HELLENIC RELIGION OF

DODECATHEON

Psychogony
Which is he opinion of the Hellenic Religion about the psyche?

The Hellenes not only believe in the existence of the psyche but there is a strong
conviction among all the philosophers that the psyche is what eternally and most
really exists. From the ancient Orpheus to Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle (De anima),
Plutarch, the Neoplatonists and Julian this belief is persistent in our tradition.
Erwin Rohde in his monumental work “Psyche” analyses all the hellenic wisdom
about the soul.

Where do you locate the difference between the hellenic and the
christian beliefs?

Not only Christianism but all similar religions of the “decadent ages” like Islam,
accept only the existence of the body and the ressurection of the bodies, because
after death is non-existence; on the contrary all the traditional religions belive that
the soul is the “flower of the human essence” according to Proclus.

Does there exist any gap between the body and the soul, which imposes
ascetic behaviour, perhaps?

We shall also indicate that the soul is also material in fact, of some delicate
structure of matter, because, as a philosopher argued “matter can only be bound
together with matter”. This view was shared also by the Stoic Chrysippus and
Cleanthes who wrote extensively about it. Morever, according to hellenic
philosophy, in order to push forward our spiritual evolution it is indispensable to
develop our psychical-spiritual and corporal capacities in the right balance (mens
sana in corpore sano - healthy intellect in healthy body).
We remind you of the pythagorean communities (the Omacoeia) where the daily
programme comprised physical training. All the philosophers rejct the ascetism.
Plotinus, for instance, argues that man shall respect and take care of his body
because it is a divine present like the soul.
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Really, which is the origin of the psyche?

The psyche is in fact a particle which originated from the primordial substances of
the Universe. It is not of some imaginary, non-physical origin. Plato in Timaeus
treats this subject with long analyses that are sometimes enigmatic: don’ t forget
the silence imposed by the Mysteries, which required the use of different alternative
terms. Contrary to the christian religion which consider the soul created by a God
who donates the immortality according to his will, the traditional religion speaks of
the self - made and from their substance eternal souls.

Do the souls evolve or progress?

The soul is really not something static, it evolves, more precisely it is the organ of
evolution of the organisms; don’t forget that the purpose of nature is evolution in
higher levels of existence, in more perfect forms. We shall nevertheless underline th
fact that the soul does not change wholly its form, it shall be viewed as a functional
whole, a complex which evolves as new experience and knowledge is registered on
it.

How does the human soul progress, indeed?

In the human level the souls follow the pocedure of the Reincarnation, they change
bodily organisms. This is a teaching of all major hellenic philosophic schools:
Orphics, Pythagoreans, Platonists, Neo - platonists etc. All give a great horizon to
human evolution, every human deserves the benfit of this majestic journey.

What are the benefits of reincarnation, why do you regard this view as
more advantageous than single -life theories?

Let’s refer to the advantages, the characteristics in general, of the reincarnation in a

laconic manner:
- first of all unequality and injustice are rejected. All people do live a great wealth of
expiences, both happinness and suffering.
- the essence of the human experiences is learnig. Man should learn through life’s
events and of course improve his shelf.
- that’s why the famous stoic philosopher Epictetus said:
“After a theatrical performance nobody says: this one played the king, what a good
actor, this one was a beggar, I don’t appraise him; thus after your death the Gods
will say: he played well his part, or he played it badly”.
- one shall accept his “fate” because all is occasional. Love to all beings is
something required as all share the same journey; no real reason to hate exists.
- to live for a shorter period as other people is no more an insourmontable injustice.
- reincarnation gives hope, especially for handicapped people, or the people who
lose any beloved person.
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- the ‘’bizarre’’’phenomena which find their solution with the reincarnation theory
are innumerable: people who have persistent memories of events they never lived in
their present life, people who speak unknown languages, people who regard others
as unexplicably familiar etc. We shall also speak of the gifted children who play, for
instance, piano pieces they were never taught at very early age (3,4 year old).
Generally speaking, all people have not the same skills, talents or merely
tendencies, they are not of the same maturity. The character of each person is
shaped in the course of a series of incarnations. Nothing positive, no spiritual
conquest of man does perish between incarnations. But the great advantage is that
one makes a new beginning without the burden of old acts, neither remorses, nor
arrogance of a glorious past.

Theogony
First of all, what do you believe about he Gods?

The Gods are autonomous radiant persoalities, who supevise over natural
procedures, over the Law, nature in general. They love man and help him if he
wants it sincerely, albeit their help does’nt consist in making him overcome
difficulties he cannot by himself surmount.

So, the self -determination of everyone is preserved?

Moreover, there exists the Law of Freedom which is universal and wholly
dominating in the Divine Worlds. It is the ultimate criterion of action for the
Godesses and Gods. It should also reign in the human society. Generally speaking,
humans should pursue the Laws of the Divine Worlds: Love, Freedom, Justice,
Truth...

Theogony means “birth of the Gods”, how do you explain it?

The poet Hesiod in his “Theogony” talks about it; you can see there the ultimate
difference between the hellenic and christian worldvision. The Gods of the Hellenes
are born from the primordial substances (Chaos etc.) instead of being demiurgs and
absolute regulators of the cosmogonic procedure or the cosmic structure.
Plato says characteristically that Gods are Gods primary because they love and
respect they cosmic Law. Natural law is common for all entities living in the infinite
Cosmos; that’s why man has to follow it in order to attain bliss and deep pleasure.

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What can you say about man’s horizon of evolution?

It is evident that man can evolve impressively by cultivating his virtues: “virtue is
more valuable than all gold, both on and under the earth” said Plato. He can
become a Hero, like the mythical Heracles or the Dioscuri; also like Leonidas of
Thermopylae who was venerated as Hero after his “death”.
The cult of Heroes is anyway a well-known aspect of the Hellenic religion. In all
hellenic city-states heroes were revered, e.g. the homeric Aias, Theseus, Cecrops
among others in Athens, all figures having offered much to their fellow-citizens.

Finally, can you say something more about the relations developing
between beings?

Take human society at first: we do not consider all human beings as having
attained the same level of evolution, and it is comprehensible because each person
is unique. But all human beings are of the same value: the wise shall regard the
immature, for instance, as himself before his enlightment. Since the ultimate target
is the evolution of the whole World, of all the souls, humans should help each other.
Moreover, if all beings were of the same “dynamic”, evolution would be very
difficult, if not unachievable, but since beings are of unequal level, the one of higher
level has the moral duty to help those of inferior level.
And the Gods are precisely doing this task, by helping man in his struggle.
Therefore the very essence of the law of Love, which guarantees harmonious
relations between beings, can be understood as the necessary condition for
universal progress.