A little
while ago I was at a pub and noticed an amazing tattoo of the Egypto-Roman Goddess Isis underneath the
shirt of the man across from me – I was super impressed and we got talking …
turned out he got the tattoo because he just thought it was a cool design;
wasn’t a Pagan at all. Although, strangely, he did claim to have been a gigolo
when he was younger. I have no idea if this was true but I did later hear a
story (apparently true) that he fell in love with a woman who lived overseas
and he packed a suitcase full of lube, condoms and Viagra when he went to
visit her – an old trick of the trade perhaps?
That story is
a diversion, but it was his tattoo that got me thinking about Pagan tattoos and
how cool they can (potentially) be. There are some awesome tattoos dealing with
the Greco-Roman pantheon out there – here are some of the best that I was able
to find online (note that some of them were perhaps not originally intended to
pertain to a particular deity but I think are evocative of certain Gods
nonetheless).
Apollo / Sol / Helios / Apollon / Apolo
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| Source: tattoopaulski.com |
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| Source: pics5.this-pic.com |
Bacchus / Dionysus / Liber Pater / Bacco / Baco / Dioniso / Dionysos
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| Source: inkah.tumblr.com |
Castor and Pollux / Polydeuces / Dioscuri / Dioscures / Dioscuros
 |
| Source: witchcityink.com |
Ceres / Demeter / Cerere
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| Source: fyeahtattoos.com |
Diana / Artemis / Diane
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| Source: fyeahtattoos.com |
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| Source: dailydoseoftattoos.com |
 |
| Source: sanjosedecalasanzdeduitama.edu.co |
Faunus / Pan / Fauno
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| Source: tatuajesxd.com |
Flora / Chloris / Flore
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| Source: pinterest.com/sunloverholiday |
Fortuna / Tyche / Lady Luck / Miss Fortune
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| Source: flickriver.com/photos/mezdeathhead |
Hercules / Heracles / Herakles / Ercole
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| Source: tumblr.com |
 |
| Source: juncha.net |
Isis / Iside
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| Source: pinterest.com |
Janus / Ianus / Jano / Giano
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| Source: kingsavenuetattoo.com |
Juno / Hera / Iuno / Junon / Giunone
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| Source: girlfashn2013.blogspot.com |
Jupiter / Zeus / Jove / Iuppiter / Giove
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| Source: forbiddenimages.com |
Magna Mater / Cybele / Mother Earth / Gaea / Terra / Tellus / Rhea
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| Source: tattoogathering.com |
Mars / Ares / Marte
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| Source: dailydoseoftattoos.com |
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| Source: rattatattoo.com |
Mercury / Hermes / Mercurius / Mercurio / Mercure
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| Source: tattoo-bewertung.de |
 |
| Source: meatshop-tattoo.deviantart.com |
Minerva / Athena / Minerve
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| Source: lastsparrowtattoo.com |
 |
| Source: flickriver.com |
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| Source: juncha.net |
Neptune / Poseidon / Neptunus / Neptun / Neptuno / Nettuno
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| Source: fireoftattoos.blogspot.com |
 |
| Source: nezunoban.tumblr.com |
Pluto / Hades / Dis Pater / Orcus / Orco / Pluton / Plutao / Plutone
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| Source: ratemyink.com |
Proserpina / Persephone
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| Source: lineandshade.tumblr.com |
Trivia / Hecate / Hekate
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| Source: flickr.com |
Venus / Aphrodite / Venere
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| Source: tumblr.com |
 |
| Source: fotolog.com |
Vesta / Hestia
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| Source: sarapurr.wordpress.com |
Victoria / Nike / Victoire / Vittoria / Vitoria
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| Source: checkoutmyink.com |
Vulcan / Hephaestus / Volcanus / Vulcanus / Vulcano / Vulcain
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| Source: checkoutmyink.com |
Roman Gods sleeve
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| Source: inkfreakz.com |
As for tattoos in ancient Greece and Rome ... well, as in our own times, they were not generally embraced by the conservative elite, who tended to frown upon them as either a mark of barbarism or ignominy (eg, because slaves and criminals were often tattooed). However, it is clear that decorative tattoos were common in many provincial regions of the Roman Empire (such as Thrace, Dacia, Gaul and Britannia) and among some soldiers too, if not others. So while the very word for tattoo in Greek and Latin is stigma (literally) – that doesn't mean that ordinary ancient people didn't dig tattoos, it just means that in ancient Europe tattoos were ... edgy.
"amongst the Greeks and Romans, the use of tattoos ... seems to have been largely used as a means to mark someone as "belonging" either to a religious sect or to an owner in the case of slaves or even as a punitive measure to mark them as criminals. It is therefore quite intriguing that ... when a dynasty of Macedonian Greek monarchs ruled Egypt, the pharaoh himself, Ptolemy IV (221-205 B.C.), was said to have been tattooed with ivy leaves to symbolize his devotion to Dionysus, Greek god of wine and the patron deity of the royal house at that time. The fashion was also adopted by Roman soldiers and spread across the Roman Empire until the emergence of Christianity, when tattoos were ... banned [smithsonianmag.com]."
For a great article looking at tattoos in ancient Greece and Rome see Adrienne Mayor, "People Illustrated: Tattoos in Antiquity" (1999) 54-57 Archeology 54.
Written by M' Sentia Figula (aka Freki), find me at neo polytheist
Did you know that Pagan tattoo designs may encompass a wide range of world religions' tenets? Yes! There are many pagan themes, such as veneration of nature and animals, zodiac beliefs, Wiccan religion, or worship of the sun and moon. Additionally, you may use dual symbolism including horned god and triple goddess into pagan tattoo designs, as well as totems like the moon, symbols, runes, and pentacles. I can suggest https://wannabeink.com/products/classic-roman-gods-and-goddesses-etched-in-stone-temporary-sleeve-tattoos to people since I have had a lot of positive feedback from their customers.
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