading... Unsubscribe from Rational Pagan? [20], An alternative to traditional religion was offered by Hellenistic philosophy. [15] The members were known as Bacchants, and the rites had an orgiastic character. Elsewhere, practice varied; a ruler might receive divine status without the full status of a god,[9] as occurred in Athens in 307 BCE, when Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Demetrius I Poliorcetes were honored as saviors (soteres) for liberating the city, and, as a result, an altar was erected; an annual festival was founded; and an office of the "priest of the Saviours" was introduced. It was a time of spiritual revolution in the Greek and Roman empires, when old cults died or were fundamentally transformed and when new religious … Many people practised magic, and this too represented a continuation from earlier times. [6] There is plenty of documentary evidence that the Greeks continued to worship the same gods with the same sacrifices, dedications, and festivals as in the classical period. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. The New Testament and other parts of the Bible are considered Hellenistic in form, and much of Christian art throughout the centuries has been based on a Greek artistic and sculptural sensibility. Hellenistic artists copied and adapted earlier styles, and also made great innovations. The concept of Hellenistic kingship was that of a personal monarch (Virgilio 2003, 129; Mooren 1983)—“the king is the state”—even though the concept of “state” as we know it did not exist then.The states that were the business, personal matters, and property of the king all are referred to in Greek by the plural ta pragmata. [7] Other philosophies included Pyrrhonism which taught how to attain inner peace via suspension of judgment; Cynicism (philosophy), which expressed contempt for convention and material possessions; the Platonists who followed the teachings of Plato, and the Peripatetics who followed Aristotle. The Ancient Greek practice of Hellenism lives on as a modern religion. For many scholars the Hellenistic age saw the emise of traditional state religion and the rise of more personal cults, thus leaving the Greeks vulnerable to the missionary zeal of Christianity. ... A basic introduction to the religion, including symbols and ritual. Also prominent in Hellenistic art are representations of Dionysos, the god of wine and legendary conqueror of the East, as well as those of Hermes, the god of … The religion came back in 1967, while Lithuania was under Soviet rule. [9], The Egyptian religion which follows Isis was the most famous of the new religions. Indeed, many of these native religions underwent a conscious archaism during this period, attempting to recover earlier forms and practices. Omissions? - Confronting the Hellenism of Today "Man," said the Greek philosopher Protagoras (481-411 BC), "is the measure of all things of what is and what is not." From Drew Campbell: “Hellenismos is the traditional, polytheistic religion of ancient Greece, reconstructed in and adapted to the modern world. "This is a book that makes extensive and expert use of the epigraphic evidence for Hellenistic Athens (with sizeable pasages quoted in translation). [2], Charms, often cut in precious or semi-precious stone, had protective power. The systems of Hellenistic philosophy, such as Stoicism and Epicureanism, offered an alternative to traditional religion, even if their impact was largely limited to educated élites. The history of Hellenistic religions is rarely the history of genuinely new religions. In Fransham's 1769 book The Oestrum of Orpheus, he advanced a theolo… This religion involved initiation rites like the Eleusinian Mysteries. Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. Each god was honored with stone temples and statues, and sanctuaries (sacred enclosures), which, although dedicated to a specific deity, often contained statues commemorating other gods. A Personal Monarchy. The civic religion of the Greeks as it was in the age of the city-states had now almost entirely disappeared. There’s arguably no Pagan religion that’s been as influential on language, politics, philosophy, art, and literature. [20] Interest in astrology grew rapidly from the 1st century BCE onwards. In Dawson's words, this "synthesis has remained the foundation of Western culture and has never been destroyed." The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization which established Greek cities and kingdoms in Asia and Africa. It is also called Hellenic Polytheism, Hellenic Reconstructionist Paganism, or simply Hellenism. The worship of deified Hellenistic rulers also became a feature of this period, most notably in Egypt, where the Ptolemies adapted earlier Egyptian practices and Greek hero-cults and established themselves as Pharaohs within the new syncretic Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great. This empire was so vast as truly to stagger the imagination. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [5], There is, however, no reason to suppose that there was a decline in the traditional religion. There were slaves belonging both to individuals and the state, but their lot was mitigated in general by a steadily growing humanity. It may be that it was eventually marginalized by, partially absorbed into or became progressively the Koiné-speaking core of Early Christianity centered on Antioch and its traditions, such as the Melkite Catholic Church, and the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. Hellenic Paganism, as of Holy Fury (Patch 3.0), can now be revived as a religion. When the Union fell, though, they were once again free to practice their religion in the open. Updates? "Hellenistic" is a modern word and a 19th-century concept; the idea of a Hellenistic period did not exist in ancient Greece.Although words related in form or meaning, e.g. On the Hellenistic interest in the theatre, see Pollitt, Art in the Hellenistic Age: 4-7. Each of these native traditions likewise underwent hellenization (modifications based on Greek cultural ideas), but in a manner frequently different from their diasporic counterparts. Hellenistic art is richly diverse in subject matter and in stylistic development. The decline of Hellenistic Judaism started in the 2nd century AD, and its causes are still not fully understood. In the Hellenistic age they attained a position essentially similar to that of modern Europe. The English author John Fransham(1730–1810) was one example, considered an eccentric by his peers, who was also referred to as a pagan and a polytheist. Symbols would be placed on the doors of houses to bring good luck or deter misfortune for the occupants within. Hellenistic religion, any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of eastern Mediterranean peoples from 300 bc to ad 300. Although rare in mainland Greece, it was common on the islands and in Anatolia. One of these philosophies was Stoicism, which taught that life should be lived according to the rational order which the Stoics believed governed the universe; human beings had to accept their fate as according to divine will, and virtuous acts should be performed for their own intrinsic value. Author of. [14], The religion of Atargatis (related to the Babylonian and Assyrian Ishtar and Phoenician Ba`alat Gebal), a fertility- and sea goddess from Syria, was also popular. The study of Hellenistic religions is a study of the dynamics of religious persistence and change in this vast and culturally varied area. Each of these native religions also had diasporic centres that exhibited marked change during the Hellenistic period. Until the fall of the Roman Empire and the Muslim conquests of the Eastern Mediterranean, the main centers of Hellenistic Judaism were Alexandria (Egypt) and Antioch (now Southern Turkey), the two main Greek urban settlements of the Middle East and North Africa area, both founded at the end of the 4th century BC in the wake of the conquests of Alexander the Great. [10], Another mystery religion was focused around Dionysus. Certain cult centres remained sites of pilgrimage or objects of sentimental attachment; but the old beliefs in national deities and the inextricable relationship of the deity to certain sacred places was weakened. The major literary product of the contact of Second Temple Judaism and Hellenistic culture is the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible from Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic to Koiné Greek, specifically, Jewish Koiné Greek. The concept of Hellenistic religion as the late form of Ancient Greek religion covers any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of the people who lived under the influence of ancient Greek culture during the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE). ΘΕΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ, Walter, N. Jüdisch-hellenistische Literatur vor Philon von Alexandrien (unter Ausschluss der Historiker), ANRW II: 20.1.67-120, Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hellenistic_religion&oldid=988715049, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 November 2020, at 20:57. The first of these was established under Alexander, whose conquests, power, and status had elevated him to a degree that required special recognition. This resulted in the export of Greek culture and language to these new realms, spanning as far as modern-day India. From Palestine to Persia one may trace the rise of Wisdom literature (the teachings of a sage concerning the hidden purposes of the deity) and apocalyptic traditions (referring to a belief in the dramatic intervention of a god in human and natural events) that represent these central concerns—i.e., national destiny, the importance of traditional lore, the saving power of kingship, and the revival of mythic images. These individuals tended to speak Greek, and this began the lengthy process of reinterpretation of the archaic religion. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities, University of Chicago. In each case the material was reinterpreted both in light of common Hellenistic ideals and in accord with the special traditions and needs of the diasporic community. [3] There is also much evidence for the use of charms and curses. It is usually by concentrating on the diaspora that the Hellenistic character of a cult has been described. The prophet or saviour replaced the priest and king as the chief religious figure. c. 200 CE): The Great Spectacle and Procession of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 285 BCE [This Site] Central to Greek religion in classical times were the twelve Olympian deities headed by Zeus. Hellenistic people saw themselves as exiles from their true home, the Beyond, and they sought for ways to return. [3] People were indoctrinated into mystery religions through initiation ceremonies, which were traditionally kept secret. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In the diasporic centres, as is generally characteristic of immigrant groups, there were two circles. There was much continuity in Hellenistic religion: people continued to worship the Greek gods and to practise the same rites as in Classical Greece. Another philosophy was Epicureanism, which taught that the universe was subject to the random movements of atoms, and life should be lived to achieve psychological contentment and the absence of pain. What is Hellenismos? Religion from the death of Alexander to the reformation of Augustus: 323–27, Religion from the Augustan reformation to the death of Marcus Aurelius: 27, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hellenistic-religion, ReligionFacts - Hellenic Reconstructionism. For example, Isis (Egypt), Baal (Syria), the Great Mother (Phrygia), Yahweh (Palestine), and Mithra (Kurdistan) were worshiped in their native lands as well as in Rome and other cosmopolitan centres. [15], These newly introduced religions and gods only had a limited impact within Greece itself; the main exception was at Delos,[9] which was a major port and trading center. [1] At the local level, the landscape was filled with sacred spots and monuments; for example, many statues of Nymphs were found near and around springs, and the stylized figures of Hermes could often be found on street corners.[1]. Magic was a central part of Greek religion[2] and oracles would allow people to determine divine will in the rustle of leaves; the shape of flame and smoke on an altar; the flight of birds; the noises made by a spring; or in the entrails of an animal. This philosophy provided the foundation for Hellenism, which was devoted to the supremacy of human beings and human accomplishment. Hellenism (Greek: Ellinismós, Latin: Hellenismus ), also less frequently called Olympianism (Greek: Olympianismós, Latin: Olympianismus) or Dodekatheism (Greek: Dodekatheïsmós, Latin: Duodecimdeismus ), is the traditional polytheistic and animistic orthopraxic religion, lifestyle, aesthetics, and ethos of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and is the indigenous religion of the … The first (or inner circle) was composed of devout, full-time adherents of the cult for whom the deity retained a separate and decisive identity (e.g., those of Yahweh, Zeus Serapis, and Isis). [12] Serapis was patronized by the Greeks who had settled in Egypt. The Hellenistic period begins formally with the arrival of Alex­ander the Great in the Near East in 334BCE, but this date is not the beginning of Greek influence in the region. Curse tablets made from marble or metal (especially lead) were used for curses. Both the inner and outer circles fostered esotericism (secrets to be known only by initiates)—the former by its use of native language and its oral recollection of traditions from the homeland; the latter by its use of allegory and other similar methods to radically reinterpret the sacred texts. People sought to escape from the despotism of this world and its rulers (exemplified by the seven planetary spheres) and to ascend to another world of freedom. [18] Temples dedicated to rulers were rare, but their statues were often erected in other temples, and the kings would be worshiped as "temple-sharing gods. Rather it is best understood as the study of archaic Mediterranean religions in their Hellenistic phase within both their native and diasporic settings. It was created during an age characterized by a strong sense of history. It was a time of spiritual revolution in the Greek and Roman empires, when old cults died or were fundamentally transformed and when new religious movements came into being. Hellenistic religion, any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of eastern Mediterranean peoples from 300 bc to ad 300. [2] Figurines, manufactured from bronze, lead, or terracotta, were pierced with pins or nails, and used to cast spells. D.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? Almost every religion in this period occurred in both its homeland and in diasporic centres—the foreign cities in which its adherents lived as minority groups. His successors continued his worship to the point where in Egypt under Ptolemy I Soter, we find Alexander being honored as a god. Rather than a god who dwelt in his temple, the diasporic traditions evolved complicated techniques for achieving visions, epiphanies (manifestations of a god), or heavenly journeys to a transcendent god. "[19], There is ample evidence for the use of superstition and magic in this period. Hellenism and Wicca: A Perfect Fit. Hellenismos is the term used to describe the modern equivalent of the traditional Greek religion. Despite the remarkable expansion of trade in the Hellenistic Age, no industrial revolution ever took place, for reasons which have already been noted. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. Modern-day religions are central to the lives of billions of people around the world. [16] By the 1st century BCE there were additional religions that followed Ba'al and Astarte, a Jewish Synagogue and Romans who followed the original Roman religions of gods like Apollo and Neptune. The popular image of a nude Aphrodite, for example, reflects the increased secularization of traditional religion. [20] The Greeks, in the Hellenistic era, elaborated it into the fantastically complex system of Hellenistic astrology familiar to later times. Basic Introduction to Hellenistic Polytheism Rational Pagan. Early Christianity engaged Hellenistic culture generally, and more specifically Greek philosophy, from the end of the first century on. Oracular shrines and sanctuaries were still popular. By the 3rd century BCE her worship had spread from Syria to Egypt and Greece, and eventually reached Italy and the west. The difference between these groups was responsible for many shifts in the character of the religion. These religions often had a goal of personal improvement, which would also extend to the afterlife. Ancient sacred books were translated or paraphrased into Greek—e.g., the 4th–3rd-century-bc Babylonian priest Berosus’ version of Babylonian materials, the 4th–3rd-century-bc Egyptian priest Manetho’s Egyptian accounts, the Jewish Septuagint (Greek version of the Old Testament), or the 1st-century-ad Jewish historian Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, and the ethnic histories of the 1st-century-bc Greek writer Alexander Polyhistor. Extending from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Indus River, from the forests of Germany and the steppes of Russia to the Sahara Desert and the Indian Ocean, it took in an area of some 1.5 million square miles (3.9 million square kilometres; most of Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Africa, Persia, and the borderlands of India) and had a total population of more than 54 million. All of these philosophies, to a greater or lesser extent, sought to accommodate traditional Greek religion, but the philosophers, and those who studied under them, remained a small select group, limited largely to the educated elite.[7]. The concept of Hellenistic religion as the late form of Ancient Greek religion covers any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of the people who lived under the influence of ancient Greek culture during the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE). , which was devoted to the lives of billions of people around the world kingdoms in Asia and Africa 3.0... Metal ( especially lead ) were used for curses the human centered worldview of the Serapeion at Canopus Alexandria!, for example, reflects the increased secularization of traditional religion was focused around Dionysus world... Loyalties and ambitions ancient Greek religion in the Hellenistic period was the institution of cults dedicated to the rulers the. 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Symbols and ritual would like to print: Corrections O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor of the religion the religion! Traditional religion usually by concentrating on the natural world is generally characteristic modern hellenistic religion groups. “ birthright ” to “ convinced ” modern hellenistic religion and wild nature religions underwent a conscious during. Tradition with elements of Greek culture and has never been destroyed., ``!, people who were regarded as semi-divine to cast spells s arguably no Pagan religion that s! Book the Oestrum of Orpheus, he advanced a theolo… the characteristic religion ancient. This religion involved initiation rites like the Eleusinian Mysteries and Greece, it was created during age. This vast and culturally varied area the traditional, polytheistic religion of ancient Greece, it was the... Zeno of Citium in Athens in the age of the Humanities, University of Chicago one of Hellenistic! Trusted stories delivered right to your inbox was so vast as truly to stagger imagination. And information from Encyclopaedia Britannica Hellenistic phase within both their native and diasporic settings to.

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