Glossary of Terms

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A
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Agape
(1) love (of one's spouse or family); (2) brotherly love, affection, good will, benevolence

Agathos
(1) of good constitution or nature; (2) that which is good; (3) pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy

Agathos Daimon
(or agathodaimon) good spirit, protective of individuals and families

Agon
(1) struggle, contest, competition; (2) struggle between the characters in a play; (3) the place of contest, the arena or stadium

Aidos
(1) a sense of shame or honor; (2) modesty; (3) reverence, regard for others, respect

Aion
(1) age; (2) an indeterminate period of time; (3) an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity; (4) the worlds, universe

Akousmata
(1) things heard; (2) oral teachings

Aletheia
(1) what is true in any matter under consideration; (2) truth as a personal excellence; (3) reality

Amphidromia
(1) family festival in which a newly born child was introduced into the family, and receives its name; (2) welcoming ceremony; (3) naming ceremony

Anakyklosis
(1) the cyclic movement of time; (2) a historical cycle; (3) macrocosmic cycle of eternal return

Anamnesis
(1) recollection; (2) act of the soul recalling knowledge from past lives

Ananke
(1) necessity; (2) destiny

Angelos
a messenger

Anthropos
a person, whether male or female

Aparchai
first fruits offering

Aporrheton
(1) forbidden: (2) (a religious) secret; (3) secret sacrifice

Apotheothenai
deified mortals

Arche
(1) the first principle; (2) first cause; (3) origin of all things

Archon
(1) ruler; (2) chief magistrate

Arete
(1) goodness; (2) virtue; (3) excellence

Arrephoros
bearer of holy secrets

Asebia
impiety, no reverence for the sacred

Askesis
(1) process of training, discipline, and practice; (2) habitual practice of self-discipline; (3) freedom derived from ethical practice over theory

Astragaloi
dice made from knuckle–bones and used in divination

Atoma
(1) indivisible; (2) unbreakable; (3) the smallest, indivisible particles which make up all things, including souls (more in line with "strings" from Theoretical Physics than modern atoms)

Auletes
musician

Autarkeia
(1) self-sufficiency; (2) a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed

B
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Basileus
(1) sovereign; (2) king

Basilinna
queen

Bomos
(1) raised altar (most often made of stone); (2) a stand

Bothros
a trench or pit (used for sacrifices to chthonic Gods)

Boule
(1) deliberation; (2) a council of citizens

Bouleuteria
(1) council house; (2) communal building

D
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Dadoukhos
(pl. dadoukhoi) torch bearer

Daimon
(latin: daemon) (pl. daimones) (1) lesser divinity; (2) a spirit; (3) tutelary spirit; (4) a guardian

Deimata
(1) terrors; (2) panic; (3) terrifying events

Deipnon
a feast or banquet

Demos
(1) an area of land; (2) the people of a particular land; (3) (in a modern context often) may denote a religious group practicing Hellenismos

Didaskalia
instruction: doctrine, learning, teaching

Dodekatheon
(1) of the Twelve Gods; (2) Twelve Olympians; (3) temple of the Twelve Gods

Doron
(1) a present; (2) a sacrifice, gift, offering

Drakones
Dragons

Dromena
(1) things done; (2) thing performed; (3) a ritual

Dynamis
(1) power; (2) force

Dyspraxia
(1) poor or bad action or practice; (2) misfortune

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Eidolion
(1) idol's temple; (2) place where an image is housed

Eidos
(1) form or shape; (2) immutable genuine nature of a thing

Eirene
(1) peace; (2) security, safety, prosperity, felicity from a harmonious life

Ekastasis
(1) stepping out of one's self; (2) outside the body; (3) ecstasy

Eleutheria
true liberty or freedom found in virtue

Entheos
(1) in spirit; (2) God within

Enthusiasmos
(1) God is within me; (2) being possessed by a deity

Epiphany
appearance or manifestation of a God

Epistates
(1) master; (2) supervisor

Episteme
(1) knowledge; (2) science

Epoptes
(1) one newly born; (2) title given those who completed initiation into the Eleusinian mysteries

Eros
(1) passionate love; (2) sensual desire and longing

Ethike Arete
habitual goodness, virtue, or excellence

Ethnikoi
(1) ethnic, belonging to or deriving from the cultural, racial, religious, or linguistic traditions of a people or country; (2) pertaining to or characteristic of a people or group sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, or language; (3) being a member of a group sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, or language

Ethos
(1) one's character; (2) habitual behavior

Eudamonia
(1) well–being; (2) contentment; (3) happiness

Eukhe
(1) a prayer; (2) pious hope

Eulogeo
to bless

Euonomia
good order

Eupraxia
good action or practice

Eusebia
(1) pious; (2) respectful; (3) reverence, loyalty, and sense of duty toward the Gods

Exegetai
(1) explainers; (2) interpreter of sacred law

G
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Gamos
wedding

Gigantes
(1) giants; (2) the earth-born

Gnosis
esoteric or spiritual knowledge

Grammateus
scribe

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Hagia Hesychia
holy silence

Hagneia
purity

Harmonia
harmony

Hedone
(1) pleasure, enjoyment, delight; (2) desires for pleasures, physical enjoyment, and delights

Hekatomb
(1) sacrifice of a hundred oxen; (2) any great sacrifice

Hellas
Greece

Hellene
(1) a Greek; (2) a practitioner of Hellenismos

Hellenion
a Greek temple set in a foreign land

Hellenismos
(1) Hellenism or Grecism, the devotion to or imitation of ancient Greek thought, customs, or styles; (2) a body of humanistic and classical ideals associated with ancient Greece and including reason, the pursuit of knowledge and the arts, moderation, civic responsibility, and bodily development; (3) name coined by the Emperor Julian to describe Hellenic polytheism; (4) the modern movement which attempts to reconstruct the Hellenic religion

Hena Kai Nea
(1) the old and the new; (2) the last day of a festival calendar; (2) monthly festival for Hecate

Heortai
(1) seasonal festivals; (2) festival proper; (3) holy day

Hermaion
(1) a gift from Hermes; (2) lucky find

Heroi Hemitheoi
semi-divine heroes

Heroon
shrine or temple of a hero

Heros
(pl. heroi) hero

Hestia
the hearth

Hetaireia
(1) society of friends; (2) a club

Hiereia
priestess

Hierokeryx
herald who announces the ritual by calling for silence

Hieron
(1) filled with divine power; (2) a sanctuary

Hierophantes
(1) displayer of holy things; (2) he who explains sacred things

Hieros
(1) sacred; (2) consecrated to a deity

Hieros Gamos
(1) holy wedding; (2) sacred marriage; (3) a coupling of a deity and a human

Hierothytai
sacrificing priest

Hierus
(pl. hiereis) priest

Historia
history, an account of events

Hubris
(1) excess pride or arrogance; (2) a wrong springing from insolence; (3) disrespect for the Gods

Hydrophoroi
(holy) water carrier

K
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Kakodaimon
evil daimon (spirit)

Kanephoros
the basket bearer

Katabasis
(1) going underneath; (2) descent into the underworld

Katharmos
ritual cleansing, purification

Katharsis
purification, purgation

Kentauroi
Centaurs

Khaire
(pl. khairete) (1) hail; (2) farewell; (3) rejoice; (4) used as a hello or good–bye

Kharis
(1) grace; (2) favor felt; (3) charm; (4) divine reward

Kharisma
(1) divine favor or gift; (2) spiritual gift

Kharisterion
(1) a thanksgiving offering; (2) in mark of recognition

Khernips
(1) purifying water; (2) lustral water

Khoe
liquid offering or libation (specifically one where the entire offering is given to the Gods)

Khthonoi
earth or underworld deities

Kiste
basket (used for sacred things)

Kledon
accidentally significant utterance (a type of omen)

Kleidoukhoi
key holder

Koinon
common thing, communal

Komos
(1) revelry; (2) communal ritual carouse (drunken merrymaking); (3) a nocturnal and riotous procession in honor of a deity

Kosmos
(1) order, orderly arrangement, ornaments; (2) the Cosmos: the world, the universe; (3) the complete and harmonious order of existence

Kosmos Aisthetos
(1) empirical or phenomenal world; (2) the world perceived by our senses

Kosmos Noetos
(1) transcendental world; (2) spiritual world; (3) intelligible world

Kykeon
mixture of water, barley and herbs

Kyklos
(1) a circle; (2) a cycle

Kymbala
cymbals

L
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Liknon
a winnowing fan or basket

Logos
(1) word; (2) reason, logic; (3) the creative or formative principle of the Cosmos

M
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Mageiros
sacrificer

mania
(1) madness; (2) obsessiveness; (3) frenzy

Mantis
seer, diviner, soothsayer

Mathein
learning; to learn

Megaron
(1) big room; (2) great room

Metampsychosis
(1) reincarnation; (2) transmigration of the soul

Miasma
(1) ritual pollution or impurity; (2) spiritual defilements

Mimesis
(1) imitation or representation; (2) depiction

Mneme
(1) memory; (2) to remember a thing

Mousikos
(1) relating to the Muses; (2) good musician

Myein
to initiate into the Mysteries

Myesis
initiation

Mysteria
(1) mysteries; (2) sacraments

Mystes
(pl. mystai) (1) an initiate; (2) one initiated into the mysteries

Mystikos
(1) seeing with the eyes closed; (2) a mystic

Mythos
(1) a traditional tale, story or narrative; (2) a legend

N
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Naos
(1) a temple; (2) sanctuary or cell of the temple

Nemesis
(1) to give what is due; (2) divine vengeance or retribution

Neokoros
(pl. neokoroi) (1) temple sweeper or caretaker; (2) a temple servant

Nomos
(1) law; (2) custom; (3) tradition

Nomos Arkhaios
ancient tradition, law, or customs

Noumenia
the new moon (first visible sliver after the dark moon)

Nous
(1) mind, intellect; (2) cosmic mind

Nymphia
bride, bridal

O
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Oikos
(1) house, household; (2) a family

Oinokhoos
wine pourer

Ololyge
shout of exaltation (in ritual)

Olympioi
(1) the Olympians; (2) the Shining Ones

Omophagia
the eating of raw flesh

Orgia
secret rites

Orgiophant
a teacher or revealer of secret rites

Orthodoxy
right opinion or belief

Orthopraxy
right practice or action

Ouranian
heavenly, celestial

Ousia
(1) being or beingness; (2) essence

P
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Paian
a hymn of praise or thanksgiving to Apollo

Paideia
(1) the upbringing of a child; (2) education

Paligenesia
(1) rebirth; (2) renewal or regeneration; (3) restoration of fortune

Pannikhida
an all night festival

Panspermia
(or pankarpia) (1) all seeds; (2) mixture of fruits brought to the dead (the fruit is eaten, the seeds are left); (3) mixture of fresh water, oil, and fruits left for Zeus Herkeios Patroos in a pantry or cupboard

Paradosis
(1) giving over; (2) tradition by instruction, narrative, precept

Paredros
(1) one who sits beside; (2) a consort

Parrhesia
(1) freedom of speech or frankness; (2) fearless confidence and boldness; (3) cheerful courage

Pathos
(pl. pathea, pathe) (1) whatever befalls one, be sad or joyous (2) emotion of suffering

Patrios Nomos
ancestral custom or tradition

Pharmakeus
herbalist or druggist

Pharmakon
(1) a drug, whether healing or noxious; (2) healing remedy, cure; (3) poison; (4) enchanted potion

Pharmakos
(pl. pharmakoi) ritual scapegoat

Philanthropia
(1) love for humanity; (2) benevolence

Phileo
(1) to love; (2) signs of love; (3) to be fond of doing

Philos
(1) friend; (2) to be friendly

Philosophia
(1) love of wisdom; (2) philosophy

Philothytes
(1) fond of sacrifices; (2) hospitable

Phratry
(1) brotherhood; (2) kinfolk, clan

Phronesis
(1) practical wisdom or knowledge, prudence; (2) moral thought as a personal excellence

Phthora
(1) corruption; (2) destruction; (3) perishing

Physis
(1) nature; (2) fundamental existence

Pistis
fidelity or faithfulness

Pneuma
(1) breath; (2) spirit

Pneumatophoros
spirit borne

Poiese
poetry

Polis
(pl. poleis) city–state

Politeia
(1) citizenship; (2) political thought

Pompe
(religious) procession

Pragmata
(1) deeds; (2) things perceived in terms of practice, not theoretical investigation

Praxis
(1) a doing, action; (2) a practice

Protogenoi
(1) first born Gods; (2) the basic components of the universe which emerged at creation: Earth, Air, Sea, Sky, Fresh Water, Underworld, Darkness, Night, Light, Day, Procreation and Time

Prutaneis
president

Psukhopompos
(1) conductor of souls to the place of the dead; (2) the spiritual guide of a (living) person's soul

Psyche
(1) the soul; (2) the world or cosmic soul

Pyrphoros
the fire bearer

S
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Seven Pillars of Hellenismos
term given to the seven obligations incumbent of every practitioner of Hellenismos. These obligations are Ethike Arete (habitual excellence), Eusebia (piety), Hagneia (purity), Nomos Arkhaios (ancient tradition), Sophia (wisdom), Sophrosune (soundness of mind/control of self), and Xenia (hospitality/reciprocity).

Sige
silence

Soma
body

Sophia
(1) wisdom; (2) having gained knowledge, understanding, experience, good judgment, and intuitive understanding

Sophrosune
(1) control of self, (2) temperance, restraint; (3) moderation

Soteria
(1) salvation; (2) deliverance

Sponde
drink offering; libation

Spondophoroi
libation bearer

Stoicheia
elements

Sunkretismos
union or to unify

Symbolon
(1) token; (2) sign

Sympatheia
(1) to suffer together; (2) sympathy

Symposia
a dinner or drinking party focused on the discussion of philosophy

Synesis
(1) unification; (2) understanding

Synthema
password

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Telein
(1) to make perfectly complete; (2) to initiate

Telete
(1) performance; (2) sacred rite; (3) initiation

Temenos
(pl. temene) (1) sacred space; (2) sacred grounds

Thanatos
(1) death; (2) fatal

Thelema
the desire to do something, will

Theoi
the Gods

Theoi Agoraioi
Gods of the agora (of the marketplace and assembly)

Theoi Daitioi
Gods of feasts and banquets

Theoi Gamelioi
Gods of marriage

Theoi Georgikoi
Gods of agriculture

Theoi Gymnastikoi
Gods of the gymnasium, athletics and the Games

Theoi Halioi
Gods of the sea

Theoi Iatrokoi
Gods of medicine and healing

Theoi Khthonioi
(1) Gods of the underworld; (2) Gods of the earth

Theoi Ktesioi
Gods of house and home

Theoi Mantikoi
Gods of oracles, divination, and prophecy

Theoi Mousikoi
Gods of music, dance and education in the arts

Theoi Nomioi
Gods of the countryside, pastures, and wild forests

Theoi Olympioi
Olympian Gods

Theoi Ouranioi
sky or heavenly Gods

Theoi Polemikoi
Gods of war

Theoi Polikoi
Gods of the polis (city).

Theoi Thesmioi
Gods of divine law and custom

Theoi Titanes
Titan Gods

Theologia
(1) discourse on the gods; (2) cosmology

Theophoretos
God borne

Theoros
(pl. theoroi) (1) sacred envoys; (2) priests

Thesauros
(pl. tresauroi) treasury

Thiasos
(pl. thiasoi) religious group or association dedicated to a specific deity

Thusia
(1) a sacrificial victim; (2) animal sacrifice

Thymos
(1) spiritedness; (2) ambition; (3) will to power

To Hen
(1) the One; (2) the divine source

X
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Xenia
(1) guest–friendship; (2) concept of hospitality; (3) reciprocity

Y
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Ypato Symboulio Ellinon Ethnikon
Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes (YSEE), an umbrella organisation in Greece established in 1997 to defend and restore the polytheistic, Hellenic tradition, religion and way in the modern world

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Zoe
(1) life; (2) the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate; (3) of the absolute fulness of life



Glossary of Important Terms. A list of frequently used terms, relating to Hellenismos, and their definitions. A lexicon and dictionary of words and phrases.