Olympioi

*Stylized Hellenic Profile (Blue)*

## Religious Modifiers

Diplomatic Relations +2

Tolerance of Heathens +1.00

## Religion Mechanics

Fetishist Cults

**Olympioi** (greek\_religion) or **Hellenism** refers to the Pagan Unorganized religion of the Hellenic populations, whose rituals honor a pantheon of deities called the Olympians. The name comes from their supposed home, Mount Olympus, situated to the North of the Thessalian region.

Olympioi uses Fetishist Cults mechanic, allowing you to select a specific deity to worship until your ruler changes. Some cults may unlock as you encounter different cultures and religions.

### Cults

* Cult of Athena - Morale of Armies +10%, Missionary Strength +1%
* Cult of Zeus - Infantry Combat Ability +10%, Shock Damage +10%
* Cult of Hephaistos - Building Cost -10%, Core-Creation Cost -10%
* Cult of Apollo - Technology Cost -10%, Idea Cost -5%
* Cult of Poseidon - Cavalry Combat Ability +10%, Morale of Navies +10%
* Cult of Hades - National Tax Modifier +10%, Trade Efficiency +10%
* Cult of Demeter - Yearly Corruption -0.10, Production Efficiency +10%
* Cult of Hera - Aggressive Expansion Impact -10%, Yearly Prestige +1
* Cult of Hestia - National Tax Modifier +10%, Diplomatic Reputation +2
* Cult of Aphrodite - Goods Produced Modifier +10%, Trade Steering +10% (Cyprus)
* Cult of Helios - Goods Produced Modifier +10%, Trade Steering +10% (Rhodes)
* Cult of Artemis - Siege Ability +10%, Attrition for Enemies +1 (Ionia)
* Cult of Minos - Fort Defense +10%, Construction Cost -10% (Krete)
* Cult of Artemis Orthia - Discipline +5%, Yearly Army Tradition +1 (Sparta exclusive)
* Cult of Dionysus - National Unrest -2, Goods Produced Modifier +10% (Thebes exclusive)
* Cult of Eros - Discipline +5%, Diplomatic Reputation +2 (Thespiae exclusive)

Greek mythology was centered around the gods of Mount Olympus, who traditionally took their place from overthrowing the previous tyrannical chtonic pantheon known as the Titans in a civil war called the Titanomachy.

The three greatest gods of the Greek Pantheon were the three brothers and Sons of the last pantheon head Cronus: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Late Hellenic theology state that Zeus awarded himself with the Heavens after his victory, while Poseidon took the seas and the island of Atlantis; Hades was awarded with the underground realm serving as the Greek afterlife, which was therefore named after him.

The Hellenes thought their gods were fickle and brash, reflecting the Humanity of their worshippers. Many of the traditional tales and myths of the Greeks stem from the jealousy, lust and short-temper of the Gods influencing the lives of the men below them. As such, Greeks were meticulously devout as a collective even if rather detached from worship personally, as the lack of commitment to ritual duties meant calamities were often shared with the rest of the population.

Hellenism was essential in the development of Hellenic culture and community. Every four years, for about two weeks, all city-states would end their internal wars and attend the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia to participate in the fraternal Olympic Games. Borders were often open to other Greeks so that Hellenes could freely consult the settled oracles, like the famous Oracle of Delphi. Shared patron Gods or ancestor heroes were often used as a mean to bond with other city-states, as was the case with most Dorian Greeks, who identified themselves as Sons of Herakles.

Hellenism was perhaps one of the most theologically developed pagan religion in Late Antiquity, as the work of famous philosophers like Plato and Aristotle expanded upon the various definitions of virtues and the divine. It was incorporated fairly early into the Roman Pantheon and both pantheons eventually became undistinguishable from each others when the Romans conquered most of the Hellenic World.

Historically, Hellenic Polytheism would eventually be replaced by Christianity as the main religion of the Hellenes.