Re: usage of terms pagan and hellene

We are away from ancient times, and for many (Modern) Greek are probably 
_like Chinese_ to them. In any case:

ΕΛΛΗΝ ΡΩΜΗΟΣ ΓΡΑΙΚΟΣ. ΣΥΛΛΟΓΙΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΣΔΙΟΡΙΣΜΟΙ ΚΑΙ ΤΑΥΤΟΤΗΤΕΣ
[ Hellen, Romios, Graikos. Collective definitions and identities ]
A collective work
Scientific editors: Olga Katsiardi-Hering, Anastasia Papadia-Lala, 
Katerina Nikolaou, Vaggelis Karamanolakis
ISBN13  9786185027889
Publisher: Evrasia [ΕΥΡΑΣΙΑ]
Series: Istorimata [ΙΣΤΟΡΗΜΑΤΑ] 7
Published: December 2018
Pages 686

libcat.calacademy.org/title/hellen-romeos-graikos-syllogikoi-prosdiorismoi-tautotetes/oclc/1091629521

https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flibcat.calacademy.org%2Ftitle%2Fhellen-romeos-graikos-syllogikoi-prosdiorismoi-tautotetes%2Foclc%2F1091629521&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C15208147514546f8627608d76d0e5726%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637097780665155313&sdata=JKWuVaYk9LWf9gxPSrtPsEF7GHIFO4abBUk2xHusrTk%3D&reserved=0



The book carries the papers presented at an international scientific 
conference held on January 2017, at the University of Athena. Summary of 
the presentations :

https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.arch.uoa.gr%2Ffileadmin%2Farch.uoa.gr%2Fuploads%2Fsecr%2FEllin%2Fabstracts_of_papers_gr.pdf&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C15208147514546f8627608d76d0e5726%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637097780665155313&sdata=JAfrncqFDfZGuCNyzJHrEkVLG3TT%2FpjO4cn4e%2BHvsRk%3D&reserved=0

https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arch.uoa.gr%2Ffileadmin%2Farch.uoa.gr%2Fuploads%2Fsecr%2FEllin%2Fabstracts_of_papers_gr.pdf&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C15208147514546f8627608d76d0e5726%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637097780665155313&sdata=7gMQ2KH2Ko5Zoi5iAC78N44%2B5zj%2Fv7l%2BWhE%2BXy4b%2FFw%3D&reserved=0



This online bookshop also has the table of contents

https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.politeianet.gr%2Fbooks%2F9786185027889-sullogiko-eurasia-ellin-romios-graikos-291949&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C15208147514546f8627608d76d0e5726%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637097780665155313&sdata=XQUUXdc94pluaG51AYaBxMZL2dxr6cFXL2lJcfE8Sp0%3D&reserved=0



An older one:

Οι περιπέτειες των εθνικών ονομάτων των Ελλήνων
[ The adventures of the ethnic names of the Greeks ]
Panagiotis Christou
Editions Kyromanos, 2003
First published 1960
ISBN13  9789607812223
160 pages

The relevant chapter of the book is the one numbered 7, "Disrespectfull 
Hellenes". Christou says that :

"the Hellenes were recognizing the worship of the specially their own 
gods as one of their ethnic characteristics. It was therefore natural 
that, when later their ethnic name also took a cultural meaning, the 
religious element was also included in it. This was more emphasized 
after the Roman conquest and the loss of their political freedom, which 
brought a parallel rise of the religious institutions, who were left 
intact anyway. On this period the custodians of the commons of Achaeans 
and Amphiktyons are simultaneously carrying the titles of archiereus and 
elladarkhis [leader of Greece], something that bonds the two concepts, 
that is the concept of the religious institution with the concept of the 
ethnic institution."



There was recently a series of talks, here in Lefkosia, about "When our 
world became Christian". I recall one of the speakers saying that they 
were really the last pagans themselves that called themselves as 
Hellenes. This became the source for the Christians to use the word in 
the same meaning.

In the last years Theodoros Ziakas, a Greek scholar and philosopher, 
wrote a lot about Greek identity and its relation with antiquity and 
Christianity.

Best regards


_____________________
Lampros F. Kallenos
Idalion, Lefkosia
Kypros
-.