Greek afterlife

[Vivandall.. .]

So what do you guys think about it?Do you think that it is true according to your beliefs?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Not exactly sure what it is - I've heard a few different things; everyone goes to Hades. In a book I read there's kind of a Heaven and Hades scenario, but in Heaven you can reincarnate yourself on earth and if you pass you get a greater rank in that land (forgot what they called it)

 

[Quintessence]

I have a cursory understanding of the Hellenic mythos related to the afterlife, but not in in-depth one at this time. I know that to parallel it to the Christian heaven-hell concept is incorrect, particularly given the overwhelming majority of souls are said to go to Asphodel. Only epic heroes or the unusually loved by the gods go to Elysium, and only the worst offenders against the gods go to Tartaros. Everyone else is in "meh" land.

There is truth in all mythos. I personally don't recognize an afterlife as conventionally described, but aspects of the Hellenic perspective do accurately describe portions of how I deal with "end of life" question. Specifically, it accurately describes how I would regard memory as continuing onwards through time. The vast majority of people really aren't that important and are remembered for maybe a couple of generations at most. Then they're forgotten and go to "meh" land of Asphodel. Only the most remarkably wicked or virtuous become household names for dozens of generations. In that sense, a name like Hitler resides in Tartaros and a name like Ghandi in Elysium.

 

[Vivandall.. .]

So does afterlife in greek lasts forever?By offenders against gods,does playing games like Age of Mythology consider bad?I mean you worship different gods and fight against different civilizations that worship their own god or even your own god?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

So does afterlife in greek lasts forever?By offenders against gods,does playing games like Age of Mythology consider bad?I mean you worship different gods and fight against different civilizations that worship their own god or even your own god?

It might make Zeus less likely to sleep with you.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

It might make Zeus less likely to sleep with you.

doubtful

 

[Vivandall.. .]

Hmmm any ideas?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Hmmm any ideas?

I haven't read too much Greek myth in the last 20 years (crap I'm getting old) but it used to be an interest when I was growing up.
Purely from memory, the best way to imagine the Greek Gods and their likelihood to anger is something akin to a seven year old child with superpowers.

Can you upset 'em? Sure. But chances are what you see as a big deal won't cause a ripple. Whereas one day you'll suddenly notice they're on the floor kicking and screaming because of something you did, and you won't have the least idea what it was.

 

[Whiterain]

Consider your house, you may surround yourself with the best of the best and your chosen friends and
family. You surround yourself with your chosen Warriors, Athletes, Musicians, Actors, Comedians,
Scientists, Teachers and many other people. People that have proven themselves to you, not everyone,
even though everyone may be welcome, you choose wisely.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

I haven't read too much Greek myth in the last 20 years (crap I'm getting old) but it used to be an interest when I was growing up.
Purely from memory, the best way to imagine the Greek Gods and their likelihood to anger is something akin to a seven year old child with superpowers.

Can you upset 'em? Sure. But chances are what you see as a big deal won't cause a ripple. Whereas one day you'll suddenly notice they're on the floor kicking and screaming because of something you did, and you won't have the least idea what it was.

I like the part where they will help you and then for doing what they told you to do...curse you and your entire family

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

There's not just one view of the afterlife in Hellenic religion. Yes, there is Hades. That seems to have been the most popular belief. You die and go to the realm of Hades.

However, there were Mystery schools like Orphism which teaches continuous rebirth until the Psyche (soul) reaches such a state of Virtue that it evolves beyond this level becoming a Hero, then a Daimon and eventually a God. That is the view that many modern revivalist groups take and that's the one I agree with. The Psyche is eternal, as well.

What about the Psyche-Mind-Brain relationship?

The Psyche is a material entity, an essential particle, generated exactly in the same way as the rest of Matter , from the unification of the two Primordial Substances, the Continuous and the Particulate (the Finite Unit and the Indefinite Dyad of the Pythagoreans). This reaction is governed by Eros, the Divine Law of Interaction. The Psyche is imprinted with experiences, leading to expansion of its Decorations, as it evolves through inorganic, organic and living Matter. Late in this evolutionary process, Conscience appears, as an attribute of Mind. The Mind is an organ composed of subtle Matter, closely connected to the Brain, a coarsely material organ. The Mind serves the Conscience during incarnation of the Psyche. Up to a certain point in evolution of Man, incarnation of the Psyche is imperative, in order for its Decorations to be preserved. Preservation of the Decorations is an energy consuming process; this energy is provided by the living body, until the Psyche becomes able to acquire energy directly from the environment. This point of the evolutionary process corresponds to the threshold of Divinity. The evolution of the Psyche is neither a linear, nor a predetermined process, as this would violate the freedom of choice of the Psyche.​

...

How are the Gods of the Hellenic Pantheon produced?

Once in the Divine level, the Psyche evolves further, in a non-linear manner, and with ever increasing difficulty, and becomes a Heroe, a Demon, a God, an Olympian God and further on, achieving hights of divine glory that Man cannot conceive; this level is called, by the Hellenic religion, «The Night», meaning that we cannot see in it; what happens in that supreme level of evolution is beyond our understanding. In the Divine level, the Psyche retains its self, personality and character. Historically, our Gods and Goddesses have always been worshiped as persons with a living self.
In summary, one can say that the Cosmos has an inherent tendency to produce Conscience and develop it to the infinite hights of Divinity.​

Hellenic Religion - The Basic Principle​

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]The soul has the potential to advance or progress as it reincarnates. There are many, many lives, but it is said that there is only one death, the end of the circle, kyklou lixai, deification by the Gods. One's temporal body dies, but the soul is now immortal and the circle of lives has ended. We consist of the two kosmogonic substances, Earth (Yi; Gr. [/FONT]Γ&#8134 [FONT=arial, sans-serif]and Water (Ythohr; Gr. [/FONT]Ὕδω&#961[FONT=arial, sans-serif]. These are the substance of Gods, the substance of Ira (Hera; Gr. [/FONT]Ἥρα) and Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς). Like the seed of a tree which matures to become a real tree, our soul when mature becomes not god-like, but a true God.

http://www.hellenicgods.org/deificationofthesoulsources

In this view, the Cosmos is a sort of God-factory. Through it's evolutionary processes and fluxes, it produces conscious beings who rise ever higher through the ranks of Divinity through the practice of Virtue and living in sync with the Natural Law (not the same as what Christians think). The Cosmos itself is viewed as a self-created, self-forming, eternal Being.​