Hellenistic Pagan - Blog Posts

... Ἥρη δὲ κραιπνῶς προσεβήσετο Γάργαρον ἄκρον Ἴδης ὑψηλῆς· ἴδε δὲ νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς. ὡς δ' ἴδεν, ὥς μιν ἔρως πυκινὰς φρένας ἀμφεκάλυψεν, οἷον ὅτε πρῶτόν περ ἐμισγέσθην φιλότητι εἰς εὐνὴν φοιτῶντε, φίλους λήθοντε τοκῆας.....

---Hera reached quickly the top of Mount Gargano on the high Ida, and she saw Zeus gathering the clouds, and when he saw, passion (ἔρως) invaded his wise soul, as when for the first time they bonded in love and went to the bed, unknown to his parents----

(Illiad -  XIV, 293-295)

Once Zeus took his power, decided to take to wife and noticed the beauty, worthy to became the Gods' Queen, in his sister Hera, who lived isolated in Eubea's Island, along with her nurse Makris, in the house of Thetis. Since it was very difficult getting close to her, because she watched assiduously over the nurse 'cause of her early age, in a cold winter day, when Hera were by chance alone and lost in a country roead, Zeus used a strategy and in the form of a cuckoo numb and shaking from cold, he leaned of her shoulder. The Goddess took pity and warmed him up with her robe, starting to caressing him. The cuckoo transformed himself in an handsome and attractive boy who made himself known as Zeus, who declared his love to the Goddess and asked her hand. Heca accepted, so the wedding were celebrated on the Olympus at all Gods presence. The wedding between Zeus and Hera is ofter told as an happy marriage even if Zeus had lot of nymphs and mortal women as lovers, whom in the end these unions were symbolics, for example to indicate what the Earth needed  rains to be fecundated, or the Moon runs through the vault of heaven from east to west. These adventures sparked the jealousy of Hera and lot of poets attributed this kind of jealousy to heaven events, even it is told that the king and the queen of heaven, with their fights determinated rough hurricanes and cold winters. Despite everything, the divine lovers continued to be perhaps the only durable in the Olympus and from the marriage of Zeus and Hera were born four children: Hebe, Eileithyia, Ares and Hephestus

Hekatombaia

Hekatombaia were festivities in honor of Apollo, God of Sun, in which were executed an enormous sacrifice of 100 bulls (here the name hekatombaia, in Italian "ecatombe"). Along with the bulls, also sheep and poultry were sacrificed and offered to people for feasting in God's bless. During the day also were performed musicals and poetics competitions.

Adonie

Yesterday (19/20) was in July the second celebration of God Adonis, the first was in March.

During this day one untied the procession in which sacred pictures of God Adonis and Goddess Aphrodite were magnified through the streets of the city. All were surrounded by flowers and fruits; plus, “Adonis’ Gardens” were carried during the processions, i.e. terracotta vases with little plants to thrown overboard as offering. 

July parties, as opposed to funerals in March, celebrated the Passional Love between Goddess Aphrodite and God Adonis.

Ὦ τὸν ὑποχθόνιον ναίων δόμον, ὀβριμόθυμε, Ταρτάριον λειμῶνα βαθύσκιον ἠδὲ λιπαυγῆ, Ζεῦ χθόνιε, σκηπτοῦχε, τάδ' ἱερὰ δέξο προθύμως· Πλούτων, ὃς κατέχεις γαίης κληῖδας ἁπάσης, πλουτοδοτῶν γενεὴν βροτέην καρποῖς ἐνιαυτῶν. ὃς τριτάτης μοίρης ἔλαχες χθόνα παμβασίλειαν, ἕδρανον ἀθανάτων, θνητῶν στήριγμα κραταιόν· ὃς θρόνον ἐστήριξας ὑπὸ ζοφοειδέα χῶρον, τηλέπορον τ', ἀκάμαντα, λιπόπνοον, ἄκριτον Ἅιδην, κυάνεόν τ' Ἀχέρονθ', ὃς ἔχει ῥιζώματα γαίης. ὃς κρατέεις θνητῶν θανάτου χάριν, ὦ πολυδέγμων Εὔβουλ', ἁγνοπόλου Δημήτερος ὅς ποτε παῖδα νυμφεύσας λειμῶνος ἀποσπαδίην διὰ πόντου, τετρώροις ἵπποισιν ὑπ' Ἀτθίδος ἤγαγες ἄντρον δήμου Ἐλευσῖνος, τόθι περ πύλαι εἴσ' Ἀίδαο. μοῦνος ἔφυς ἀφανῶν ἔργων φανερῶν τε βραβευτής, ἔνθεε, παντοκράτωρ, ἱερώτατος, ἀγλαότιμε, σεμνοῖς μυστιπόλοις χαίρων ὁσίοις τε σεβασμοῖς ἵλαον ἀγκαλέω σε μολεῖν κεχαρηότα μύσταις.

Pluto [Plouton], magnanimous, whose realms profound are fix'd beneath the firm and solid ground, In the Tartarian plains remote from fight, and wrapt forever in the depths of night; Terrestrial Jove [Zeus Khthonios], thy sacred ear incline, and, pleas'd, accept thy mystic's hymn divine. Earth's keys to thee, illustrious king belong, its secret gates unlocking, deep and strong. 'Tis thine, abundant annual fruits to bear, for needy mortals are thy constant care. To thee, great king, Avernus is assign'd, the seat of Gods, and basis of mankind. Thy throne is fix'd in Hade's dismal plains, distant, unknown to rest, where darkness reigns; Where, destitute of breath, pale spectres dwell, in endless, dire, inexorable hell; And in dread Acheron, whose depths obscure, earth's stable roots eternally secure. O mighty dæmon, whose decision dread, the future fate determines of the dead, With captive Proserpine [Kore], thro' grassy plains, drawn in a four-yok'd car with loosen'd reins, Rapt o'er the deep, impell'd by love, you flew 'till Eleusina's city rose to view; There, in a wond'rous cave obscure and deep, the sacred maid secure from search you keep, The cave of Atthis, whose wide gates display an entrance to the kingdoms void of day. Of unapparent works, thou art alone the dispensator, visible and known. O pow'r all-ruling, holy, honor'd light, thee sacred poets and their hymns delight: Propitious to thy mystic's works incline, rejoicing come, for holy rites are thine.  

click here for the Ancient Greek version