It has become clearly evident to me why the ancient Greeks did not have a word for religion. Religion did not exist. To the Greeks the gods were an incorporated part of life at every moment. The Greeks bonded with the gods and created special relationships with them. To the Greeks the gods were around all the time, not every Sunday and when you needed a favor. The ancient Greeks did not understand the concept of religion, they didn’t believe in the gods, they knew of their existence. They didn’t doubt it and it wasn’t taught to them, knowing and connecting to the gods was as natural as learning to walk and talk. They did not expect the gods to perform miracles when they asked for them, they expected the gods to give them what they needed and would thank them after.

We will never completely understand the relationship between the ancient Greeks and the gods. We cant, we didn’t bond with the gods from birth. This treasure is to be found by the younger generations which will be born into Hellenismos. However I can attempt to describe it as closely as possible. To the Greeks the gods were as much around and part of their lives as their very own thoughts. In every moment the presence or influence of at least one god could be found, more often than not 5 or more. The gods, to the Greeks, were life, without them they couldn’t even imagine their mere existence. The gods were to ancient Hellas, like gravity. A natural law, unbreakable, and always present. To claim that they believed in the gods, was, the same as if I claimed to believe in breathing. For the Greeks life could not be separate from the gods, and thus they could not have the concept of religion.

Hellenismos in itself is not a religion, it’s a way of life, a life style. We do not need to explain the gods to understand the concept of living virtuously, we do not need to explain our values through our gods. While the gods are infused with these ideas, as with life itself in a manner that they can not be separated, much like a chemical reaction. To follow Hellenismos one does not simply change what they believe, they change their whole life in a new direction. I see it myself, I am on a truly noble path. It is a re-birth, not a new chapter of your life. I wished to describe the beauty of the path itself, yet as I try to write it down I can not find the right words, words worthy enough. It’s truly something that must be experienced. It has taken me 14 years to find this feeling, a journey well worth it.

If you are interested in Hellenismos, or in the researching phase as I myself was until recently, follow it out, don’t give up, it can be frustrating at times, I know, yet trust me, its well worth it.

TAGS: None