According to careful inquiry, almost all the names of the Greek gods came into Greece from Egypt. The evidence suggests that these names were not originally Greek but were borrowed from foreign lands. Among all these sources, Egypt appears to have provided the greatest number. This conclusion is not based on guesswork but on information given directly by the Egyptians themselves, who claimed that many of these gods had been known in their land from very ancient times.
There are only a few important exceptions. The Egyptians said they had no knowledge of certain gods worshipped by the Greeks. These include Neptune, the Dioscuri, Juno, Vesta, Themis, the Graces, and the Nereids. Apart from these, most other gods familiar to the Greeks were already worshipped in Egypt long before Greek civilization fully developed The Festival of Bacchus in Egypt.
Gods Borrowed from Other Peoples
The Greeks did not receive all their gods from Egypt alone. For the gods unknown to the Egyptians, the Greeks most likely learned their names from the Pelasgians, an ancient people who lived in Greece before the Hellenes. The only exception here is Neptune. Knowledge of Neptune did not come from the Pelasgians but from the Libyans.
The Libyans were the earliest people known to honor Neptune as a god. They lived near the sea and depended greatly on water, which explains why they worshipped a god connected with it. In ancient times, no other people are known to have revered Neptune in this way, which strongly suggests that the Greeks learned of him from the Libyans rather than from Egypt or the Pelasgians.
Differences Between Egyptian and Greek Religion
Although the Greeks borrowed many gods and religious practices from Egypt, there were also important differences between the two cultures. One major difference is that the Egyptians did not give divine honors to heroes. In Greek religion, heroes such as Hercules were often worshipped and honored after death. The Egyptians, however, made a clear distinction between gods and mortals and did not elevate heroes to divine status.
Despite this difference, many Greek religious customs still show strong Egyptian influence. These shared practices demonstrate how closely connected ancient cultures were through travel, trade, and shared traditions Ephesus Day Trips.
Greek Customs Borrowed from Egypt
There are many other customs that the Greeks borrowed from Egypt, which will be discussed later. However, not every Greek religious practice came from Egyptian sources. One important exception concerns the special way the Greeks represented Mercury in their statues.
This unique form of Mercury was not taken from Egypt but from the Pelasgians. The Athenians were the first among the Greeks to adopt this style. Later, it spread from Athens to other Greek cities.
The Pelasgians and the Mysteries of Samothrace
At the time when the Athenians were becoming part of the wider Greek world, the Pelasgians came to live among them in Attica. Because of this close contact, many Pelasgian customs were absorbed into Athenian life. One of these customs was the special form used for statues of Mercury.
The meaning behind this form was religious and not openly explained. Only those who had been initiated into the mysteries of the Cabiri could fully understand it. These mysteries were sacred rites practiced by the Samothracians, who had received them from the Pelasgians.
Before settling in Attica, the Pelasgians had lived in Samothrace, where they passed on their religious ceremonies to the local people. Through this chain of transmission, the Athenians learned both the form of the statues and the sacred explanation behind them.
In conclusion, Greek religion was shaped by many outside influences, especially from Egypt and the Pelasgians. The names of the gods, religious symbols, and sacred practices all show clear signs of borrowing and adaptation. Rather than developing in isolation, Greek religion grew through contact with older civilizations, learning from them and reshaping these ideas into its own traditions.
