Sunken Ruins and Sacred Law: The Realities of the Myth of Baucis and Philemon

Image From TikTok AI.

What happens to a people who show no regard for Divine Law? Myth is not always metaphor or allegory. Sometimes we can physically see the ghosts of their realities. 

I believe I heard this Myth for the first time many years ago, but it's one that has stuck with me as one of my favorites for several reasons. The story of Baucis (the wife) and Philemon (the husband), is about an impoverished couple who lived in a village in Phrygia (modern Turkey). While there is no surviving text that explicitly ties this story to Greek Myth, it was written by the Roman Ovid, who simply copied the Greek Myths he knew. Therefore, we might reasonably assume that Baucis and Philemon was one of those that he copied as well.

The Gods Zeus and Hermes went in disguise as needy travelers to test the Xenia (hospitality) of the people they encountered, as Xenia is a sacred and Divine Law of treating travelers and guests with help and courtesy. When they entered the village, they found that everyone turned them away, except for this elderly couple who likely had far less material wealth than some of the other villagers. 

They did not have lavish banquet tables and expensive feasts for the Gods, or gold and silver to give them. They probably just had something like a wooden slab for a table, old wooden chairs, and a simple Hearth for cooking whatever they had. They likely had fresh water to offer to drink, or perhaps some young wine, and some basic fruits and vegetables. They may have had some basic meat if they had fished or hunted at times. But despite their lack of material, they treated the travelers with the greatest courtesy and gifts they had at their disposal. Ovid says they gave the Gods a feast of cabbage, smoked pork, olives, vegetables and herbs, eggs and cheese, and for dessert they gave nuts, apples, grapes and honey.

Having found the couple to be the only ones in the village worthy, the Gods took them to a hill overlooking the area before they flooded the village and everyone else in it, wiping them from the Earth. I imagine that, for this level of extremity, the Gods must have found the village unredeemable. As a reward for the elderly couple, they granted the couple any wish they wanted. They asked for two. One, to have a wonderful temple to serve the Gods in, and two, that they both die at the same time, so that neither one of them would ever have to be without the other. Both wishes were granted, leaving only the temple remaining in the area, and they lived out the rest of their lives as priests of the Gods and passed into their next life side by side. They both became intertwined trees, Baucis (Linden tree) and Philemon (Oak tree).

The obvious meaning of the story is simple, that Xenia is a Sacred Law that the Gods highly value and expect. But also, that the Gods will never look down one someone who is doing what they can with what they have, who is doing the best they can. 

Modern archaeologists who have excavated this region have found submerged villages. In fact, throughout the region's history, places have been dropped right into lakes and the Sea. At present, there has been no temple found overlooking one of these submerged villages, but archaeologists have not even come close to excavating all there is to find in this part of the world.

Divine punishment came to the people of this village for their breaking of the sacred. Perhaps we might also look at it as a consequence of man's own folly, that when he disconnects from the Gods, it may not be that the Gods directly punish him, but that he loses their good graces, and disaster then more easily befalls him. In short, without the Gods, man is nothing. I don't see it as a message of fear-based religion, but of how much better our lives are when we are in harmony with the Universe.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Does Zeus Fear Nyx?

There is a part of Greek Mythology concerning Zeus, King of the Gods, and Nyx, the Primordial Goddess of Night. The story of this comes from The Iliad, Book 14, Line 261, which describes Zeus' reaction to Her after Hypnos, the God of Sleep, ran from Zeus into the embrace of Nyx. The Iliad basically says the following:

Zeus stopped in reverence and would not displease Nyx.

Some people today have interpreted this as Zeus halting before Her in fear, but this is a misinterpretation and not what the Greeks meant. What we have to realize as English speakers in 2026, is that ancient Greek words didn't always have the same meanings as they do to us. For instance, calling a God awful meant to be in awe of them, whereas to us, the word awful means something that is irreverent. 

The word used in The Iliad to describe Zeus' reaction to Nyx is hazomai, which means to "stand in awe or reverence, or holy dread." Which again, dread did not mean the same thing to the Greeks as it does to us. In a religious context, it means respect. So what the Greeks meant is that Zeus has reverential awe for the Primordial that predates Him and is necessary for the Universe to remain in balance and Order. He values every part of His Kingdom and the foundations of it. It means He is Just and Pious, not scared, and understands the need for the other Gods and will not violate them. In the story of Nyx, Zeus chose the stability of the Universe, rather than battling with Nyx.

It doesn't say that Zeus cannot defeat Her. It says He chose to not violate Her, because the Order of the Universe was far more important. As my wife said, Zeus is King, not the Gestapo. The Gods both have mutual respect for one another, and that does not diminish the power of either, Zeus because of His Kingship, and Nyx because of Her Necessity. In ancient Greek religion, there were wars between Gods and other beings like the Giants, but the religion is largely not concerned with ongoing rivalries. All the Gods are worthy of respect. Of course, there could be something birthed that decides to defy the Gods, but the religion itself is not about an ongoing Godly or spiritual war.

In short, Zeus can beat Her, but He knows that to do so, would send the Universe into chaos once again, and so Nyx remains extremely powerful, not because Zeus cannot win, but because if He does, there will be tremendous upset. With great power comes great responsibility and Zeus, in His great wisdom, understands this. So the interpretation of Zeus having no power before Her, is not true. In actuality, He respects Nyx and Her House. A King does not destroy His own Universe, He loves, protects and nurtures it.

Now here is where it gets more interesting. Someone might respond to me with this by asking, "If Zeus respects the domains of the other Gods, why did He overthrow Kronos?"

The simple answer may be that there was too much chaos, but it goes deeper. The Greek Universe is one of reciprocity. By swallowing His children, He tried to completely destroy them, which did not respect their domains or existence, and was therefore a violation of one of the most basic spiritual bonds of the Greek Universe; reciprocity. Zeus took over to restore balance to the Kosmos. However, this still does not mean that Kronos commands no respect or functions. He was still worshiped in ancient times, and is still worshiped by Hellenists today, but over different domains and for different reasons. As I have said before in this post, the Greek Universe is not one of ongoing rivalry. We believe Kronos now exists peacefully with the other Gods, and is a God of the Harvest and a God of Cycles; also Lord of the Isles of the Blessed - given to Him by Zeus.

Now I don't view this prayer as talking about Kronos, but rather, as a God of Cycles, asking Him to help me through the most influential of my own in life. The point here is that even for Gods who were once fighting each other, balance and peace can still come among them.

If you wish, let's end this post with a prayer to these amazing Gods, Zeus and Nyx. 

O' Zeus, beloved King,

whom all of life, 

even Gods, call Father,

O' gorgeous and Mysterious Nyx,

dark do you come,

sending the world into sleep and quietness,

great do you both reign,

in Kingship and Necessity,

may all the glory of the Gods,

rejoice in the sound of your blessed names,

and all of us who still walk the Sacred Way,

be delighted and honored to know you.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

Learning From The Greek Gods: Zeus

My series Learning From The Greek Gods is finally nearing completion as I present the next chapter on Zeus. The ultimately highest God in all of Greek belief, surpassed by none, is Zeus, the King of all Gods. He also rules over the universe and mankind itself, and is thus called "Father" by all Gods and mortals. Thunder, lightning, and rain or any atmospheric accumulation is attributed to His power, presence and authority.

Being the last born child of the Titan rulers Kronos and Rhea, Zeus was sent to Earth by His mother to be raised in secrecy away from the destructive clutches of His father. Upon reaching adulthood, He overthrew Kronos and freed His preceding brothers and sisters who joined Him in the New Rule of the universe. Zeus is also the biological Father of many powerful and famous Greek Gods, such as Athena, Hermes, Apollon, Artemis, Hephaistos, Ares and Dionysos.

Evidence of His Supreme Authority is found in all of Greek religion, such as The Iliad when we are told that once Zeus makes a ruling, absolutely nothing can change it, neither man or God. Only He Himself could alter the course. His will has to be carried out without exception. That's one reason why I sometimes petition Zeus's favor even in prayer to other Gods.

There's a lot to learn from Zeus. He's the ultimate leader in any given situation, fearless and resilient. He never gives up and is never dictated by anything other than His own mind. He's the ultimate individualist who knows He's powerful, knows what He wants, and makes it happen. In our own ways in human life, we too have our own powers and ability to be a leader, an individual and attain what we desire or deserve. The only twist is that we are mortals, and if we do not practice this with moderation, we can go from confident to very arrogant and boastful.

Zeus is also the God of Hospitality. He very much believes in treating guests, suppliants and strangers with kindness and generosity, which is the hallmark of being hospitable. To our fellow man and woman, we are taught the truth that we are all human beings and worthy of human dignity. To treat a fellow human as a subhuman, especially in your own home or establishment, would be among the most dishonorable of human offenses. By Zeus, we are taught the universal value of honor and human worth.

In the Goodness of the Gods, and our Father Zeus,
Chris Aldridge.

Sources:
Picture of Zeus is in the public domain, because it was published in the United States before 1923.