BIG Greek Lie 3

BIG Greek Lie 3 - The Ancient ‘Greek gods’ were Greek

(Modern Greeks believe that those who spoke Greek and believed in the Greek gods were actually Greek)

By Risto Stefov

[NOTE: Our apologies to the Greek people if they find these articles offensive. Our objective here is NOT to create tension between the Macedonian and Greek people but rather to highlight the problem that exists within the Greek State and its institutions. As long as the Greek State denies our existence as Macedonians with rights and privileges, we will continue to publish these types of articles.]

(Erratic behaviour is a sign of a guilty conscience. L. K.)

In this article we will show you that the so called “Greek gods” were not really “Greek” at all.

We often read in books, see movies and hear stories about the so called mythical “Greek gods” but have we ever stopped to think what makes these deities Greek? Are they “Greek” because they originated where modern Greece is today? Are they “Greek” in a national sense? Are they Greek because the Ancients that lived in the region where modern Greece is today wrote about them? How are they “Greek”?

The word “Greek” before the word “gods” implies that there is a relationship between “Greek” and “gods” which means that in some way these gods belong to Greece or the “Greeks”. Since these “gods” are not associated with other Mediterranean people such as the Macedonians, Paeonians, Illyrians, Thracians, Phrygians, Lydians, Carians, Lycians, Paphlagonians, Cappadocians, Cilicians, Picidians, Pamphylians and others, in a similar manner, who also celebrated and believed in them, then one is led to believe that these gods must be exclusively connected to Greece and the “Greeks”

The question is how?

Among several sources we consulted, Microsoft’s Encarta encyclopedia under the heading “Greek Mythology” had an explanation but this explanation did not enforce the idea that the so called “Greek gods” were actually “Greek”.

According to Encarta, mythology in written form appeared for the first time in the literary works of Hesiod and Homer around the eighth century BC. Homer, as we know, produced the famous works the “Iliad” and “Odyssey” and Hesiod produced the poems “Theogony”. Both authors in their respective works talk about the various tales and legends associated with ancient deities. Hesiod, however, according to Encarta, takes a step further and introduces a larger number of myths that include deities that are not mentioned by Homer. Hesiod, in “Theogony”, who talks about the creation of the world, the birth of the gods as well as their adventures, NEVER ONCE mentions “Greek” or any other name derived from this word!

Similarly, Homer in his works the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey”, considered to be reliable sources for the so called “Greek Mythology” and the “Greek gods”, NEVER ONCE mentions the word “Greek” or any other name derived from this word!

So again, how are these so called “Greek gods” “Greek”? Perhaps the authors who wrote about them were from the region where modern Greece is today?

According to Carlos Parada, an internationally recognized researcher and expert on mythology, the following authors have contributed to the so called “Greek mythology”;

Author / % Contribution / Lived in (Ethnicity) / Year.

Apolodorus / 19 /Alexandria(Unknown *) / 2nd Cent. AD

Paucsanias / 12 / Lydia (Lydian)

Hyginus /12 / Rome (Unknown/Spanish?) / 1st Cent. AD

Homer / 8 / Asia Minor? (Unknown) / 8th Cent. BC?

Ovid / 6 / Rome (Roman) / 43BC-17AD

Nonnus / 5 / Egypt (Egyptian) / 5th Cent. AD

Hesiod / 4.6 / Boeotia (Boeotian **) / 8th Cent. BC?

Diodorus Siculus / 4.4 / Sicily (Sicilian) / 21 BC

Virgil / 4 / Mantua Italy (Roman) / 70 and 19 BC

Quintus Smynaeus / 3.3

Statius / 2.6 / Rome (Roman) / 1st Cent. AD

Antonius Liberalis / 2 / Rome (Roman)

Valerius Flaccus / 2 / Rome (Roman) / 1st Cent. AD

Apollonius Rhodius / 1.8 / Alexandria ? (Unknown) / 3rd Cent. BC

Dionysius

of Halicarnassus / 1.5 / Caria (Unknown) / 1st Cent. BC

Euripides / 1.5 / Attica (Athenian **) / 480 BC

Plutarch / 1.3 / Boeotia (Boeotian **) / 46 AD

Herodotus / 1 / Caria (Carian) / 484-425 BC

Pindarus (Pindar) / 1 / Thebes (Boeotian) / 518-438 BC

Parhenius of Nicaea / 1

Aeschylus / 0.5

Aristophanes / 0.4

Caimachus / 0.4

Cicero / 0.3

(*) Highest probability - Macedonian

(**) From Ancient City States south of Mount Olympus where Modern Greece is located today.

From the table above, we can see that the vast majority of works about the so-called "Greek mythology" and the "Greek gods" were in fact written by NON-GREEKS or by authors of unknown origin/ethnicity.

If the authors who wrote about them were not "Greek" then perhaps the legends of the so called "Greek gods" originated somewhere in the lands of modern Greece?

Unfortunately, that is not true either. According to Herodotus, many of the elements of the so called "Greek myths" associated with the "Greek gods" were borrowed from foreign religions, mainly from the Pelasgi who in turn borrowed them from the Egyptians. (There are some scientists today who believe the Pelasgi lived in the lower Balkans, including Macedonia and were the ancestors of the Slavs).

However, let as not just take Herodotus´s word. Let´s examine the mythological deities themselves starting with the supreme god Zeus.

According to the Grolier Encyclopedia, Zeus is a celestial deity of Indo-European origin symbolically associated with the sky. Poseidon, the elder brother of Zeus, is also a deity of Indo-European origin. Apollo, on the other hand, is an Asian deity from the Asian shaman cults, imported from Siberia.

The following is a list of deities and major mythical figures commonly referred to as "Greek gods" and "Greek mythical figures" that are believed to be of "non-Greek" origins;

Deity (Major Figure) / Origin / Source

Rhigmus / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Diomedes / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Phineus / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Tereus / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Rhesus / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Alcon / Thracian / Carlos Parada

Memnon / Ethiopian / Carlos Parada

Alcyoneus / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Alexipus / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Clydon / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Laomedon / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Mmeneclus / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Nychius / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Thalius / Ethiopian / Quintus Smyrnaeus

Andromeda / Ethiopian / Carlos Parada

Cepheus / Phoenician / Carlos Parada

Europa / Phoenician / Carlos Parada

Pelops / Phrygian / Carlos Parada

Agenor / Egyptian / Carlos Parada

Belus / Egyptian / Carlos Parada

Midus / Phrygian / Carlos Parada

Opis / Phrygian / Carlos Parada

Aura / Phrygian / Carlos Parada

Proteus / Egyptian / Carlos Parada

Egeria / Italian / Ovid

Hora / Roman / Ovid

Janus / Roman / Carlos Parada

Juturna / Roman / Carlos Parada

Penates / Roman / Carlos Parada

Tantalus / Paphlagonia / Carlos Parada

Orchamus / Persia / Carlos Parada

Pyramus / Babylon / Carlos Parada

Thisbe / Babylon / Carlos Parada

Dido / Cartagenan / Carlos Parada

Nicea / Indian / Carlos Parada

Phoenix /Arabian / Carlos Parada

Hypnos / From the Black Sea region / Carlos Parada

Muses (9) / Macedonian / Carlos Parada

Dionysus / Macedonian (Brygian) / Grolier Encyclopedia

For details on the above, see Donski, pages 146 to 173, “The Myth about the so-called ‘Greek Mythology’”, in his book “The Descendants of Alexander the Great of Macedon”.

From the table above, we can see that a large number of deities and important mythical figures have purposely or unwittingly been misrepresented. Clearly they are not of “Greek origins”

And finally, perhaps the so called “Greek gods” were “Greek” because they were exclusively celebrated by the ancient people who lived south of Mount Olympus where modern Greece is today?

That too, I am afraid is not true. The mythical gods, referred to as the “Greek gods”, were common to most ancient Mediterranean nations and cultures. They were as much universal to the ancient world as Christ and Christianity is universal to our modern world.

THE TRUTH The Ancient “Greek gods” were not Greek at all! In fact, referring to them as “Greek gods” would be a myth in itself.

It is more appropriate, truthful and precise to call them Mediterranean gods than it is to call them “Greek gods”. After all, they were celebrated, revered and feared by many more nations and cultures north, east and west of Mount Olympus than they were south of Mount Olympus. And that is the truth.

Sources

“Greek Mythology”. Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, USA, 1998.

Aleksandar Donski, “The Descendants of Alexander the Great of Macedon, The Arguments and Evidence that Today’s Macedonians are Descendants of the Ancient Macedonians”. Shtip, 2004.

Carlos Parada, “Geneological Guide to Greek Mythology”. Philadelphia: Coronoet Books, 1993.

The Columbia Encyclopedia. Third Edition, New York: Columbia University Press, 1963.

Grolier Encyclopedia. Navato: Grolier Electronic Publishing Inc., 1995.

You can contact the author at rstefov@hotmail.com