Monotheism

=====Hellenistic religion=====
{{main|Hellenistic religion}}
The development of pure (philosophical) monotheism is a product of the [[Late Antiquity]]. During the 2nd to 3rd centuries, [[origins of Christianity|early Christianity]] was just one of several competing religious movements advocating monotheism.

"[[Henology|The One]]" ({{lang|el|Τὸ Ἕν}}) is a concept that is prominent in the writings of the [[Neoplatonists]], especially those of the philosopher [[Plotinus]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wyller|first1=Egil A.|title=Henologische Perspektiven II: zu Ehren Egil A. Wyller, Internales Henologie-Symposium|date=1997|publisher=Rodopi|location=Amsterdam, Netherlands|isbn=90-420-0357-X|pages=5–6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QbMAMtaJWIIC&q=Henology&pg=PA5|access-date=25 March 2017}}</ref> In the writings of Plotinus, "The One" is described as an inconceivable, transcendent, all-embodying, permanent, eternal, causative entity that permeates throughout all of existence.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schürmann|first1=Reiner|last2=Lily|first2=Reginald|title=Broken Hegemonies|date=2003|publisher=Indiana University Press|location=Bloomington, Indiana|isbn=0-253-34144-2|pages=143–144|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4eRv1DTW_KoC&q=Henology&pg=PA109|access-date=25 March 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Columns of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece.jpeg|thumb|Remains of the [[Temple of Apollo (Delphi)|Temple of Apollo]] at Delphi, Greece]]

A number of oracles of [[Apollo]] from [[Didyma]] and [[Clarus]], the so-called "theological oracles", dated to the 2nd and 3rd century CE, proclaim that there is only one highest god, of whom the gods of polytheistic religions are mere manifestations or servants.<ref>[[Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible]], s.v. "Apollo".</ref> 4th century CE Cyprus had, besides Christianity, an apparently monotheistic cult of [[Dionysus]].<ref>E. Kessler, ''Dionysian Monotheism in Nea Paphos, Cyprus'': "two monotheistic religions, Dionysian and Christian, existed contemporaneously in Nea Paphos during the 4th century C.E. [...] the particular iconography of Hermes and Dionysos in the panel of the Epiphany of Dionysos [...] represents the culmination of a pagan iconographic tradition in which an infant divinity is seated on the lap of another divine figure; this pagan motif was appropriated by early Christian artists and developed into the standardized icon of the Virgin and Child. Thus the mosaic helps to substantiate the existence of pagan monotheism." [([http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/classics/conferences/pagan_monotheism/abstracts.html Abstract] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421032154/http://www.huss.ex.ac.uk/classics/conferences/pagan_monotheism/abstracts.html |date=2008-04-21 }})</ref>

The [[Hypsistarian]]s were a religious group who believed in a most high god, according to Greek documents. Later revisions of this Hellenic religion were adjusted towards monotheism as it gained consideration among a wider populace. The worship of Zeus as the head-god signaled a trend in the direction of monotheism, with less honour paid to the fragmented powers of the lesser gods.