The 12 gods of Mount Olympus Options

[0Oneiros0]

Worship of the 12 gods of Mount Olympus is back in Greece:

http://tinyurl.com/eav76
http://tinyurl.com/lxz3q

[Tapati]

Worship of the 12 gods of Mount Olympus is back in Greece:

http://tinyurl.com/eav76
http://tinyurl.com/lxz3q

Oh yeah, there are lots of reconstructionists these days who are trying hard to bring back the original pagan traditions of not just Greece but other countries.

[Preyobrazhenya]

Zeus is no lover of mankind --Homer (the real one)

[0Oneiros0]

Zeus is no lover of mankind --Homer (the real one)

"Dionysos is a joy to mankind." (Iliad 14.325)

[0Oneiros0]

Zeus is no lover of mankind --Homer (the real one)

Perhaps so, but I have to confess that I am one of those people who wish that Julian the Apostate had lived longer.

[Preyobrazhenya]

Zeus is no lover of mankind --Homer (the real one)

Perhaps so, but I have to confess that I am one of those people who wish that Julian the Apostate had lived longer.

I'll never forget a particular priest who was giving a little sermon about this period in time and he kept referring to "St. Julian the Apostate!"

Actually the Arian Christians were in control when he came on the scene and the Arians were pretty intolerant and doing a good job of killing or exiling all of their opponents (so much for the PC view that "Orthodox Christianity" was the "official Christianity" - this is complete BS). I think Julian was pretty dismayed by all the violence. In the beginning of his short rule, non-Arian Christians such as the Orthodox and the Novatians had a bit more freedom under Julian, but then he got as intolerant as any other ruler, doing his own share of slaughter. Did himself in by going to war against Persia. Intolerance seems to cross religious lines in general.

Married women were also rather badly oppressed in pre-Christian Greece. Pretty much the only time they were let out of their houses were for the yearly Baccanalia and the Elusian Mysteries. The Pauline idea that a man actually had to love his wife was radical! This was unheard of in Greek antiquity. Official Paganism was no picnic for the average person - it gave very little hope in life and often justified oppression as much as and perhaps more than many post-Pagan and foreign pagan paths.

So unloved were the Olympian gods and goddesses (and the Roman pantheon didn't fare much better), other pagan systems became popular rivals. Even Socrates was called an atheist for rejecting the Greek gods. From what I remember of Greek gods, Apollo, especially, was a complete chauvanist pig. I thought that he was the worst of the bunch.

Other pagan paths, such as the cults of Isis or of Bacchus (Dionysus) were hated by the pagan rulers as well. Anything that gave the people a sense of worth and empowerment was seen as a threat the status quo. Most of the supporters of Paganism vs. Christianity were the military. The common folk had long been won over to Christianity and other non-official foreign cults long before the royalty. The idea that God was a friend of man was a radical concept during that period. For most people, it sure beat being played like chess pieces by the Olympians.

For myself, I always rather liked Isis and Dionysus among the pre-Christian cults, but the Olympians, no way! Pre-Sassanian Zoroastrianism (think Cyrus and Darius) was rather cool as well, but the Sassanians were bloody oppressors like most of the rest of the leaders of the time. Much that was good in Greek philosophy and later forms of Judaism ultimately came from the hated Barbarian Persian Zoroastrians. No Greek would dare admit that, though!

Another big competitor back in the day was the Mithras cult - this one was for men only and also very popular in the military. When the Mithraeums were finally dismantled in Alexandria by the later Christians, the Christians were horrified to find plenty of evidence of real human sacrifice.

[0Open Mind0]

That's cool! I can't wait to see people dancing in ecstasy on the streets of NYC dressed in chitons, playing harps, asking for donations and distributing leaflets:
" Love Zeus and be Happy! "

[zanardi]

If there is anything you want to know about Greek mythology, ask Sam.

[0Open Mind0]

Is Sam the founder acharya of the one and only bonafide Church of Zeus? By the way, how do you say "founder acharya" in ancient Greek? Evakurvan, if you read this, please help.

[0Oneiros0]

I'll never forget a particular priest who was giving a little sermon about this period in time and he kept referring to "St. Julian the Apostate!"

I am not sure that Julian would appreciate being referred to as a saint.

[Preyobrazhenya]

I'll never forget a particular priest who was giving a little sermon about this period in time and he kept referring to "St. Julian the Apostate!"

I am not sure that Julian would appreciate being referred to as a saint.

Somehow, I suspect you are right!

[ePiTau]

Few people know the 12 gods of Mount Olympus puss puss, keep changing. They take turns and get replaced rapidly by others. They also change IP addresses. So don't even try and get in touch with them.
The latest two sets of 12 are these:

wuffloo wuffloo
Tooriestivict
bypearehype
Constantin Neoz
samunella richardson
Caehildad
roulucliz
Inilfuclice
Henkfurte
JohnnyzazA
adwordsinfoweb
Victoria Harper

GROREARIE
galizinsashka
Ceravyadvaria
Pariprolape
loammence
Snuptensope
berblulmism
GalaMadrasTurs
AdenueAnofe
Reideldplorce
Syeducitercxmj
superspaindsa

[Kalisurfer]

The rumors on the street started by Snuptensope was that Constantin Neoz created a new religion called Berblulmism where followers chanted wuffloo wuffloo to attain superspaindsa consciousness, but no, I had no idea that the 12 god of Mount Olympus kept changing, so thanks for clarifying the rumor with facts that eliviate the anxiety I and many others were experiencing hearing about the new religion that is actually not.