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A Hellenist's
Suggestions for Starting a Little Library
Suggestions for Starting a Little Library
Hellenic Polytheism in ancient Greece lacked an overarching priesthood or any sacred texts. Instead they had the myths and legends descended from a long history of oral tradition, the poems of Hesiod and Homer, the Homeric and Orphic Hymns, and the great works of their many poets, philosophers, and playwrights. Together these formed the theology, methodology, and religious practice of ancient Greece, and are the foundational texts for Hellenic Polytheism.
This list is by no means comprehensive. There are in fact thousands of works surviving from the Ancient Greeks. You may of course jump around between the sections at your own discretion, and would be advisable if you find yourself particularly interested in a certain topic or work. It should also be noted that these works will provide context for your praxis, but you don't need to read all of these, or even any of them, to identify as a Hellenic Polytheist or worship the gods.
In some instances I have recommended translations, however these are not required. You can find the recommended translations second-hand for a reasonable price, though there are versions available for nearly all of the primary works in the public domain (though generally these translations are a little more antiquated, outdated, or harder to read), but do what your circumstances allow. In general the Oxford and Penguin Classics editions are a good choice when you don't know which translation to get. I also highly recommend that if you find yourself struggling with a particular work, try a different translation. It can make all the difference.
Praxis
Praxis
The following books are not required by any means, but are helpful for understanding and reconstructing ancient ritual practice and belief.
Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by LABRYS
A quick modern guide on the gods and how to worship them, according to the traditions of the LABRYS community in Greece. It covers the basics of prayer and ritual in the home along with several long-format rites and ceremonies. If you know absolutely nothing about Hellenic Polytheism this is a fantastic primer. However if you're already familiar with the basics, you may find the vast majority of the content too simplistic and may or may not find the rites and ceremonies useful.Greek Religion by Burkert
The academic standard for scholarly study of Greek Religion by a leading authority in the field, and still used widely in universities today. While some minor aspects of the book are dated and it may be a bit of a dry read, this is still an indispensable resource on temples, ritual, and the religious lives of the Ancient Greeks and one of the only accessible sources on Athenian festivals.Ancient Greek Religion by Jon D. Mikalson
More concise and approachable, Mikalson's book is both a shorter alternative and worthwhile supplement to the above recommendation. While this text doesn't include any information on festivals, it does cover much of the same material as Burkert's but with more updated information in a smaller and more accessible academic text by another leading scholar in the field.Festivals of Attica by Erika Simon
An accessible and minorly updated collection of the major Athenian and wider Attic festivals in each month, organized by god. Beneficial as a reference resource or reconstructing for celebrations, but I would only recommend for those who have already exhausted other accessible resources on festivals.
Lyric Poetry
Lyric Poetry
The poems are an essential source for Ancient Greek worship, belief, and love for the gods. You may wish to get individual copies of the Homeric and Orphic hymns as they are both religious, beautiful, and deeply moving, however a generalized collection containing the hymns (and other poems) has been provided in the list below. If you feel pulled towards poetry in general you may enjoy Sappho and Pindar, two of the most celebrated Lyric Poets of Ancient Greece.
For the poems it is advisable to go with a verse translation over a prose translation when available as these are closer to the originals (they are poems afterall), but prose may be easier reading if you find yourself struggling, or if you just want the gist. If at any point you find yourself wanting a copy of the original Greek, Loeb offers original Greek-English side by side translations for most of these works, though the English side-by-side tends to be a bit more dated than the recommended translations.
Greek Poems to the Gods by Powell
A collection of primary poems to the gods conveniently sorted by god. This collection includes both the Homeric and Orphic hymns as well as some by the poets Callimachus and Proclus. If you can afford only one book from this list this is the biggest bang for your buck. However if for whatever reason you want to get the Homeric and Orphic hymns separately I recommend the translations by Diane Rayor and Athanassakis.
Sappho (trans. by Mary Beard)
Sappho is one of the most famous lyric poets and one of the only women from Ancient Greece whose work has survived. Unfortunately most of her poems are only fragments with only one of her poems existing in full, but the breadth and feeling of her lyrics are still incredibly real and moving to this day. I have read a few phenomenal translations of Sappho and all of them have their own unique flavor. If Beard's translation doesn't speak to you, likely another will.The Complete Odes by Pindar (trans. Verity)
Pindar, along with Sappho, is one of the nine lyrical poets beloved in antiquity and said to be the forest-god Pan's favorite poet and was a priest of Apollo. Of his prolific works only the victory odes of the athletic games survive in completion with the rest fragmentary, but his beautiful words and love for the gods have persisted through the ages.
Mythology
Mythology
Stories bind us from the earliest days of survival sitting communally around the fire and telling tales about the universe and the gods who inhabit it. Poets were telling myths through a long oral tradition hundreds of years before Homer's epics were ever written down. You could even say that the old bards were the first historians, though concerned less with facts than spiritual truths. In fact, the mother of the Muses, whom the bards invoke at the start of each poem, is known as Mnemosyne (Memory).
The Ancient Greek mythic universe is a wide-stretching and intricately woven tapestry. While the myths aren't literal and are written by mortals for mortals with those mortal values of the times (patriarchy, enslavement, sexual assault, etc.), they also contain religious truths woven between the lines. Whether that is explaining cosmology (Hesiod's Theogony), giving explanation for religious rites (Homeric Hymn to Demeter) or custom (The Myth of Daphne and Apollon), recalling a tale of mythic history (The Iliad), a collection of folk tales (Aesop's Fables), or an account of the morals and values of the time (Antigone, The Oresteia, the myth of Tantalus), the myths are an essential and entertaining way to learn about and connect to the gods in their original cultural context.
Modern Collections
Modern Collections
The best thing you can do if you want to get into the myths is to gather a generalized understanding of the mythic universe as a whole rather than the individual myths themselves. While you should try if you can to read the originals eventually, as they will help to provide context for your praxis with the gods and honestly just make good reading, for the most part you really just need to understand the broad-strokes so you can understand the culture they come from.
The most accessible way to do that is to read a collection, and once you've finished that, read another collection. That will give you an idea of how the myths can vary and have different origins or cosmologies for the gods and heroes. Ancient Greece was a big place, and not every region told the same versions. These collections can help you understand why the context for why and how myths are created and the various motivations of the poets is important to take into account when studying myth.
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton
My personal recommendation, an accessible narrative with a wide collection of the essential myths from a Classics scholar still used in universities today. Hamilton discusses her sourcing in detail and mentions the different versions of myths where applicable, making for an authoritative collection if you can afford only one.Gods and Mortals by Sarah Iles Johnston
A refreshingly modern retelling with flowing narrative for all the essential myths, written by one of the leading classicists in the field. This collection comes with some beautiful woodcut illustrations of the myths.Greek Myths by Charlotte Higgins
This is a feminist retelling of the most famous myths pertaining to women from their perspective, as told through weaving, the language of Ancient Greek women. Because of this some very specific choices have been made about which versions of myths to follow which can be refreshing, and goes into more detail on characters usually treated as side-notes in other collections.Mythos, Heroes, and Troy by Stephen Fry
This is by far the most accessible and entertaining collection (especially the audiobooks), and with three volumes covers a wide span of the mythic universe. Fry does favor Ovid and takes creative license in order to portray the gods' personality and character (and not always in a flattering light), but for the most part sticks to the main source material and provides an easy entry into the myths.
Primary Texts
Primary Texts
Most of our myths come to us by way of Homer, Hesiod, Apollodorus, Apollonius of Rhodes, the Hymns, and Athenian Drama. The poems and dramas that could normally be listed here are reserved for the 'Poetry' and 'Theater' sections.
The Theogony by Hesiod
Hesiod's version of the origin of the cosmos and birth of the gods, including some foundational myths such as the Titanomachy, Prometheus, and Pandora. This is the oldest known cosmology of the Ancient Greek gods, and therefore a good primer for beginners.
Recommended Translations: Lattimore, Athanassakis, or Lombardo
*Note: All 3 translators have collections that include both the Theogony, and Works and Days
Works and Days by Hesiod
An epic poem on the importance of good and honest work as piety towards the gods and the concept of Justice, comically addressed to his no-good brother after a property disagreement that brought the two brothers to court. Includes discussion of the agricultural calendar, and myths such as The Ages of Men, Pandora, and Prometheus. This work was also taught in the Ancient Athenian schools for youth, and is a good example of Ancient Greek life, culture, and values, though Hesiod's sexism is on full display.
Recommended Translations: see above
The Iliad by Homer
From a long tradition of oral history comes perhaps the oldest surviving work in the Western Canon. The story of the siege of Illion (Troy) in the final weeks of a bloody 9-year war over Helen of Sparta, the Rage of Achilles, and the tragedy of war. Besides its undebatable narrative value, it also provides insight into the Ancient Greek identity, culture, and religious rituals.
Recommended Translations: Caroline Alexander or Lattimore for the most faithful translations; Fitzgerald or Fagles for a poetic translation; Kline or Hammond for prose.
The Odyssey by Homer
Transcribed from the oral history presumably sometime after The Illiad, this epic follows the hero Odysseus after the events of the Trojan War and his 10 year struggle to return home. Full of myth and monsters and iconic characters that still hold relevance in the storytelling tradition today.
Recommended Translations: Emily Wilson, Lattimore, or Fagles
Aesop's Fables
A collection of fables that have been passed down for thousands of years and still used to provide ethical lessons for children today, also called the Aesopica. Aesop was said to have been an enslaved person living between 620-564 BCE, but it is unclear if he wrote the fables himself or if he compiled them from the local folkloric tradition. You'll recognize stories such as 'The Tortoise and the Hare', 'The Ants and the Grasshopper', and 'The Crow and the Pitcher'.
Theater
Theater
Theater developed out of religious performance rituals for Dionysos, and so Dionysos is considered the patron of theater. Theater is also presided over by the Muses of Tragedy (Melpomene) and Comedy (Thalia). There was a long history of theater contests in the Ancient Greek world at religious festivals, and they're also a major source of the myths. In fact, most of the plays surviving today were first performed in competition at these festivals. Of more than 300 known tragedies only 30 have survived: 6 by Aeschylus, 7 by Sophocles, and 18 by Euripides, in addition to 11 comedies by Aristophanes, and a single satyr play also by Euripides.
The Greek Plays: Sixteen Plays trans. by Mary Lefkowitz (2017)
A fantastic collection of the essential tragedies by Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripides. Includes some new translations by Emily Wilson. Particularly notable plays relevant to praxis, the religion in general, and our relationship with the gods are The Oresteia, Prometheus Bound, The Oedipus Cycle, Trojan Women, Medea, and The Bacchae.Aristophanes: Four Plays trans. by Aaron Poochigian (2021)
A recent translation of Aristophanes' comedies Clouds, Birds, Lysistrata, and Women of the Assembly. Aristophanes plays are both crude and clever satires of Ancient Athenian culture, philosophers, and religion.Frogs and Other Plays trans. by Shomit Dutta (2007)
Three more essential plays by Aristophanes, sadly excluded from the collection above: Frogs, Wasps, and Women at the Thesmophoria.
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