Hiera Anagraphe

work by Euhemerus

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July 13, 2026

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Euhemerus, a Greek mythographer active around 300 BCE, authored Hiera Anagraphe (The Sacred Inscription). This work, surviving only in fragments, describes an imaginary voyage to the island of Panchaea. There, Euhemerus discovers an inscription in a temple of Zeus. This inscription posits that Zeus and other deities were originally mortals, revered after their deaths for their accomplishments.1

This theory, known as Euhemerism, interprets myths as traditional accounts of historical figures and events. Euhemerus's narrative combined fiction, political utopianism, and theology. While ancient readers sometimes viewed him as an atheist, early Christian writers used his ideas to argue that the pagan gods were inferior to the Christian God because they were once human.21

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Euhemerus
His most important work was Hiera Anagraphe (probably early 3rd century bc; “The Sacred Inscription”), which was translated into Latin by the poet Ennius (239–169 bc). Only fragments survive of both the original Greek and the Latin translation.
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His most important work was Hiera Anagraphe (probably early 3rd century bc; “The Sacred Inscription”), which was translated into Latin by the poet Ennius (239–169 bc). Only fragments survive of both the original Greek and the Latin translation.
Read More