First of all, I assume the majority of Hellenic and Roman polytheists respect Apollo. If you believe Apollo is a deity who cares about humanity, I think that’s sufficient motivation to take a look at the Delphic Maxims.
Second, the Maxims connect us with the civilization which gave birth to our religion. The ancient Greeks valued virtue, they thought that humans were closest to the gods when they behaved with virtue, and they actually invented philosophy, the field of study dedicated to the love of wisdom. They held the Maxims in the highest regard, and inscribed them on the stone walls of the Delphic Sanctuary to preserve them for posterity. It’s true that various human interventions influenced who was permitted to question the Oracle, but many of the Maxims are surprisingly general in application, even in the present day. Respecting the Maxims is one way of honoring the ancient Greeks.
Third, the Delphic Maxims are a good bite-sized introduction to Greek philosophy. I know some of us are recovering from monotheism, and may be wary of rules and laws, but that’s really no good reason to reject good life advice. The Maxims might take you out of your comfort zone, but they also present an opportunity to evolve.
Others are already busy studying ancient history and religion. and hesitant to add philosophy and ethics to the mix, but the Maxims are so accessible that they can be easily broken down to fit a program of study, meditated upon, and incorporated into one’s decision-making toolkit.
Are the Delphic Maxims “optional”? It’s probably clear at this point that I don’t think they are. They do, however, require thoughtful consideration in adapting to modern life and individual circumstances. Let’s consider #9: Intend to get married. A little study of history shows that not everyone in Antiquity chose to marry. So what does this Maxim signify? I think it means: intend to become an adult, independent of your family; don’t choose to remain a dependent child for the rest of your life. Be your own person, make your own decisions, live where and how you see fit, accept the consequences of your decisions. I think this held true for women in Antiquity as well; even in ancient Athens, where the roles of women were limited, there were many choices open to them: decisions in the management of their households, participation in priesthoods, initiation of divorce, and distribution of personal wealth.
tl;dr: I guess I just can’t figure out why a Hellenic or Roman polytheist would reject free, widely-available, time-honored teachings of wisdom that might help them become a better person, and be more beloved by the gods. The Delphic Maxims were found to be good by Plato, Aristotle, the Emperor Julian, and a host of other philosophers…and they’re good for us to study today, too.
Your mileage may vary, Anon. Whatever standards by which you decide to live, may your path be blessed!
Imagine being an Anglo-descended, English-speaking first worlder with several-generations-long Christian genealogy, only to become a Hellenic pagan, a religion with no historical or ethnic relation to you or to your near ancestors, because you read some books as a kid and thought it seemed cool.
You people need Christ.
People, DO NOT USE JESUS NAME(or any God’s name) to justify bigotry! STOP it.
Also for this… ignorant person, Ancient Greek religion was open to “non Greeks” as well. There was not a need of ethnic link or whatever so stop embarrassing yourself and Jesus.
Honestly, imagine being a privileged Christian who doesn’t have to worry about talking freely about there religion, pestering others about their religion in an immature, unwarranted way…
Goldnwulf 