GLOSSARY OF PRAYER IN ANCIENT HELLENIC RELIGION

GLOSSARY OF PRAYER IN ANCIENT HELLENIC RELIGION

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Æpefkhí - (epeuche; Gr. ἐπευχή, ΕΠΕΥΧΗ. Noun.) prayer.

Æpéfkhomai - (epeuchomai; Gr. ἐπεύχομαι, ΕΠΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) offering a prayer or vow to a deity.

Æxefmænízoh - (exeumenizo; Gr. ἐξευμενίζω, ΕΞΕΥΜΕΝΙΖΩ. Verb.) to appease or propitiate a God.

Állitos - (Gr. ἄλλιτος, ΑΛΛΙΤΟΣ. Adj.) unanswered prayers. (L&S p. 69, right column, edited for simplicity.)

Anéfkhomai - (aneuchomai; Gr. ἀνεύχομαι, ΑΝΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ.Verb.) unsay a prayer.

Ánefktos - (aneuctus; Gr. ἄνευκτος, ΑΝΕΥΚΤΟΣ. Adj.) not praying or not wishing.

Anikǽteftos - (aniceteutus; Gr. ἀνικέτευτος, ΑΝΙΚΕΤΕΥΤΟΣ. Adj.) without praying, without exhortation.

Ánti - (ante; Gr. ἄντη, ΑΝΤΗ. Noun.) prayer.

Antivolía - (antibolia; Gr. ἀντιβολία, ΑΝΤΙΒΟΛΙΑ. Noun.) a supplication, prayer.

Ántisis - (Gr. ἄντησις, ΑΝΤΗΣΙΣ. Noun.) entreaty, prayer.

Ará - (Gr. ἀρά, ΑΡΑ. Noun.) prayer, sometimes a curse (but not always at all), personified as the Goddess(es) of nemesis (such as the Ἐρινύες).

Araios - (araeus; Gr. ἀραῖος, ΑΡΑΙΟΣ. Adj.) he or she who is prayed to, as an epithet of Gods.

Aráomai - (araomae, Gr. ἀράομαι, ΑΡΑΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) praying and/or vowing to a God.

Aparaititos - (aparaetitus; Gr. ἀπαραίτητος, ΑΠΑΡΑΙΤΗΤΟΣ. Adj.) unmoved by prayer, implacable, inevitable and unable to be averted with prayer.

Aratikos - (araticus; Gr. ἀρατικός, ΑΡΑΤΙΚΟΣ. Adj.) of prayer.

Aratós - (aratus; Gr. ἀρατός, ΑΡΑΤΟΣ. Adj.) prayed for or against.

Aritír - (areter; Gr. ἀρητήρ, ΑΡΗΤΗΡ. Noun.) suppliant, one who prays, a priest.

Apotropiázoh - (apotropiazo; Gr. ἀποτροπιάζω, ΑΠΟΤΡΟΠΙΑΖΩ. Verb.) to avert evil with prayer or supplication, or offerings.

Dǽisis - (deësis; Gr. δέησις, ΔΕΗΣΙΣ. Noun.) a prayer or entreaty.

Dimáratos - (demaratus; Gr. δημάρατος, ΔΗΜΑΡΑΤΟΣ. Adj.) he who is prayed for by the people.

Éfikhos - See Éfkhos.

Éfkhæsthai - (euchesthai; Gr. εύχεσθαι, ΕΥΧΕΣΘΑΙ. Verb.) offer prayer.

Efkhǽtis - (euchetes; Gr. εὐχέτης, ΕΥΧΕΤΗΣ. Noun.) suppliant, one who prays.

Efkhí - (euche; Gr. εὐχή, ΕΥΧΗ. Plural is εὐχά. Noun.) prayer, vow.

Efkholá - (euchola; Gr. εὐχωλά, ΕΥΧΩΛΑ. Noun.) prayer.

Efkholí - (euchole; Gr. εὐχωλή, ΕΥΧΩΛΗ. Epic form of εὐχή. Noun.) prayer, vow, votive offering.

Éfkhomai - (euchomai; Gr. εὔχομαι, ΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Epic form: εὐχετάομαι. Verb.) to pray.

Éfkhos or Éfikhos (to fit the meter when in poetry) - (euchus; Gr. εὖχος, ΕΥΧΟΣ) the object of prayer, that which the suppliant desires.

Efktǽon - (euteon; Gr. εὐκτέον, ΕΥΚΤΕΟΝ. Adj.) that which must be desired and prayed for (such as εὐκτέον ἁρετή)

Ikæsía - (ikesia; Gr. ἱκεσία, ΙΚΕΣΙΑ. Noun.) supplication. Cf. Ikæteia.

Ikæteia - (iketeia; Gr. ἱκετεία, ΙΚΕΤΕΙΑ. Attic form of ἱκεσία. Noun.) supplication. Cf. Ikæsía.

Ikǽtis - (iketes; Gr. ἱκέτης, ΙΚΕΤΗΣ. Plural is Ἱκέτιδες. Noun.) The ikǽtis is a suppliant, someone who supplicates, someone who asks humbly. When we pray, we are a type of ikǽtis.

Iláskomai (ileskomai; Gr. ἱλάσκομαι, ΙΛΑΣΚΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) appease, expiate.

Katádæsis - (katadesis; Gr. κατάδεσις, ΚΑΤΑΔΕΣΙΣ. = κατάδεσμος. Noun.) See Katádæsmos.

Katádæsmos - (katadesmos; Gr. κατάδεσμος, ΚΑΤΑΔΕΣΜΟΣ. Noun.) The katádæsmos is a curse, usually inscribed on a sheet of lead. The katádæsmos is not really a prayer, not in the sense of religion, but sometimes deities will be invoked, often khthonic deities such as Ploutohn (Pluto; Gr. Πλούτων) or Pærsæphóni, (Persephone; Gr. Περσεφόν), in the hopes that such deities will perform the malevolent work desired by its author. As such, the katádæsmos is not really so much a prayer as black magic, a form of false mayeia (magic; Gr. μᾰγεία) which is a sacrilege, for it implies that one could bind a God to do one's bidding. Furthermore, the malicious nature of a curse is contrary to the nature of the Gods. The word katádæsmos is included in this list because its meaning sheds light on problems inherent with common notions of prayer, that, even should one pray for a good result and not a curse, if one is thinking that a prayer can somehow cause a God to do one's bidding, this is actually not so much prayer as magic, and that to think that one can manipulate the Gods is not only impious but delusional.

- Cf. Katádæsis.

Katefkhí - (cateuche; Gr. κατευχή, ΚΑΤΕΥΧΗ. Noun.) prayer, vow.

Katéfkhomai - (cateuchomae; Gr. κατεύχομαι, ΚΑΤΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) to pray with great sincerity.

Líssomai - (lissomae; Gr. λίσσομαι, ΛΙΣΣΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) to beg, to pray.

Listós - (listus; Gr. λιστός, ΛΙΣΤΟΣ. Adj.) he/she who succumbs or yields to our prayers.

Litai (Gr. λιταί, ΛΙΤΑΙ. Noun.) Goddesses of prayers of repentance.

Litaios - (litaeus; Gr. λιταῖος, ΛΙΤΑΙΟΣ. Adj.) epithet of deities who hear our prayers.

Litaneiai – (litaneiae; Gr. λιτανεῖαι, ΛΙΤΑΝΕΙΑΙ. Plural Noun.) prayers of petition.

Litanévoh - (litaneuo; Gr. λιτανεύω, ΛΙΤΑΝΕΥΩ. Verb.) to pray, to beseech.

Litanós - (litanus; Gr. λιτανός, ΛΙΤΑΝΟΣ. Adj.) supplicating, praying.

Lití (litë; Gr. λῐτή, ΛΙΤΗ. Noun.) prayer, entreaty.

Paraitisis - (paraetesis; Gr. παραίτησις, ΠΑΡΑΙΤΗΣΙΣ. Noun.) a petition, entreaty, prayer.

Polýefktos - (polyeuctus; Gr. πολύευκτος, ΠΟΛΥΕΥΚΤΟΣ. Adj.) with many prayers.

Polýllistos - (Gr. πολύλλιστος, ΠΟΛΥΛΛΙΣΤΟΣ. Adj.) epithet of Gods: besought with many prayers.

Pratá - (Gr. πρατά, ΠΡΑΤΑ. Noun.) prayer offered before plowing such as in the Iærǽs Ároti (Hieres Arotoi; Gr. Ἱερές Ἄροτοι), the Sacred Plowing festivals three times each year in honor of Goddess Athiná.

Proséfkhi - (proseuche; Gr. προσευχή, ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗ. Noun.) prayer.

Proséfkhomai - (proseuchomae; Gr. προσεύχομαι, ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb. Etym. πρός "to" + εὔχομαι "pray") to vow to or offer prayers to a God.

Prosefktikós - (proseucticus; Gr. προσευκτικός, ΠΡΟΣΕΥΚΤΙΚΟΣ. Adj.) addressed in prayer.

Prostrǽpoh - (prostrepo; Gr. προστρέπω, ΠΡΟΣΤΡΕΠΩ. Verb.) approach a God as a suppliant.

Prostropí - (prostrope; Gr. προστροπή, ΠΡΟΣΤΡΟΠΗ. Noun.) supplication for purification or protection.

Synefkhí - (syneuche; Gr. συνευχή, ΣΥΝΕΥΧΗ. Noun.) united prayer.

Synéfkhomai - (syneuchomae; Gr. συνεύχομαι, ΣΥΝΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) join together in prayer.

Syngkatéfkhomai - (syngcateuchomae; Gr. συγκατεύχομαι, ΣΥΓΚΑΤΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) to vow or offer prayers together with another.

Synæpéfkhomai - (synepeuchomae; Gr. συνεπεύχομαι, ΣΥΝΕΠΕΥΧΟΜΑΙ. Verb.) join together in prayer.

Thǽssasthai - (thessasthae; Gr. θέσσασθαι, ΘΕΣΣΑΣΘΑΙ. Verb.) to pray.

Tríllistos - (trillistus; Gr. τρίλλιστος, ΤΡΙΛΛΙΣΤΟΣ. Adj.) thrice (very earnestly) prayed for.

The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.

We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

Introduction to the Thæí (the Gods): The Nature of the Gods.

How do we know there are Gods? Experiencing Gods.

The logo to the left is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia, Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase (Γῆς παῖς εἰμί καὶ Οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος) are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara, κιθάρα), the lyre of Apóllohn (Apollo, Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus, Ὀρφεύς).PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this HellenicGods.org, you will find fascinating stories. These narratives are known as mythology, the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally; a literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is often concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.

The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.

We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.

Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.

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