The Greco-Roman Gods

Characteristics of the Greco-Roman Pantheon

Time to read: approximately 14 minutes. This post is a reference which can be skimmed. Those uninterested in the pantheon may still be interested in the descriptions of Mars and Ares. Also, possibly the passages on the Lares and on Household Worship due to their uniqueness.

Ancient Epithets

It was the practice in ancient times to worship not only a god, but an epithet of a certain god. Thus Jupiter was not simply worshipped as Jupiter, but as “Jupiter Caelestis (of the sky)” or “Jupiter Fulgar (of lightning)”. A different idol was created for each form, and an offering to one form was thought to confer a greater relationship with that form in particular than with the god overall.

We no longer endorse this practice. It was one of the reasons for the failure of paganism in the late stages of the ancient period. It fragmented worshippers into countless variations, as those who worshipped “Apollo Lycoctonus” associated in one group with its own specific traditions, while those who worshipped “Apollo Acestor” associated in another group. Some groups were even formed based upon locality. Thus, a locality might even have worshipped “Apollo of Narbonensis” as distinct from “Apollo of Rome”. This was especially common in Greco-Roman practice, where the resultant fragmentation of temples made it impossible for them to financially support each other, and for temples to be made interchangeable, so that a worshipper from one location could also worship in another location without changing his basic practices and beliefs. The late temples of Roman antiquity must really each be thought of as different religions, different cults, all with similar gods.

The Templist Revision

Templism is more homogeneous than this, because it is useless to prescribe a system of religious variation in a society that is already teeming with it. Indeed, the Templist is to “modern religion in general” what Christianity was to paganism in late antiquity. Therefore we do not endorse epithet-cults. Rather, every god has just one idol. Any idol of Jupiter is an idol of Jupiter, and all of his traits. I list below the traits of the gods, which are embodied in one person, rather than multiple personalities. The only “alternative forms” of gods allowable are those that enable Christian Templism.

Idols

The idols for the Greco-Roman gods are omitted. This is because their idols have been widely preserved, so that better information about them can be found elsewhere, such as by looking at preserved Roman statues. As usual, these idols may be modified to have modern forms.

Some Templists may find that the Greco-Roman pantheon appeals to them more than the others. If they are eligible to be initiated into one of multiple pantheons, they may tend to choose the Greco-Roman. This is the result of the currently superior idols of the Greco-Roman gods that have been preserved. Therefore, it is in the interest of other pantheon-members to create their own idols that match the Greco-Roman level of beauty and fidelity. If a person is artistically gifted, they may wish to create idols for all pantheons for which they are eligible before they make a decision as to which they should be initiated into.

Primary Characteristic

Every god has a “primary characteristic”, which is designated by his or her name. This characteristic is stronger than other characteristics, and it may pervade the other characteristics.

Jupiter/Zeus

King of the Gods, The Sky (“Jupiter” means “father”, but refers to “sky father”), Lightning, Rain, Storms, Oaths, Law, Agriculture (via rain), Rituals (in general, and the precise following of their steps), Stability (of structures, states), Rites of Marriage, Order, Strength, Authority, Justice, Assistance to the Needy, Steadfastness, Successful Foundation of Organizations, Defense of Boundaries and Borders, Just Conquest (only what is necessary to defend what was held before the conquest), Formal Social Hierarchies, Honesty, Honesty in Trade, Punishment of Liars, Protector of Strangers and Foreigners, Repelling Flies, Property Rights, Function of the State.

Jupiter is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal, but he does not do so.

Juno/Hera

Queen of the Gods, Lover of Jupiter (“Juno” simply designates an affiliation with “Jove”, the older name of Jupiter, while “Hera” refers to the “love” of Zeus. In this capacity, she may be worshipped to influence Jupiter, especially to use his power to help accomplish something that Juno would want but is not responsible for), Youth, Protector of the Young, Protector of Women, Marriage, Fertility (of the state’s population), Population, Manpower (of armies, relating to population and also to recruitment policies), Vitality (of individuals, also collectively, thus of the state).

Minerva/Athena

Intelligence (“Minerva” means this), Knowledge, Wisdom, Mathematics, Crafts, War Strategy, Political Strategy (via plotting), Espionage, Military Intelligence, Defensive War, Bravery, Inspiration, Heroism, Horses, War Vehicles, Industry, Military Production, Military Technology, Protection, Military Law, Victory, Strategic Games.

Mars

War, Agriculture, Husbandry, Bravery, Military Valor, Peace Treaties, Citizenship, Protector of Citizens, Sacrifice (of oneself for a cause or war effort, also of one’s enemies for one’s own cause or war effort), Military Ceremonies, Military Formation Fighting, Military Logistics, Military Discipline, Military Exercises and Training, Military Rank (advancement in rank and pay, performing the functions of a rank, and the entire system of ranks), Duty.

Mars is not the same deity as Ares. They were falsely equated in antiquity. The Romans did this so as to better assimilate the Greeks, and to eliminate the unsavory deity Ares from worship. This latter aim was accomplished by equating Mars with Ares, but really worshipping both names as Mars only.

Ares

War, Violence, Strength (pertaining to violent power), Fighting (the physical aspect), Violent Conquest, Sadism, Torture (physical and psychological), Brutality, Courage, Recklessness, Athleticism, Physical Endurance, Violent Rape, Extermination (of animals, insects, the enemy, ethnic groups, etc.), Rule-Breaking, Physical Games.

Ares is not the same deity as Mars. When worshipped “as Ares”, he was never venerated, but only propitiated to achieve necessary aims. The Greeks, and the other gods, considered him (and we still do consider him) to be a bothersome presence that is sometimes necessary.

A Templist would know that Mars is not the same deity as Ares without being told, since he knows that gods are distinguished by their attributes. Despite the rampant ancient practice of interpretatio Romana, it should be obvious that no two deities should be called “the same” on the basis of only some similarities. No type of thing in the world is called “exactly the same thing as” any other type of thing on the basis of partial similarity. This is a fallacy of composition. Our pantheon allowed the Romans to make this error frequently, because it aided their imperial administration by easily assimilating other cultures. When religiously assimilated in this way, conquered cultures were made to worship their native gods “as Greco-Roman gods”, and so in reality to worship only us. We were very clever.

Ares is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal.

Alternative form: Ares-as-Satan.

Neptune/Poseidon

The Sea and Bodies of Water (“Neptune” and “Poseidon” both refer to “water”), Storms (at sea, or involving the sea), Fresh Water, Fishing, Marine Animals, Springs, Earthquakes, Houses by the Sea (in general, but especially preventing their destruction by the sea), Taming of Horses, Tribes of Virtue, Leaders of Tribes of Virtue, Genealogy, Patron of Overseers (managers, slave overseers, prison guards, etc).

Mercury/Hermes

Divine Herald (both “Mercury” and “Hermes” refer to my power to relay messages between the gods, to relay divine messages to mortals, and to speak my own divine wisdom to mortals), Dreams (relating to the previous), Influencing Humans, Messages, Commerce, Finance, Wealth, Communication, Translation, Patron of Travelers, Patron of Merchants, Patron of Thieves, Patron of Shepherds, Herds and Flocks (their transportation), Luck (while traveling), Trickery, Negotiation, Robbery, Raiding, Cunning, Roads, Speed, Boundaries (between places, political units, homes, moral boundaries - protection of them, passage through them, transgression of them), Rams, Logistics, Transportation of Immaterial Souls to new bodies (but not the decision as to where they go), Financial Patronage.

I can incarnate as a mortal.

Apollo

Youth, Enhancement of Virtue Within a Particular Person, Development and Education of Youth (“Apollo” is derived from the name of the culminating ritual of a certain ancient process of youth development, over which he presided), Tribes of Virtue (initial acceptance of a person into a certain tribe), Virtue, Healing, Disease, Medicine, Archery, Shooting (especially, hitting from a far distance), Knowledge, Protection of the Young, Music, Art, Poetry, Herds and Flocks (their quality and health), Beauty, Male Beauty, Prophecy, Protection (from people, diseases, curses), Patron of Seafarers, Protection of Fugitives, Patron of Colonists, Sunlight, Streets (safety while walking along them), Science, Learning, Writing.

Venus/Aphrodite

Seduction (“Venus” refers to this), Love, Desire, Passion, Indulgence, Charm, Sex, Beauty, Fertility (of humans), Victory, Prosperity, History, Purity, Safe Passage of Mariners, Sailing, Luck, Motherhood, Pleasure, Gardens, Secret Killings (murder, assassination) Motivated by Passion or Desire (and their maintaining their secrecy).

Alternative form: Venus-as-Satan.

Diana/Artemis

Hunting, Archery, Shooting (in the context of hunting), Navigation (“Diana” refers to celestial navigation), The Moon, Wild Animals, Woodlands, Countrysides, Fertility (of animals), The Moon, Darkness, Childbirth, Midwifery, Guidance of Immaterial Souls Into New Bodies (though, not the decision as to where they go), Magic, Virginity, Female Chastity, Patroness of Young Women, Freedom, Sudden Death (by accidents, sudden illness, sudden ambush), Archery (as it relates to hunting), Crossroads, Mountains, Singing, Self-Sufficiency, Female Independence, Survivalism, Camping, Celibacy, Female Homosexuality.

Vulcan/Hephaestus

Fire (“Vulcan” refers to this), Metalworking, Forging, Blacksmithing, Metallurgy, Masonry, Sculpture, Technology, Manufacturing (the quality of manufactures), Deserts, Volcanoes, Artisanal Work, Crafts, Patron of Craftsmen, Carpentry, Invention, Patron of Invalids (and, the creation of technologies to help them).

Vesta/Hestia

The Home (“Vesta” means this), Family, Familial Duty, Domestic Relations, Baking, Donkeys, Sex (in marriage, for procreation), Wives, Parents, Male Protection of Women, Male Maintenance and Protection of the Household (and its property), Temperature Regulation (of a home).

Vesta is not depicted in human form. Rather, her idol consists of a flame, when lit in a fireplace or pit or other receptacle that is consecrated to her. Offerings may be given directly to the flame.

Ceres/Demeter

Agriculture, Grains (“Ceres” means this), Fertility (of crops and humans), Harvest (yields thereof), Cultivation (of crops), Industrial Food Production (from grains and other crops), Fruit, Motherhood, Marriage Ceremonies (and, the oath of marriage), The Earth, Divine Law, Gifts, Retribution (resulting from transgression of divine laws), Protector of the Lower Classes, Funerals, Space Magic.

Janus

Doorways (“Janus” means this), Beginnings, Transitions (from war to peace, from past to future, from a non-heroic to a heroic life, etc), Change, Gates, Time, Physics.

Pluto/Hades

The Underworld (“Hades” refers to the “unseen” of the underworld, while “Pluto” refers in a roundabout way to the “wealth” of the soil that comes from the underworld - “The Underworld”, to a Templist, means: the future world into which one reincarnates), The Dead, Wealth (of the dead, their estate), Allocation of Immaterial Souls to New Bodies, Death, Fear of Death.

Carmenta/Nicostrate

Prophecy (“Carmenta” means this), Childbirth, Patron of Midwives, Protector of Mothers, Protector of Children, The Latin Alphabet, Writing, Psychological Magic.

I believe Carmenta may incarnate as a human, as does she, but she has never tried it and does not wish to do so.

Fortuna/Tyche

Fortune (“Fortuna”), Misfortune, Fate, Luck, Bad Luck, Destiny, Windfalls, Accidents, Prophecy (relating to fortunes or destinies, which she may occasionally come to communicate).

Sol/Helios

The Sun (“Sol” means this), Light, Daylight, Invincibility & Freedom From External Control (represented by the old epithet Invictus - unconquered, unsubdued, undefeated, invincible), Flight, Vehicles, Emperors, Patron of Emperors.

Bacchus/Dionysus

Ecstatic Frenzy (“Bacchus” refers to this), Wine, Beer, Alcohol, Disinhibition, Fertility, Festivity, Vegetation, Nature, Theatre, Acting, Wildness, Homosexuality, Transgenderism, Androgyny, Rowdiness, Liberation, War Against India (seems peculiar, but: due to his historical role as one who warred in and conquered India - in the past, he was called by the epithet Indoletes, “slayer of Indians”, and still has this aspect as well), Mysteries, Fig Trees, Protector of Degenerates, Protector of Vagabonds, Fornication, Pleasure.

In ancient times, there was a debate as to whether Dionysus should be equated with Liber of our same pantheon. He should not be.

Dionysus is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal, often as an animal.

Alternative form: Dionysus-as-Satan.

Liber

Freedom (“Liber” means this), Free Speech, Self-Expression, Political Rights, Patron of the Lower Class, Subversion of Tyrannical Ruling Classes, Humor, Irreverence, Wine, Grapes, Honey, Wine Growing, Seed (its protection and quality, of crops and men), Male Fertility, Becoming a Man (from a boy, gaining the rights of a man), Ejaculation (and the relief felt as a result), Positive Renewal of Nations (resulting from political changes, just revolutions, etc).

Liber is among the gods capable of incarnating as a mortal, only when needed does he.

Saturn/Cronus

Agriculture (“Saturn” means this), Seeds, Sowing, Harvest, Time, Wealth, Liberation (from social hierarchies).

Saturn is a titan who is imprisoned with the other titans. The respect of his children is such that they continue to allow offerings to him. To prevent his becoming excessively powerful, not all offerings given to him will actually be allowed to reach him, except during Saturnalia. This type of arrangement continues with multiple titans, including Saturn’s wife Opis, as indicated by the worship of them in antiquity.

Pomona

Fruit, Fruit Trees (“Pomona” means this), Orchards, Fruit Juices, Tree Pruning, Landscaping, Landscape Design, Planting, Gardening, Lawn Ornaments.

Victoria/Nike

Victory (in any contest, “Victoria”).

Though seemingly lacking in traits, this one trait actually encompasses a great variety of things: victory in a sport, victory in war, victory over illness, etc. Her traits ought not be exaggerated to encompass literally everything: victory requires a contest, or challenge. Yes, it is semantically valid to use the words “I wish to obtain victory over cowardice”, but this is not the type of victory that Victoria represents: victory in a contest in which you will for a certain outcome, and you have a human opponent who willfully contends against you to achieve an opposite outcome, where the issue has not yet been decided.

Indigitamenta

“Indigitamenta” generally refers to Greco-Roman deities about which little is known, named after the Indigitamenta, lists of deities that were kept by the college of pontiffs. In the Templist context, the indigitamenta are the lesser deities of the race of the gods within the Greco-Roman pantheon, akin to the Germanic “elves”. There are many such deities in the Greco-Roman pantheon. For example: Abundantia (abundance, prosperity), Flora (flowers), Mnemosyne (memory). These deities may be prayed to individually, or collectively. The latter is preferred if one wishes to influence the greater gods, though it is difficult to do so and therefore requires very large offerings.

A good amount is known about the indigitamenta of the Greco-Roman pantheon, in contrast to the lesser deities of other pantheons. This is due to the extensive nature of Greco-Roman folklore; we have tended to record, and pass to humans, minute details of what has happened in the realm of the gods.

Lares

Lares (singular: lar) are a type of indigitamenta who are bound to a particular place (e.g, a road intersection) or tangible area of responsibility (e.g, the Italian Armed Forces) within the Greco-Roman jurisdiction. They do not have any other characteristics than this area of responsibility. Therefore, there can only be one lar for one place or tangible area of responsibility, since two gods of the exact same characteristics are the same god. Not all places or tangible areas of responsibility have a lar. Such a “larified” place or area of responsibility is discovered by the appearance of a lar, such as physically or in a dream, or if that place or area of responsibility seems to be consistently weakly protected in an unusual way (but, inconsistent or strong protection is indicative of the protection of greater gods, not lares). Every Greco-Roman family has a Lar Familiaris.

Household Worship

The household rites are a traditional part of Greco-Roman worship, to be performed in an owned (not rented, though financed is acceptable) home that is occupied by a husband and wife, where the husband is the highest priest of his household. They involve, first of all, the veneration of Vesta via her flame-idol somewhere in the home or within the same property just outside of it. Whenever moving to a new home, the husband and wife of a family must ask her to consecrate and protect the home on behalf of the family.

Worship of Lares

Secondly, the worship of the Lar Familiaris, which is to be personified according to the spiritual intuition of the patriarch of the household, and is always male. An idol of this lar must always be at the table during dinner. Also, the worship of any additional lares which have shown themselves to protect aspects of the home.

Worship of Penates

Thirdly, the veneration of the penates, the known ancestors of the family, at least up to four generations ago. Members of the family must be educated about the characteristics and accomplishments of each. Pictures or idols of each are placed by the idol of Vesta, and requests of them may be involved in prayers to Vesta. Vesta hears these requests “on their behalf”. They may also be worshipped in the manner of heroes. As heroes, penates are not affixed to the home, but move with the family. As pseudo-divine entities pretended by Vesta, an owned home with a consecrated vestal shrine is required.

Worship of Genes and Procreation

Fourthly, the worship of the genes that constitute the family, and the total genome of the father and mother of that family, the characteristics that are made up of expressed genes, and also the latent characteristics that are made up of latent genes.

This involves, also, the mindful ritualization of the sex act into a number of steps, each presided over by a certain indigitamenta: Prerequisite: Jugatinus: marriage and proximity of man and woman Prerequisite: Mena: healthy menstruation of the woman. 1. Cinxia: undressing of the woman 2. Subigus: submission of the woman to the man, and preparation of her. 3. Prema: the penetration. If the woman is a virgin: Juno: loss of the woman’s virginity. 4. Janus: the sex act and female orgasm 5. Liber: ejaculation After: Fluvionia: conception. At the outset of pregnancy: Alemona: protection of the unborn. During pregnancy: any god of the unborn. During birth: Diana, and other gods for specific purposes, such as Prosa who prevents breech birth.

August 25, 2022