Hellenistic religion

E36830

Hellenistic religion was the syncretic religious system of the Hellenistic world, blending traditional Greek polytheism with local deities, mystery cults, and philosophical interpretations of the divine.

Aliases (1)

Statements (65)
Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient religion
polytheistic religion
religious tradition
syncretic religion
associatedWith Hellenistic philosophy
coexistedWith Egyptian traditional religion
Judaism in the Hellenistic period
Mesopotamian religions
corePantheonIncludes Aphrodite
Apollo
Artemis
Athena
Dionysus
Hera
Zeus
declinedWith imperial bans on pagan cults in Late Antiquity
rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire
developedAfter conquests of Alexander the Great
follows polytheism
hasConcept cosmic order governed by divine reason
daimones as intermediary spirits
hasCulturalContext Asia Minor
Eastern Mediterranean
Egypt
Greek culture
Hellenistic world
Near East
hasFeature deification of Hellenistic rulers
local variations in worship
religious tolerance for multiple cults
use of Greek language in cult and theology
hasMainCharacteristic coexistence of civic cults and mystery cults
integration of Greek and local deities
philosophical reinterpretation of the gods
religious syncretism
includesCult Cybele cult
Eleusinian Mysteries
Isis cult
Mithraic cult
Serapis cult
mystery cult of Dionysus
includesPractice civic sacrifices
festivals
hero cults
initiation rites
oracular consultation
processions
ruler cults
votive offerings
influenced Gnostic movements
Roman religion
early Christian religious environment
integratesDeity Anubis
Attis
Cybele
Isis
Mithras
Osiris
Serapis
local Semitic deities
interpretedBy Epicureanism
Middle Platonism
Stoicism
practicedInPeriod Hellenistic period
circa 323 BCE to 31 BCE

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Parthian Empire
Ptolemaic–Roman Egypt
religion
Persians ("Mithraism")
historicalReligion

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