THE LITAI: ANCIENT DEITIES OF SUPPLICATION AND REPENTANCE

 

Metanoia in Greek Thought

From the history of the Greek word metanoia, one can see that both the Jewish people and the heathens knew how important repentance is for improving the sinful life. According to ancient Greek mythology, atē (“bewilderment” or “blindness of the mind”) is sent by the gods, mostly as punishment for guilty rashness. The personification of Atē, Zeus’s swift-footed daughter, who moves without touching the earth, easily passes through human heads, leading them to evil deeds (Iliad XIX, 91–94).

Human life would become intolerable because of her destructive forces if the Litai (“prayers of repentance”), other daughters of Zeus, did not follow her and help people reject the delusion. Those who accept the Litai (lame and squint-eyed ugly creatures) and obey them will have great benefit (Iliad IX, 502–512). According to the Church Fathers, the logos spermatikos, as a function of the Holy Spirit, had operated among the heathens, and these ideas about the Litai represent an early instance of moral responsibility.

Repentance in Greek Philosophy

Pythagoras asked the members of his society to confess every night everything that had happened to them during the day. Heraclitus speaks about liberation from errors through acquaintance with the truth. According to Plato, the aim of human life is beatitude, which one can reach through liberating the soul from the passions of the body.

Metanoia and Metameleia: Two Different Kinds of Repentance

The Greek words μετάνοια (metanoia) and μεταμέλεια (metameleia) both relate to regret or repentance, but they describe different kinds of inner change.

Metanoia (μετάνοια) = meta-nous = meta=noetsis

Metanoia literally means “a change of mind” (meta = change, nous = mind). It refers to a deep inner transformation—a change in the way a person thinks, understands, and lives. It implies turning away from wrongdoing and beginning a new direction of life. In the New Testament, metanoia is the word most often used for true repentance, involving both inner renewal and a change in behavior.

Metameleia (μεταμέλεια)

Metameleia means “regret” or “remorse.” It refers more to an emotional reaction—feeling sorry for something that has been done, often because of its consequences. It does not necessarily imply a lasting change of mind or life. A person may feel regret yet continue in the same way afterward.

Key difference

• Metanoia → deep transformation and turning toward a new way of life.

• Metameleia → regret or remorse about something that happened.

A simple way to express it is:
metameleia is feeling sorry, while metanoia is becoming different.

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The Litē in the Orthodox Church

The lite (λιτή) of Orthodox churches—often associated with the narthex, the entrance space before the nave—has both architectural and spiritual meaning. The word λιτή comes from the ancient Greek verb λίτομαι, meaning “to entreat, to supplicate.” In ancient Greek thought, the Λιταί (Litai) were the personifications of prayers and supplications, especially prayers of repentance that follow after human error. In Christian liturgical tradition the term continued to express this idea of earnest supplication and humble prayer, which is why the service of the Liti and the architectural space connected with it are associated with repentance and preparation.

The Narthex: A Place of Repentance

In the early Church, the narthex or lite was the place where catechumens and penitents remained during the services. Catechumens were those preparing for baptism and learning the faith, while penitents were believers undergoing a period of repentance for serious sins. Because they had not yet been fully restored or admitted into the sacramental life of the Church, they stood in this outer space, symbolically at the threshold between the world and the sacred assembly of the faithful.

During the Divine Liturgy, after the readings and prayers for the catechumens, the deacon proclaimed “Catechumens, depart!” At that moment the catechumens left the main assembly, and the doors or gates of the church were closed before the beginning of the Eucharistic part of the Liturgy. Only the baptized faithful remained inside for the celebration of the Holy Mysteries. In this way the lite or narthex functioned as a place of supplication, repentance, and preparation, reflecting the ancient meaning of the Litai as prayers that follow human error and lead a person toward restoration and communion.

The Meaning of Litē (λιτή)

The noun litē (λιτή), from the ancient Greek verb litomai (λίτομαι), means “entreaty,” “supplication,” or “petition.” It is usually used in the plural form.

Litē

• (Christianity) The short service usually chanted in monasteries and parish churches during all-night vigils (and during evening Divine Liturgies) on the eve of major feasts.

• (Christianity) The inner narthex of monasteries where the service of the litē is performed.
  
  

Meaning of Atē (Ἄτη)

Atē refers to: 

• Delusion

• Blindness of the mind

• Reckless error

• Moral ruin caused by misguided judgment

The Litai in Greek Mythology

The Litai in Greek mythology were deities with a moral function. They were the personification of supplications and prayers—specifically prayers of sorrow and repentance.

Litē (definition):

1. Entreaty, supplication.

2. Religious procession, litany.

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Homer’s Description of the Litai

Translation of the Iliad by Iakovos Polylás:

“When the Prayers, daughters of Zeus the Most High,
come forward—lame, squint-eyed, and wrinkled in appearance—
they move anxiously, trailing behind Atē.
But Atē herself, strong-footed and powerful, runs ahead
through all the earth and reaches mortals first, leading them into injustice.
The Prayers come behind her to mend the wrong that was done.
Whoever reverently receives the daughters of Kronos
they help and grant a hearing to his prayers.
But if someone stubbornly rejects them,
they beseech Zeus to send Atē after him,
so that he too may suffer
and pay the full penalty for his wrongdoing.”