if myths arent very accurate in portraying how ancient greeks see and worship the theoi, what should we read in order to have a more accurate understanding of Them? which philosophers should we read about? thank u!

pomegranateandivy:

fresh-wine-on-ancient-marble:

pomegranateandivy:

pomegranateandivy:

Pausanias’ Descriptions of Greece includes a lot of detail about rituals, festivals, and local methods of worship for the Theoi.

I also suggest checking out the Ancient Greek Philosophy section of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. There’s access to a lot of stuff, overviews of the different topics and approaches the different philosophers had, and if they don’t have something you want to read, it at least gives you some names to look up. 

There are so many different philosophers to read, and where you start is really up to you. Pick someone you know, or pick someone who’s description interests you. It might be easiest to pick one of the well known philosophers and work from there, but you can get some very interesting perspectives from going beyond that.

Ancient Greek Cults by Jennifer Larson is a great resource for learning more about worship and how the Theoi were viewed in specific cult settings. It’s got some scholarly language in there, but for the most part it’s an easy read. 

I also recommend reading Dr. Jan Garrett’s talk on Homer’s Gods, Plato’s Gods

Reblogging for the morning crew, since y’all might like these links too

Thank you Lizzie! (Adding these to my ‘to read’ list)

My pleasure! If I find any other good sources I’ll be sure to share