In Greece, a country of almost eleven million people, 98% (Aristokles' Remark: 95% define themselves this way, but do not accept obligatory dogmas) of which are Orthodox Christians, there is a re-Hellenization movement with growing momentum. Within Greece, and outside her boarders across the diaspora Greeks are returning to their ethnic ancestral traditions. Why are Greeks doing this? The modern Greek identity is tied tightly with Orthodoxy, the dominate faith of Greeks. For those with the curiosity and mind to question the status quo, have come to a striking truth. Orthodoxy is an inauthentic Greek identity. Orthodoxy is incompatible with Hellenism.
One cannot be a Greek (Hellene) and be a Christian, the two are opposites and have been historically at odds with one another. Going back to late antiquity, with the rise of Christianity, the clash between the new religion and the establish cultural force of the time, Hellenism, was clear. The “church fathers” wrote that the Greek religion was a deplorable religion, were the Gods of the Greeks are actually evil demons. The church fathers despised Hellenism as is evident in Eusebius’ Preparation for the Gospel (313 CE), which attempts to show the superiority of Christianity over Hellenism. With regards to identity, in the Preparation for the Gospel, Eusebius reveals a new identity for Christians by asking “Are we [Christians] Greeks or Barbarians?” He also defends Christians from pagan attacks of apostatizing from their ancestral gods. (1) We see that by becoming Christian, you no longer can be a Hellene (Greek).
Why does becoming a Christian kill a Hellene’s identity? By rejecting the ancestral Gods and accepting the Christian religion, there is a cultural exchange that takes place, which changes an individual’s identity. One function of religion is to transmit a groups history, ethics, beliefs and whole worldview. By becoming Christian, the worldview of a person who was Hellene fundamentally changes. They reject their ethnic history, myths, practices in exchange for a foreign one. Christianity grew out of Judaism.
The Torah of the Jews is preserved as the Old Testament in Christianity. The history of the Jews within the Old Testament then becomes an adopted history for Christian converts. Their native ethnic history and identity is erased and replaced with a Jewish narrative. The Bible replaces Homer, Jesus overthrows Olympus. Being Greek or Hellene no longer is an option in the Roman and later Byzantine Empire, the Greek identity is then effectively dies out in public view, going underground with occasional resurgences throughout history.
What Christianity did to Greek identity on the spiritual level, Rome did on the political level. When Rome eventually conquered Greece and the Hellenistic kingdoms, the Greeks would slowly see their identity change dramatically. No longer did they have their kingdoms, and political independence. With becoming part of the Roman structure, the Greek, their identity as a people eventually became Roman.
A similar way of explaining this is with the United States of America. A Greek born in the United States has citizenship to the country and grows up with an American identity. This individual might be raised with a Greek cultural upbringing, learning the language and so on. He or she does not live in Greece, has no understanding of a fully Greek identity based on a national level. This same thing can be said of the Greeks whom the Romans conquered. They spoke Greek, worshiped their gods and retained their culture (Greek culture dominated the Roman Empire), but they lost their sovereignty, they were absorbed into a larger political body of the Roman Empire, they became Romans.
Moving along in history, when the Empire splits between the Latin west and Greek east. The western half declines, but the eastern portion of the Empire flourished. The capital of the Empire was moved from Rome to Constantinople in 330 CE by Emperor Constantine. Later scholars would rename the eastern Roman Empire the Byzantine Empire, due to its Greek character. However, the people themselves who lived in the Empire identified themselves as “Romaioi”, Roman. (2) Greek or Hellene identity no longer existed. To be a Hellene was by this point synonymous with paganism.
The Roman identity persisted for centuries. Constantinople would fall to the Ottomans in 1453 CE, ending the Byzantium Empire. The Ottomans recognized and grouped their subjects into millets. The Rum millet or “Roman nation” was the designated name for the Orthodox Christian community in the Ottoman Empire. There was no Greek millet. Greek identity would not return until the rise of an intendent Greek state. However Roman identity persisted as late as the early twentieth century. Peter Charanis (1908 -1985) professor of Byzantine History at Rutgers University tells us that in 1912, as a child on the island of Lemnos, the island became occupied by the Greek navy. Peter, along with other children went to see the Greek soldiers, these “Hellenes”. One soldier asks the children ‘‘What are you looking at?’’ ‘‘At Hellenes,’’ they replied. ‘‘Are you not Hellenes yourselves?’’ the solider responded. The children answered, ‘‘No, we are Romans.” (3)
Greeks today are heirs of the Roman/Byzantine world and Orthodox Christianity, rather than anything resembling classical Greece. This creates a false sense of ethnic identity and for those aware of history, an existential crisis. What does it mean to be Greek? How is Orthodox Christianity reconciled with Hellenism? How do you unite these two to
create a Greek identity?
Trying to reconciling Orthodoxy (religious education) with Hellenism (Greek education/paideia), Rev. Dr. Demetrios J. Constantelos says that, “Tradition is what preserves the unity of a people and secures their identity. When a people forget their heritage, they lose their memory and disappear from history.” (4) Disagreeing with Rev. Constantelos, many Greeks in Greece and within the diaspora, have come to the conclusion that Orthodoxy is hostile and incompatible with Hellenism. If tradition preserves the unity of a people and secure their identity, we can safely argue thus far that the Greeks lost their identity centuries ago to Rome and later more so to Christianity. Greeks today carry little with them that is Hellenic.
To truly be Greek, a Hellene, there must be a rejection of the foreign Orthodox tradition to embrace Hellenism, the ethnic and native religious tradition fully. It is impossible to fully embrace Hellenism as a worldview (encompassing religion, education, and philosophy) while remaining an Orthodox Christian because the worldviews are opposed to each other.
In Greece, there are efforts being made by some people to re-Hellenize themselves and have organized officially. One organization, The Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes (Ypato Symboulio Ellinon Ethnikon – YSEE) was founded in 1997. Their goal is to protect and restore the polytheistic, ethnic Hellenic religion, tradition and way of life.(5) I interviewed several members of the community based in New York on what motivated them to be a part of this movement, re-Hellenizing themselves. Through compiling the stories of these members, who are active in either leadership or consistent attendance, a pattern or process was identified.
Curiosity: Between childhood and early adulthood, many of the people I spoke with shared that they had a curiosity about religion and or history in general. This curiosity grows and develops into questions about Christianity, their birth religion.
Investigation/research: The questions they have lead them to research and investigate matters of history and religion. They might have read the bible themselves, and then compare it with Greek history. They uncover history which was never taught to them, which is contradictory to established knowledge that was taught to them from their parents, school, and or Church. From their research, they conclude that Christianity and Hellenism are juxtaposed.
Identity Crisis: What comes about from the revelation that Christianity and Hellenism are incompatible is an identity crisis. What is an authentic Greek identity? Is it Christian as they were raised to believe, or is it Hellenism?
Identity Change: The conclusion these individuals come to is that Christianity is not a valid option as a Greek, the individual returns to Hellenism to resolve the identity crisis.
What are these people uncovering through their research that causes the crisis of identity?
I can provide one example for the purposes of this post, I may do subsequent posts on this. We learn of the hostility between Christianity and Hellenism through an attempt to bring Plato back to public consciousness. Demetrios Kydones (1323-1397) the mentor of the future Byzantine Emperor Manuel Palaiologos (1350-1425), wrote to Manuel telling him that Plato must be brought back to life, and that there is a desire for Plato’s voice once more. Kydones requested from Manuel that a manuscript of Plato which was held by the monks of Athos be given to him.
To the monks, Plato was considered a corpse, there was nothing living about the philosopher or his teachings. When Kydones received the manuscript, it was in horrible condition, it was soaked, torn, and stained. (6) The monks did not put much effort in preserving the manuscript. The monks had little love for Plato. He was seen occasionally by the monks as the ‘Greek Satan’, whose name was enough to make them spit on the ground and recite prayers. (7)
As a Greek of today, when reading this small piece of history is enough to start more research. It also is a sampling of cultural identity, where the monks, who would be seen as Greeks today, view Plato as a Satanic figure. In the modern Greek ethos, there is a level of reverence of ancient culture, but a superseding placement for Christianity that overrides the ancient but is taught as still retaining continuity. Upon learning that there is no continuity in a natural progression from one form to another, that instead there is hostility, the individual faces a crisis.
It is clear that for many Greeks, when they investigate their religion and history, what they have been taught by their community does not stand up to facts. By uncovering the hostile history between Christianity and Hellenism along with the foreignness of the Christian religion, they are bond to eventually opt for an ethnic tradition, native to their land and people.
Citations
1. The Tertullian Project. “Eusebius of Caesarea: Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for TheGospel). Tr. E.H. Gifford (1903) — Book 1.” The Tertullian Project, www.tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_pe_01_book1.htm.
2. Kaldellis, Anthony. Hellenism in Byzantium: The Transformations of Greek Identity and the Reception of the Classical Tradition. Cambridge UP, 2011, page 42.
3. Ibid.
4. Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey. “Orthodoxy and Hellenism.” www.nj.goarch.org/resources/orthhellenism.htm.
5. Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes. “Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes.” About YSEE, www.ysee.gr/index-eng.php?type=english&f=about.
6. Siniossoglou, Niketas, Radical Platonism in Byzantine, Cambridge Univerisity Press, 2016. page 1-2
7. Siniossoglou, Niketas, Radical Platonism in Byzantine, Cambridge Univerisity Press, 2016. page 1
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