God of wealth among the Greeks. Ancient Greek gods of wealth. Gods of money, wealth and luck in Greek mythology

Who is the god of wealth among the Greeks? He does not have one. Ancient Greek mythology strikes its versatility. It combines the morality, ethical principles and culture of many European peoples. Mythology is distinguished by special thinking, studying the world and the place of man in it. For help in all undertakings, the ancient Greeks turned to powerful deities, directing them to the right path and giving them luck in everything. Who are the gods of wealth among the Greeks? It is about them that will be discussed in the article.

Attitude to wealth in Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, skeptical of wealth: it was believed that making money is much easier than to deserve a good name and glory. In ancient Greek mythology, there are often cases where a poor man from the people prevailed over a rich aristocracy, which had no authority and respect among the Greeks. Before Greece became an economically developed state, priority was given to non-material spheres: medicine, philosophy, science and sport.

Later, agriculture, crafts and trade began to develop actively. It was then that the ancient Greek gods of wealth, fertility and commerce came to the forefront of the pantheon: Demeter, Mercury, Hermes and Plutus.

First, the ancient Greeks grew crops, but with the development of trade it became a non-profitable occupation, and enterprising people began to trade the crops that are rich in Greece - with olive oil and grapes. Together with the development of trade, the Greek gods of money began to appear.

In parallel, the slave system developed: slaves were the subject of trade, their work was used in the craft.

The god of wealth among the Greeks is Plutus. With its appearance, such a concept as "money" becomes popular. They were treated with respect and tried to save every coin. Each policy polished its own money, and the trade stretched far beyond Greece. Traveling mediators were wandering colonies, traces of which were found in the Black Sea, not far from the present Sevastopol, Kerch and Feodosia.

With the development of the economy, second-hand dealers appeared, changing money among policies. They made interest rates, lent money and accepted deposits. The bankers collected huge sums, and they had the opportunity to earn on purchases.

As it was said earlier, Demeter was the first goddess related to enrichment.

Demeter

Demeter is one of the most influential and respected goddesses in Greece. It is the goddess of wealth and fertility. In her honor, celebrations and honors took place throughout Greece, especially during the months of sowing and harvesting. It is believed that without the assistance and will of Demeter there will be no harvest: the farmers turned to her for help and blessing for crops, and women asked for fertility and the ability to bear the child. An interesting feature is that Homer paid very little attention to this goddess: she almost always remained in the shadow of even less powerful gods. Proceeding from this, it can be concluded that in the early years in Greece, other methods of enrichment prevailed, and agriculture switched to the foreground much later, displacing livestock breeding. The location of the goddess promised the farmer the attendant weather conditions and a rich harvest.

According to the legends, Demeter was the first who plowed the land and sowed the seeds in it. The Greeks, who witnessed this, were sure that the grains would be spoiled in the ground, but after a while the harvest was up. Demeter taught people to care for crops and to grow grain, and later gave them other cultures.

The Advent of Demeter

Demeter is the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, the only girl in the family. Her brothers are powerful Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. With the brothers, Demetra had a strange relationship: she disliked Poseidon, and Hades completely hated. With Zeus, Demeter had a marriage that gave his daughter Persephone.

Demeter and Persephone - the ancient Greek gods of wealth and fertility

Persephone took over the baton of her mother and became the goddess of fertility and agriculture. Demeter was very fond of her only golden-haired daughter and gave her her wisdom. She answered her mother in return.

One day, an incredible grief broke out, knocking down Demeter: her daughter was kidnapped. Did this god of the underworld Hades, brother of Demeter. The permission to this was given by Zeus himself, who promised his brother to his brother as his wife.

Unsuspecting Persephone was walking with her friends along the green meadows, and then her future spouse kidnapped her. He hid the girl deep under the earth, and a grief-stricken mother wandered about the earth searching for her. Demeter did not eat or drink for several months, the productive pastures dried up, but her daughter did not show up. Zeus told about the contract Demeter, but she refused to share her beloved daughter with her brother, whom she hated from childhood.

Zeus appealed to Aida to return her mother's daughter, but he agreed with one condition: two-thirds of the year Persephone will spend with his mother fertility, and for one-third of the year, she will descend into the underworld, swallowing before that a pomegranate seed. Thus, the ancient Greeks explained the change of seasons and sowing.

Demeter and Tryptolem

Triptolem - also the god of wealth of the ancient Greeks. Once the goddess of fertility decided to give a gift to the son of the king Eleusis - Triptolemu. She taught him how to plow the land, cultivate it, and give grain for crops. Tryptolum thrice plowed fertile paradise land and threw in them a grain of wheat.

After some time, the land brought a rich harvest, which was blessed by Demeter herself. She gave Triptolemu a handful of grain and a magic chariot that could move across the sky. She asked her mentor to walk around the world, teaching people farming and handing out fertile grains. He obeyed the directions of the goddess and set out on his journey.

Wherever the god of wealth has visited (in Greek mythology this is described in this way) on his chariot, fields stretched with a rich harvest. Until he arrived in Scythia, to King Lynch. The king decided to take all the grain and glory of Tryptolem to himself, killing him in a dream. Demeter could not allow the death of her assistant and came to his rescue, turning Lynch into a lynx. He escaped into the forest, and soon left Scythia altogether, and the god of money and wealth from the Greeks, Tryptolum, continued his way, teaching people farming and farming.

Plutos

The ancient Greek god of wealth Plutos is the son of Demeter and the titan of Iason. According to myths, lovers Demetra and Iazion gave themselves up to temptation on the island of Crete and conceived Plutos on a thrice plowed field. Seeing the couple in love, Zeus became infuriated and incinerated Plutos' father with lightning. The boy was brought up by the goddesses of the world and the case - Eiren and Tikhe.

It is believed that Plutus, the god of wealth, was blind and gave people randomly, ignoring their external data or status in society. Gifted by Plutos received unprecedented material benefits. Blinded by the god Jupiter, who was afraid that Plutos would be unjust and biased in the distribution of wealth. Therefore, luck in the material plane can overtake both bad and good people.

In art, the god of wealth is depicted as a baby with a cornucopia in his hands. Most often the baby is held by the goddess of fortune, or the goddess of the world.

Most often, the name of Plutos is associated with Demeter and Persephone. He accompanies and helps all, to whom the goddess of fertility is benevolent.

The Greek god of wealth Plutos introduced such a notion as "good". People began to treat carefully the material benefits: to save money and multiply them. Previously, the Greeks did not attach much importance to material values, they were not disturbed by the improvement and standard of living.

The comedy "Plutos"

The comedy was written and staged by the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes. In it, the Greek god of wealth Plutos is depicted as a blind old man, unable to correctly distribute wealth. He endows dishonest and vile people, because of what he himself loses all his wealth.

On the way to Plutos comes a resident of Athens, who returns his sight. The God of wealth sees again, and it helps him to justly reward people on their merits. Plutos again becomes rich and returns the respect of the people.

Plutos in the "Divine Comedy"

Plutus, the god of wealth in Greek mythology, was depicted in the poem "Divine Comedy", which was written in 1321 by Dante Alighieri. He was a doorkeeper on the fourth circle of hell and looked like a beast-like demon. He guarded the circle of hell, on which there were miser, wasteful and greedy souls.

Plutocracy

In honor of the god of wealth, one of the political regimes - plutocracy - was named. The term was introduced at the end of the 19th century and characterizes the form of government in which state decisions are made not by the will of the majority (by the people), but by a small group of oligarchic clans in the shadows. Such a state is governed primarily by money, and the legitimately chosen government is completely subordinated to wealthy clans.

Plutus and Pluto: the ancient Greek gods of money, wealth and abundance

At some point in the ancient Greek mythology, two deities were identified - Pluto (god of the underworld) and Plutus (god of wealth and abundance). This is explained by the fact that Hades possesses innumerable riches, which are stored deep underground. There are also many myths that unite these gods.

According to the more ancient myths, Hades is the brother of Plutos' mother, Demeter, so he has to be his uncle. But in later myths it was claimed that this is one deity. This confirms the consonance of their names: Plutos and Pluto.

Cornucopia

It is a symbol of endless riches, derived from the myths of ancient Greece. The horn belongs to the Amalfee goat, who nourished with her milk a small Zeus, hiding from his father Kronos on the island of Crete.

There is another legend about its origin. Hercules folded the horn to the river god during the battle. He showed mercy and returned the horn to its owner. He did not remain in debt and gave the world a cornucopia filled with wealth.

In art, this symbol is represented by an upside down, through the hole in which various fruits erupt: fruit and vegetables, sometimes coins. Most often the cornucopia is held in the hands of the god of wealth from the Greeks - Plutos. Some sculptures with this symbol depict the goddess of justice - Themis.

In ancient Greece, coins were minted depicting a horn of plenty on the other side. This was to attract new money and help keep their property.

In the Middle Ages the cornucopia was transformed into the Holy Grail, which is the source of eternal life and wealth.

Mercury (Hermes)

Mercury is the god of wealth, trade and patron of thieves. He is depicted in a helmet and sandals with wings, a conciliatory rod and a bag full of gold coins.

The god of wealth among the Greeks Mercury was borrowed by the Romans from the Greeks after their conquest. In ancient Greece, Mercury was called Hermes. Initially, it was the god of livestock and cattle. In the time of Homer, he became a mediator between the gods. It was then that he received his wings on his sandals and helmet to move quickly, performing various tasks. He also had a conciliatory stick made of gold, with his help he resolved conflicts and disputes.

With the development of agriculture, he became the patron of grain and grain, later, when market relations developed actively, the god of trade and the patron of merchants. He was approached for help in purchasing, trade transactions and in the exchange of goods.

It is believed that it was Hermes, the Greek god of wealth, who gave the Greeks figures and taught them to count. Prior to that, people paid by eye, without paying much attention to the amount of money.

Even later, Hermes became the patron of thieves: he was portrayed with a purse in his hands or with his hands tied up next to Apollo - a hint of theft.

When the Romans conquered Greece, they borrowed the god Hermes, renaming him Mercury. They had this god of prosperity, enrichment, trade and profit.

In our time, the image of Mercury can be found on the emblems of banks, large trading firms and auction exchanges.

King Midas and Gold

In ancient Greek mythology, Midas was king of Phrygia. From the very childhood, he knew that he would be a rich and influential person: he was pointed to by all the signs of fate. Even small ants brought grains and put them in his mouth.

Once in the possession of Midas, came Silenus - the teacher of Dionysus. He lost his way in the forest when Dionysus led his army through Phrygia. King Midas saw this and poured wine into the brooks that passed through the forest. Silenus drank water mixed with wine, and immediately became intoxicated. Unable to get out of the forest, he wandered about him for a long time, until Midas met him and led him to Dionysus.

Happy Dionysus invited Midas to make any wish. He wished a "golden touch": that everything that his hand would touch would become golden.

Dionysus submitted to the Tsar's desire, and he arranged a lavish celebration, covering the table with various drinks and dishes. But at the table he realized that he would die of thirst and hunger, because the food and drinks in his hands became gold.

The king rushed to Dionysus with a request to deprive him of the gift, and he ordered him to swim in the Pactol River. Midas lost the ability to turn everything into gold, and the river after that became golden.

In our time, the expression "touch of Midas" means the ability to quickly earn money "from the air" and be successful in all endeavors.

Kairos

Kairos is a revered deity of the ancient Greeks. He was the patron of the chance - a happy moment, which can give good luck and prosperity, if in time for him to grasp. He is always somewhere near Chronos, the patron of the sequence of time. But unlike Chronos Kratos is very difficult to meet and catch: it appears only for a second and instantly disappears.

The Greeks believed that Kairos could show them a happy moment in which luck would smile and the gods would be supportive in all endeavors.

God silently and quickly moves among ordinary mortals, face him face to face - a great rarity and luck. At this moment, the main thing is not to get lost, to grab Kairos for a long forelock and ask for anything you want from fate. To lose the chance is a big sin, since it is given only once in a lifetime.

Kairos is portrayed as a young boy with wings behind his back and sandals. On his head is a long golden curl, for which he can try to grab. In the hands of Kairos - scales, which indicates that he is fair and sends luck to those who work hard and wish success.

Tuha

In ancient Greek mythology, it is the goddess of fortune, a happy fate and patroness of the occasion. Tyuhe - daughter of the ocean and Tetia (the mother of the gods and patroness of all rivers).

Tyuh became a cult deity, when ordinary people were shaken by faith in the gods and in their abilities. The ancient Greeks believed that Tyukha accompanies people from birth and throughout their entire life. Many cities considered Tuha their patroness, her image was minted on coins, and her statues were decorated at home.

The goddess was depicted in the crown and with the main attributes: the wheel (symbolizing the volatility of luck, hence the expression "wheel of fortune") and the cornucopia. Often Tycho holds in the hands of a small Plutos - the god of wealth, which she brought up on the island of Crete secretly from his father Zeus.

Fortune

When the Romans conquered Greece, they adopted the goddess Tyuhe, calling her Fortuna. It is the goddess of luck, happiness, prosperity and success.

According to mythology, Fortune threw off her wings, arriving in Rome, and promised to stay there forever. Over time, the cult of Fortune rapidly developed, eclipsing the other gods. She was thanked for her luck and even for her failures and grief. She was also called Firstborn, Happy, Kind and Merciful. All babies and newborns were dedicated to her, her touch determined the fate of the person.

Later, when the moral and ethical foundations began to gradually deteriorate, the goddess of Fortune became the patroness of the home, love and family happiness for both women and men.

Fortune was adorned with Roman coins, and in art it was portrayed as a woman with a cornucopia on her shoulder, from which riches erupt - fruits, vegetables and gold. Sometimes she held a chariot in her hands or stood on the bow of the ship. It symbolized the volatility of fate.

Many Greek gods of wealth and luck still live in mythology. Is there any truth in this or does the myth always remain a myth? Everyone has his own opinion on this matter. In any case, it's interesting and informative.