LamhfadaJust going to do a thread of some of the more interesting quotes I've come across recently regarding Ancient #Mythology, #Philosophy, #Polytheism (Mostly going to lean towards #Platonism)
So feel free to mute if it bores you.
The gods of the Platonic tradition are totally benevolent towards mankind. They are aware of human activities, hear humans' prayers and feel charis at humans' sacrifices and dedications, are concerned for humans' welfare, and bring to humans a multitude of benefits… (1/2)
***The gods so described resemble closely the gods described in the best sources for practised religion***, gods who also are aware of humans' activity, hear prayers, feel *charis* at sacrifices and dedications, and bring many good things to humans… In the cultic tradition the bad things in life, as in the Platonic tradition, are not caused by the gods."
> - p.240 *Greek Popular Religion in Greek Philosophy*, Jon D. Mikalson (2/2) #polytheism #platonism
"How can the man who, while worshipping Zeus the God of Companions, sees his neighbors in need and does not give them a dime-how can he think he is worshipping Zeus properly?" (Emperor Julian, Letter to Arsacius) #Polytheism #Zeus
"Every God in his/her own existence [huparxis] possesses the providence [pronoein] of the universe [tôn holôn], and the primary providence is in the Gods”
(Proclus Elements of Theology prop. 120) #Proclus #Polytheism #Neoplatonism
"#Proclus says that the myths designate Hera “the cause of insanity [mania], but Zeus of temperance [sôphrosunê ]; and the former, of labors in the realm of becoming, but the latter, of leading up from it [anagôgê]. For Hera excites all things to procession, multiplies them, and causes them by her illuminations to be prolific” ( In Tim. III, 251). (1/?) #Neoplatonism #Hera #Zeus #Polytheism #Mythology
The insanity of #Herakles or of Io, which are attributed to Hera, are thus symbols of the procession of soul into the physical realm, away from the realm of pure Mind and thus, by definition, in the direction of ‘insanity’. By causing ‘insanity’ in Herakles, Hera leads him to the performance of labors that result in new possibilities for humanity; they are labors of civilization. (2/?) #Neoplatonism #Proclus #Hera #Myth #Mythology #Platonism
The myths symbolize the cause of this as insanity because ‘sanity’ for souls lies in turning oneself back toward the sources of one’s being. In this sense, it is ‘insane’ to be concerned with going deeper into the world of conflict.( 3/?)
#Neoplatonism #Myth #Mythology #Polytheism #GreekMythology #GreekMyth #Hera
It is not, therefore, that the insanity Hera causes in Herakles has the ancillary benefit of causing his civilizing labors: rather, Herakles’s labors and his insanity are symbolically one and the same . Heroic action is in a certain sense, then, linked to divine passion." (4/4)
Edward Butler (@[email protected]) "Queen of Kinêsis: Understanding Hera"
#Proclus #Neoplatonism #Hera #Myth #Polytheism #GreekMythology #Polytheist #Pagan #Platonism
"Queen of Kinêsis: Understanding Hera," pp. 126-148 in Queen of Olympos: A Devotional Anthology for Hera and Iuno, ed. Lykeia (Asheville, NC: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2013).
"Queen of Kinêsis: Understanding Hera," pp. 126-148 in Queen of Olympos: A Devotional Anthology for Hera and Iuno, ed. Lykeia (Asheville, NC: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2013).
"Now these things never happened, but always are"
-Sallustius from the book commonly called "On the Gods and the World". #Polytheism #Mythology #Myth #Platonism #Neoplatonism #Paganism
I love this quote as it shows the value of myth while also highlighting the dangers of mythic literalism.
Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, and strength of war, that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of blood-curdling strife.
-Homeric Hymn 8, to Ares
A very late written Homeric Hymn sometimes attributed to #Proclus because it's close to his style of #Platonic hymns.
"Both require Aphrodite for their own activity: Ares so that he can implant harmony and order among the opposites, Hephaestus so that he can produce in perceptible creations beauty and splendour because communion with the cause which produces beauty and binds together belongs by nature to the demiurge of perceptible things [Hephaestus], (1/2)
#Proclus #Polytheism #Aphrodite #Ares #Hephaestus #Paganism #Myth #Neoplatonism
but the power that provides unification is foreign to the one who presides over the division and opposition of encosmic things [Ares]. So it is this cooperation of dissimilar causes that the myths have referred to as adultery." Proclus, Commentary on the Republic 141f. (2/2)
I like this from Proclus as it works as a continuation of #Empedocles idea of the Cosmos sustained by Love/Strife
#Proclus #Polytheism #Aphrodite #Ares #Hephaestus #Paganism #Myth #Neoplatonism #GreekMythology #Mythology
‘All the gods are in Zeus zeusically, and in Hera heraically – for no god is incomplete.’
Olympiodorus (In Alc. 214)
#Olympiodorus was the last #Pagan #Neoplatonist Philosopher, and this quote shows the nature of the Gods as #Henads (aka units/individuals) who are All-in-All as the #Gods contain all things, including every other God but each in their own unique way (they are "in" Zeus in a "Zeus" like way and so on)
Aesop's Fable 30: The drowning man and #Athena
The man from Athens, however, did not start swimming. Instead, he began to pray to the goddess Athena. "Oh Athena," he shouted, "please rescue me from this terrible trouble! I promise that I build a temple to honor you if only you will save me now!"
One of the sailors swam by the man of Athens and saw that he was praying. "Pray to Athena if you want," he shouted, "but while you pray to the goddess, you also need to start swimming!"#Polytheism #Myth
The man from Athens, however, did not start swimming. Instead, he began to pray to the goddess Athena. "Oh Athena," he shouted, "please rescue me from this terrible trouble! I promise that I build a temple to honor you if only you will save me now!"
One of the sailors swam by the man of Athens and saw that he was praying. "Pray to Athena if you want," he shouted, "but while you pray to the goddess, you also need to start swimming!"#Polytheism #Myth
“each of the Gods is the
universe, but after a different manner,”
Proclus In Tim. I, 308
#Proclus #Neoplatonism #Polytheism #Myth #Mythology #Gods #Paganism #Pagan #Platonism #Timaeus
Saw some fascist idiots on the birb site trying to diss a trans inclusive analysis of #Plotinus so I made these memes based on #Proclus actual own words to show that #Neoplatonism and #Platonism of late antique #Polytheism are in fact very #transinclusive.
Coach Pāṇini ®
Tierfreund
Simon Boyne@Lamhfada is this quote about the #fediverse?
@SimonB LOL, yes I've had thoughts on how the #polycentric nature of Proclus's polytheistic #theology is similar to the Fediverse model in some way! Every God/Instance is the whole thing, but in its own individual way that is revealed differently/in a varied way to other Gods/Instances.