Proper Greek Names

Should we, as Hellenists, call the Greek Gods by Their traditional Greek spellings or are the Latin terms acceptable? For example, Apollo (Latin) as opposed to Apollon (Greek). Does it matter which ones we use?

AgathonZante wrote:Should we, as Hellenists, call the Greek Gods by Their traditional Greek spellings or are the Latin terms acceptable? For example, Apollo (Latin) as opposed to Apollon (Greek). Does  it matter which ones we use?

They're different names for the same beings, and the Greek and Roman religions differed from each other this much (I'm pinching my index finger and thumb close together and holding them close to the screen).

I personally don't think it matters whether you call the Goddess Hera or Juno. Or Athena or Minerva. Or Hermes or Mercurius. Unless, of course, you are intentionally pursuing an idea of purity in practice.

When one starts looking for the "correct pronunciation", the obvious question is "of what period and in which dialect?" Athena or Athene; Demeter or Damater; Persephoneia, Persephone, or Pherephatta? Of course, we are only dealing with a small period of time. In Egypt, the goddess Isis was Esi for Cleopatra, Usah for Tutankhamen, and Rusat for Cheops! And then one has the Egyptologists' "Aset" (don't ask…) Use whatever you feel comfortable with.