EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). This is a very interesting development in Greece… An ancient Greek Temple dedicated to the ancient god Pan was built in the village Kalliani of Arcadia, near Tripolis, in the geographical center of Peloponnese… As you guessed, it has caused harsh reactions from the Church and the State Authorities… It seems that the problems will be overcome. In their overwhelming majority, the local people have accepted the temple, recognizing that the Greek Constitution establishes freedom of religion. The local Metropolitan, of course, issued his hateful announcement calling at the same time on the Orthodox faithful to attend the Church services, follow the fast, etc etc…
Yes, my friends, the same people who did NOT express any concern about the opening of many mosques all over Greece, the same government that recently re-opened historic Mosques in Athens and Salonica, are harshly objecting to the opening of this Ancient Greek Temple and ordered big stones to block its entrance. What are they afraid of – that does not bother them with Islam? The case is now in Court and will soon be decided, likely leading to the opening and full functioning of the Temple.
You will probably hear similar arguments among the Diaspora also. Those among us – and particularly the “Church leaders” – who will object to the revival of the so-called “pagan” ancient Greek religion will have FIRST to explain to all of us AT LEAST these issues:
- Why do their leaders—particularly Patriarch Bartholomew and his minions—have blessed “pan-religious” temples such as the “Abrahamic House” in Dubai? If they are trending towards the religion of “ONE DEITY,” what is to stop the rest of us from revisiting the “one-deity” approaches of Stoic Philosophy or even going back to more Ancient Greek religious beliefs?
- Furthermore, our Church Leaders have proven to be more PAGAN than any ancient religion: They daily sacrifice everything on the altar of money!! They have no right to accuse anyone of “paganism”…
- The hottest philosophical subject in Academia during the last 15 years is Stoicism. It seems that people have realized that Christianity in the previous 1,000 years has turned into a political tool of the power-hungry European and American elites. One thousand years of the crusades, colonialism, and imperialism ALWAYS had the Pope and other religious leaders blessing of some sort or another. Yes, Orthodoxy has been the exception – but see where Bartholomew is leading it: Next to the power-hungry Pope, and always a political tool for the hegemonic West, as he proved by interfering in Ukraine.
- We all understand that every new religion or ideology goes through a phase of violence as it establishes itself. Ancient Greek Temples (such as the Acropolis) and institutions (such as the Academy of Athens) were destroyed by Byzantine Emperors Theodosius and Justinian (yes, the same Emperor who built Hagia Sophia!!). Persian Emperor Hosroe saved a great many Greek philosophers and manuscripts at the same time!! But the Pope never stopped playing political games and exerting secular power – even to our days… And he never failed to have blood in his hands – let’s not forget that the Vatican helped the Nazis in WWII in many ways…
- AND FINALLY, before the same fanatics start issuing their rejection against the “Pagans”, they should sit back and begin contemplating how much Christianity owes to Stoicism. Would there be Christianity without the Stoics? The short answer is an emphatic “NO”. Yes, you can blubber all day long about the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit enlightening Saint Paul. Still, after you spend some time reading Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus, you will not doubt at all.
Before our unworthy “Hierarchs” and Archbishop start pulling their beards (those who have a beard long enough…), I will remind them that Georgios Gemistos Plithon, the philosopher who was instrumental in transferring Greek knowledge to the West and igniting the Rennaisance (who also happened to be the teacher of the last Emperor of Byzantium, Constantinos Palaiologos), he was an adherent of the ancient Greek religion!
I will also reveal that recently, the search for the roots of Christianity in stoicism has reached Mount Athos. You may criticize many monasteries, abbots, and monks for commercializing the Holy Mountain. But nobody would dare accuse them of not feeling their Greek identity to the depths of their existence. At some point, being enlightened thinkers, they would have to answer the right questions. It seems that this time has come.
This last note brings me to my conclusion and approach to this issue. I was fortunate to know Fr. Georgios Metallinos, a specialist in the convergence between Hellenism and Christianity. He believed reviving the ancient religion was meaningless as the merging with Christianity overcame it. But this argument is long and tedious, and we must do a special post. We live in an era when many see that the official Church has turned against Hellenism in one way or another (we even see it in the Diaspora) – and so this argument needs to be approached in a fresh light.
BELOW, PLEASE WATCH ONE OF THE MAIN ACTORS OF THIS PROJECT, Evangelos Bexis, explaining and analyzing the building and the whole re-introduction of the ancient Greek religion. FOLLOWED BY A REPORT ON THE OPENING AND MANY PHOTOS.
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Arcadia: Ancient Greek temple built after 1,700 years – Inauguration ceremony by “believers”
Believers of the ancient Greek religion attended a special ceremony for the inauguration of an ancient Greek temple in Arcadia, however there were reactions from the Church, as well as a “sealing” of the temple by the Authorities.
By Sotiris Skouloudis
March 9, 2025 · 17:06
A new, ancient Greek temple was built in Arcadia, with a special ceremony taking place on Saturday, March 8, in which at least 1,000 people participated, from various parts of Greece.
This is an initiative funded by Manolis Heliotis, a doctor from Great Britain, who owns the fenced area of 170 acres, near the village of Kalliani.
Evangelos Bexis, the site manager and organizer of the event, explains to Newsbomb.gr that the goal is to create this temple based on the golden ratio, using marble from various parts of Greece, and adhering to the rules that applied in ancient Greek temple architecture, such as the frieze and the pediments. “After 1,700 years, such a building is being built with marble cladding on the walls and ceiling. There are tens of thousands of people in Greece and abroad who believe in the ancestral gods and they do not have a place of worship. An injustice of centuries is being corrected,” he notes.
The temple is dedicated to Zeus, Dionysus and Pan, as there is a statue of the latter inside the temple. The events were held in honor of these gods.
However, as Evangelos Bexis explains, obstacles were created, with a circular from the Ministry of Education prohibiting the operation of the church (inside) and a special team “sealed” the entrance, although the city planning department has provided the required permits.
“We are completely legal, while the church does not fall under the rules on church construction and thus was improperly sealed. We will proceed to defend our legal rights,” emphasizes Evangelos Bexis.
In fact, we also had reactions from the church, with a circular from the Metropolis of Gortynia condemning this initiative and calling on the faithful “not to be led astray.”
Evangelos Bexis responds to this: “We are not opponents nor do we seek to be opponents of our Christian brothers, we are all Greeks. All we want is understanding for our beliefs. We demand respect from both them and the state.”
Whack-a-doodle city!
Stoicism isn’t expressed as a problem in this context.
The problem is the worship of Pan, Bacchus (Dionysius), etc.
We are advised by Socrates and Plato not to involve ourselves in such beliefs. Socrates was imprisoned by the pagans for his teaching in this regard, and by choosing death over capitulation to their demands to recant, he became a martyr — a “Christian before Christ,” as he is known to us in patristic literature.
Euripides, in the classic tragedy “The Bacchae,” vividly describes the hysteria induced by the rites of Bacchus (Dionysius).
The word “panic” comes from encounters with Pan: a total, abject, existential fear (not awe, but panic).
The ancient Greek trappings are a veneer. The neo-pagan movement actually takes us away from the heights of achievements of the ancient Greek world.
The movement is simply another manifestation of the Western malaise.
So, one may well say: The Greek Orthodox bishop is correct to warn his Arcadian flock about the imposition of a neo-pagan cult onto the Arcadians’ homeland.
He may be correct as long as he doesn’t do it in a hateful manner reminding all of us who first destroyed the Parthenon and the Academy of Athens – Christian (presumably) Emperors Theodosius and Justinian… Ans as long as he opposes the unlimited introduction of mosques in Greece – which if you search in recent years the Holy Synod of the church of Greece did not oppose 0r at the least they have softened to the minimum their opposition. But if they are not opposed to mosques they are not entitles to opposed ancient Greek temples.
Wow Nick. You are not your usual super-Orthodox self. I am shocked and happy to see a transformation in your thoughts. And you are correct about Christians destroying temples, statues and burning books. And of course the Parthenon.
Thank goodness not all of them were so blinded. Many of the church fathers salvaged and treasured philosophical works of the ancient Greeks and Konstantinople became a safe harbor for Greek thought. Which was in its turn, brought to Italy after the fall of Konstantinople and was instrumental in igniting the Italian renaisance.
I wanted to remind everyone that many Ancient Greek texts were first translated to Latin from the Arabic in the years before Renaissance… Yes, some were saved by Byzantine scholars and many were kept in Monasteries. But have no doubt – we owe a great debt to the Arabs for saving much of our ancient heritage.
The church also objects to the persecuted Kalash returning to Greece
https://kalashkitchen.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalash_people
This is probably why some of them ended up in Skopje…
A temple dedicated to Pan, it gives new meaning to the term Pan-Orthodox.
Ο ΛΑΟΣ ΔΙΧΑΖΕΤΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΑΙΡΕΙΤΑΙ ΦΤΑΣΑΝΤΕΣ ΣΤΟ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ Η ΕΛΛΗΝΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΟΣ,,,,,
ΧΑΙΡΕ Η ΤΗΣ ΒΑΡΒΑΡΟΥ ΛΥΤΡΟΥΜΕΝΗ ΘΡΗΣΚΕΙΑΣ ΤΗΝ ΦΙΛΤΑΤΗΝ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑ ΠΟΤΕ ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΡΝΗΘΟΥΜΕ ΕΛΠΙΖΩΝΤΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΚΑΤΑΜΑΧΗΤΟΝ ΙΣΧΥΝ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΕΡΜΑΧΟΥ ΣΡΑΤΗΓΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΓΕΝΟΥΣ,
Christianity is what sustained Greece under the Franks and the Turks. There are valid reasons why Theodosius and Justinian destroyed the pagan temples.
The gospel needed to spread and the pagan temples and religions were in the way.
The bishop is right to criticize this. Although these people have the right to build what they want. Neo paganism comes back in various forms whether the racist occultism of Golden Dawn or the LGBT movement. The building of this temple symbolizes in many ways the degree to which Greece is being gradually de Christianized.
The building of a pagan temple may very well serve to strengthen the anti Christian attitudes and sentiments expressed by the whole of Greece’s internationalist and pro western parties.
Yes Christianity sustained Greece during the domination by the Franks and the Turks. But did you know that Georgios Gemistos-Plithon who was accused of being “pagan”, he was instrumental, along with Agios Markos Evgenikos, in keeping the Vatican separate from Orthodoxy in his participation in the famous Ferrara synod? I remind everyone that things are never black and white… So please study more and avoid being simplistic.
Using violence against any religion is NEVER right. There are so many examples in history. Particularly in this case, just 1-2 centuries (after violence was used against Christians in the Roman Empire, it was especially hideous – and defying the main message of Christianity – prosecuting and executing the believers of an ancient religion. But we cannot sit here and argue about such historical events 15-17 centuries later.
The fact this temple is built and ion general approved by the locals should serve as a warning to the leaders of the Greek Church. They have moved away from the message of Christ – some are supporting the schism in Orthodoxy and others are even blessing homosexuality. If they do not correct the course, if they preach one thing and their action show the opposite, then people will also look elsewhere. This is particularly true of the Phanar…
Όλοι στους δρόμους ….. είναι το
υπερόπλο κατά της κοινοβουλευτικής
δικτατορίας .