Where Is The Akropolis Well of Poseidon?

The two incredibly powerful Deities faced off, Athena and Poseidon, battling it out for Patronage of the glorious City that would become Athens. 

The contest was simple, provide the greatest gift to the Athenians. We all know Athena won with the gift of the olive tree, and that Poseidon's saltwater spring, while great for sea navigation, was not chosen. The mark of His trident, where He struck the ground on the Akropolis and produced the water source, can still be seen today. But what of the spring itself? 

It existed well after the battle had concluded, and was documented late into Athenian history. Modern scholars and scientists have also admitted its reality in the Temple of Erechtheion on the Akropolis. The well was called The Sea of Erechtheus. In his chronicles of Greece, Paunsanias attests to the salty water of the well, which is astounding considering how far from the sea, and how high the Akropolis rises above sea level.

The Erechtheion temple rests on the north of the Akropolis, and still today can be visited and toured. The well lies abandoned as it is not used for any purpose today.

How did a saltwater well end up in this location? People can always find an alternative narrative they like in anything, if they look long and hard enough. But for me, its origins are obvious. Poseidon's mark is there and so is the spring. For me personally as a Hellenist, I find it fascinating each day that our religion is found everywhere. And the things left behind by the Gods are not only reminders of them, but also of human history.

Some might argue that water from the nearby sea eventually somehow pushed its way into the well, while leaving all the other wells in Athens alone for some reason. But entertaining that idea, could it be plausible that the contest was not a one day event? 

Maybe it was drawn out over a period of time, using the natural world as a means by which to accomplish the objective. Perhaps Poseidon's trident shook and began the process of this part of the earth becoming integrated with seawater so that His gift upon the Akropolis could come to fruition. Who knows these things? What I am confident of is the truth of it all.

I came up with this topic today after reading a portion of one of my history books on Athenian worship the other night. I find that few people go after the historical truth of these things, and even fewer realize they exist. But I suppose we all have our own callings in whatever it is that we do.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Mystery of The Wood From The Sky

One of the original shrines of Athena on the Akropolis, held as Her statue or representation, a distinctive piece of tall wood, unknown to specific time, that was regularly washed and robed and placed in the shrine for veneration. It is a fact that this existed as stated. Completely lost to history at this point, but the story behind this wood was that it fell from the sky during a storm. Presumably, it landed on or near the Akropolis, but the story and the myth is far more fascinating than just that.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus, King of all Gods and God of the sky and storms. As the story is told, She emerged from His head, and some myths say, it happened after Hephaistos used an axe to split his head open for a time, so that She could escape. The storm and the falling wood may have very well been seen as the rage of Zeus, and the splintering of the axe handle, as Athena burst forth into the universe. What if it truly was? Or what if She gave it to the Athenians later?

Pausanias, in his wonderful and timeless volumes concerning the descriptions of Greece, describes the shrine as existing even during his own time, which was far later in history, as he lived from 110 to 180 CE, a good while after the ancient world is officially considered to be "over" by modern historians. He says that the wood and shrine went all the way back to before the unification of Attika, which would have predated even Theseus. Therefore, this sacred image was housed and in use for well over a millennium, over a thousand years of history just in this one small area. 

However, we do not know the time that the wood itself fell to Earth. Human activity in Greece is, at least, 1 million years old, with modern human presence being over 200,000 years old. Of course, over time, far greater, beautiful and more elaborate statues and temples were built to the Goddess, but this original image always remained, considered by some to have been the most holy of them all, or so Pausanias says. 

While we know it existed, we do not know the fate of this relic. We know it survived the Persian and Roman invasions because Pausanias lived well after these time periods. But these were also not religious wars, unlike the time of Christian occupation. The Christians turned even the Parthenon into a church for a time, and no doubt destroyed everything that represented any Gods but their own. All of the gold, silver and bronze, the extreme wealth of the treasuries, and the majesty of the statues and temples on the Akropolis, met their demise and looting during this time period.

But importantly, to my mind, it shows us something about the Greeks, or at least the Athenians, when it came to their theological beliefs and life. Pausanias said the Athenians were more religious than any other man, at least that he knew. While they eventually had glorious statues and temples, some unsurpassed in all of Greece, they also found the Gods in everything around them. There was no separation from their religious life and ordinary life; they were one in the same. The Gods spoke to them, helped them, and elevated them in all things.

In the Goodness of the Gods, I'll see you at the next Herm down the road, Chris Aldridge.

Humans Did Not Create Gods, and Here's How You Know

One of the most common arguments, even from some philosophers as far back as ancient times, is that humans created the Gods of their cultures. It's basically an argument that attempts to invalidate the Gods themselves. Now certainly, I'm not saying that there were never any myths ascribed to the Gods that came, at least in part, from human understanding. But it's not true that the Gods are creations of humans. The Gods are real, and I will tell you why.

Let us think about it logically, or perhaps, in a way that most people never have before. And for this, let's of course refer to ancient Greek times, since that's where my religious and spiritual focus resides in life. In ancient Athens, a City ruled by men, a Goddess was the Patron. In a culture where men did most of the hunting, Artemis was the main Hunting Deity. In a society where sex was primarily ruled by men, a female Deity (Aphrodite), was the presiding Divinity. So the question begs, if humans create Gods, why were all of these Gods not male instead of female? Shouldn't a society ruled by men create male Gods to be their leaders?

The simple answer is that humans do not create Gods. Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite, for example, are who they are, regardless of the society we create, or the preferences we may have as human beings. When Athena claimed Athens, it did not matter which humans ruled it, or how the society was structured. She overruled them all. The same for Artemis and Aphrodite. The wild and the love of the universe belong to them, and no mortal social structure can change that. 

As a man, I might be a good martial artist, but when I need strength, it's Athena I pray to. When I need protection for my children, Artemis is who I sacrifice to. And for the power and passion of sexuality and sexual success, Aphrodite's my counsel. Furthermore, I see no reason that this should be a threat to my masculinity. The wonderful powers and Divinities of the masculine and feminine swirl all around us, in the Heavens, upon the Earth, and in the Underworld.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Pendants From Greece Hold More Natural Power

In the modern Greek Polytheistic community, some people may not be too explorative about jewelry or necklaces, even if they are religious. 

In fact, with the exception of my own works, I haven't read a book on the topic that really puts any significance on it. I'm not being critical; it's just an observation.

But I am most certainly someone who loves anything I can carry with me that reminds me of, or connects me with, the Gods and Heroes, especially when its a remake of what once existed.

In the picture above, you can see my own that I recently purchased from Greece herself, Athens specifically. The coin is a replica of the Athena Tetradrachm, meaning it was worth the value of four drachmas in the ancient world, eventually working its way up to a standard form of currency. 

The silver mines were located probably in Laurium in the Athenian countryside. This particular coin originally came into being in the late 6th Century BCE. More importantly, the coin is a direct connection to Athena, not just by Her frontal image, but by the AOE on the back, 

AOE means Alpha, Theta, and Epsilon, or Of The Athenians. The coin embodies all that is Athena and Athens (the Goddess and Her beloved City).

After I received the pendant, I put a chain on it to wear around my neck during the day, not really giving it that much thought. I didn't even try to put any energy or blessings onto it myself. It was intended for purely cosmetic purposes.

But I noticed that when I wrap my hand around and just hold it, Athena's amazing presence comes over and calms me, no matter how frustrated, angry, sad or hopeless I may be feeling at the time. It's like a cure-all for the mind and emotions.

The only thing I can figure, as to the pendant's natural power, is that it is directly from the land of Athena Herself, and carries on that ancient connection that has existed for thousands of years. 

Not even pendants that I have bought of Athena in America and placed blessings upon have had this kind of natural, never-ending spiritual strength. And of course, when you have a pendant with this kind of natural power, adding prayers, hymns or other spiritual significance along with it will only strengthen it further for you, and perhaps others as well. 

I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting Hellenic jewelry for religious purpose, to consider Greek sellers. There is just a charm that you cannot get anywhere else.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge. 

When Myths Manifest, The Meaning Maintains

I think the fact that ancient Greeks had religion and life intertwined goes beyond just religious devotion. It was and is because the world of Gods, Heroes, monsters and myths were clear in everyday life.

Today while I was maintaining my temple's outside sanctuary, I noticed a spider resting on the Athena statue, and there were no spiders on any of the other several statues surrounding it. 

If you click on the picture, it will enlarge and you can see the insect.

Certainly nothing unusual about a spider on an outside object, but Athena's was the only one that seemed to draw the creatures. Why would this be relevant to Greek religion and how in the world could it possibly expand the mind into universal thought?

Simple enough on the surface. In Greek myth, the story is that Athena created the spider, but how and why She did it is a fascinating concept and mystery, and also one that continues to have a valuable teaching for us today.

Arachne was an incredibly talented mortal weaver, and a maker of wonderous tapestries. So much so that no other human being could outdo her. Eventually, she allowed arrogance to take over her mind and proclaimed that she was greater at her art than even the Goddess Athena, who is the Goddess of domestic art.

Athena heard and accepted the challenge, although tried to talk some sense into Arachne first, giving her the opportunity to rebuke her arrogance and let it go. Arachne refused. The mortal woman weaved her best work, but Athena, knowing the beautiful things of heaven and beyond that mortals could not possibly see, created a far more glamorous piece.

Arachne was defeated. As punishment, Athena turned her into a spider, but not without her talent remaining with her. To this day, spiders continue to weave beautiful and elaborate webs. I find it to be like looking upon the remnants of an ancient battle, and the side that lost doomed forever to drag along the ruins of what they once were.

So walking along during a typical day in 2023 CE, what does seeing a spider on Athena's statue wish to teach the passerby? That the Gods are supreme, and we are not. The lesson, as common as it may sound, is to look upon this and know who the Gods are. Even if you're not religious at all, the lesson is know who you are, know your place, know your limitations. 

Wisdom, in short, is knowing you are not a God. Stop and reflect on this truth. But also on the understanding that you don't have to be a God either. You are still capable of great wonders within your own boundaries. 

The tragedy of Arachne is that her ruin did not have to be. She could have lived a very successful life, if she had only realized that her talent came from Athena, and that without the Gods, she was nothing. 

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Athena, Athens, and Women's History

Women's History Month would not be complete, or fairly addressed at all, without recognizing the Divine Femininity of one of the greatest cities and civilizations to ever exist among humanity; Athens and the Goddess who rules it. When Athena defeated Poseidon in the contest for Patronage of the Polis, the matter was not settled then and there. The people of the City took a vote. It came down to one, cast by a woman, and Athena became the Goddess of Athens. In a City ruled by men, a female Deity was loved, revered and feared as the Head of State. Of course, this goes contrary to the history we are often told about women being treated as second class citizens in Athens, and such was absolutely not the case in other cities in the Greek world. So what is a fair and balanced examination of the life and amazing contributions that Athena's City gave to humankind and the women who made up influential parts of its population?

Of course we begin Athenian contributions to the world by citing democracy, and generally, human liberation. We should additionally consider that, according to Plato, the more you go back in the history of Athens, the more equalized men and women were. "Military training for both men and women was common in the very ancient days. Athena was adorned with armor - an indication that all female and male creatures that live together can pursue in common the special talents that are suited to each." - Dialogue of Critias. In Plato's time, there's history he knows that we may not today, or that may have been lost. The City, however, was not a universal manifestation of gender, as we are often led to believe. Different time periods had different societies, and probably for very different reasons.

Women may not have been considered equal to men in the later times that we commonly imagine, but that does not mean they were not highly valued or helped make Athens the renowned City of history. 

Religion defined the identity of ancient Greeks, and women held very important roles therein. Some of the most important festivals, Plunteria, Thesmophoria, and Panathenaia held women worshipers at center stage. Only women were allowed to undress and wash Athena's image from the Akropolis, and only women were allowed to place the new peplos on Her statue. And Thesmophoria was a woman's festival all together. We are also commonly told that women in Athens were not allowed to venture outside the home and interact with other women or men. This is not true. It was necessary for women to leave the home in order to run the household by buying from markets or getting resources from other natural areas. There were no online grocery orders. An historian's common sense tells us that the only time a woman could have stayed inside 24/7, or even a significant portion of the time, was if she had enough wealth to hire servants to do work for her. Then as now, wealthy people were far and few between. It was as well entirely possible for Athenian women to work and make money and to own inherited properties. And women who held priestesshoods were given the due reverence of said clergy along with pay and a portion of sacrifices.

In some cases, it may be difficult to discern the true views of an Athenian Statesman from the narrative that the City laws forced him to uphold. Perikles (495-429 BCE) wanted Athenian citizenship to only apply to those who were born of a mother and father whose families were Athenian. This would have increased the status of Athenian women, either directly or indirectly, by increasing their societal worth. Generally, women in Athens did not enjoy the same rights as men, but that's not to say that they did not make great contributions and have exceptional worth in the eyes of State. To say nothing of what we find when we venture outside of Athens into places like Sparta, where women were exceptionally more free and powerful.

Sadly, with the radical and forced Christian takeover of Greece in later centuries, the status of women plummeted to its lowest ever, not only in the Greek world, but around the globe where the religion took hold. Ancient Athens individually shows us many things that needed changing, but also that women can be leading clergy, women can help lead the City's most important observances, and Femininity can be Godly.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Sources

Picture: "Restoration of the polychrome decoration of the Athena statue from the Aphaea temple at Aegina, 490 BCE (from the exposition "Bunte Gotter" by the Munich Glyptothek). Photography taken by Marsyas - own work. Picture is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.5). This picture was not modified in anyway, nor does the author of this blog post claim ownership or support in anyway; full disclaimer. Material located here.

Literary: Cooper, John M. edit, Plato Complete Works, Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1997.

Literary: Connelly, Joan Breton, The Parthenon Enigma, Vintage Books, New York, 2014.

Websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Classical_Athens

Learning From The Greek Gods: Athene

Athene, spelled in Latin as Athena, is one of the most powerful and influential Goddesses, not just in Greek culture, but ever in the history of the world. She appears on currency and within American states, and Her statues can be seen standing in places around the world, including before the entrance of the University of Athens in Greece. Athene encompasses many attributes and epithets, but some of Her main ones are wisdom, war, and domestic art. She can be prayed to for protection and victory in battle, whatever form that battle may come in, and the wisdom of the heavens and beauty of the arts. Abundantly, I pray to Athene for protection and defense. In the past, I have managed to successfully invoke Her in these regards and the results were beyond any description of amazement. But I also never neglect to recognize Her wisdom as well, for She is great enough to fight, but also wise enough to resolve conflicts without it, and my endless pursuit of wisdom in general doesn't neglect to have Her in mind.

We can learn many great things from Athene, one of them being the necessary components of battle. When Athene fights, She does not hold back. She fights with all of Her might and does not give up. She accepts nothing but victory, and She has always achieved it. When we are involved in our own battles in life, we too should understand that the time for war, or the time to fight, has arrived, and when there is no other choice, we must commit ourselves fully to the defense of ourselves, family and all that we love and hold dear. We too must only accept victory when we have been given no other choice but to achieve it as an outcome.

Athene is also the Goddess of Wisdom. While She is a fierce fighter, She would rather have peace. If She can avoid the conflict, She will. In other words, when a conflict arises, if peace is possible, She will try for it. She only fights when She must. This can also be our own inspiration for how to settle conflicts. Sometimes, fighting is unavoidable, but we should make sure that, before we engage in it, we have tried all other solutions. We too should prefer peace to war, and try our best to make that the outcome instead of jumping right into throwing punches.

Athene's wonderful beauty is also expressed in art, particularly the domestic. When I pray to Her in these regards, I ask Her to, "mold and weave my home into a place of beauty," and in fact, a statue of Her honoring this epithet stands in my home. Domestic art can include anything from weaving and sewing, to the homemade culinary arts (food-making). In this, She comes to provide comfort and happiness in our homes, whether we find that in our beautiful creations for the home, or in the meals we prepare and enjoy with our families. These times and things are very valuable in terms of our satisfaction in life and the contributions and growth to our families.

Athene is strong enough to do battle, wise enough to create peace, and beautiful enough to enrich lives.

In the Goodness of the Dodekatheon,
Chris.