DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0863
782 Modifications in the shape
tended to disturb the ritual and was therefore undesirable. But to
the superstitious Greek the buzzing myriads that claimed their
share in the sacred feast seemed something of a divine visitation.
If not the god himself1, they might at least be his emissaries2.
Biting flies meant coming storm3—and who could tell? The safest
course was to placate the little pests. Accordingly the Leucadians,
before celebrating the festival of Apollon Aktios, first sacrificed an
ox to the flies4—an almost unique example of direct sacrifice to
living animals on Greek soil5. Aelian tells us that the flies, when
gorged with the blood of the ox, took themselves off, and contrasts
their mercenary conduct with that of the flies at Olympia, which
did the right thing through sheer respect for the god". Olympic
flies, it would seem, though countless victims were offered, blood
poured out, and flesh hung up, yet retired discreetly across the
Alpheios, returning only when the festival was over7. Aelian, being
a pious priest, is fond of edifying conclusions8. Unfortunately
Antiphanes the comedian, who lived five centuries and more before
Aelian, had long since spoilt the moral : parasites—he says—ought
to be treated like the uninvited flies at Olympia, for which an ox is
cut up by way of preliminary sacrifice9. We gather, then, that in
s. iv B.C. the Olympians, like the Leucadians, slew an ox for the
special benefit of the flies. As time passed and men ceased to
believe in the divinity of flies, their expulsion would be attributed
to some local hero or god. Thus Pausanias informs us that the
inhabitants of Aliphera in Arkadia, before keeping their festival of
Athena(?), sacrificed to a hero Myiagros, the 'Fly-catcher10.' Simi-
1 I have suggested that Zeus became a fly in pursuit of Io (supra i. 532). Parallels are
cited by J. Grimm Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1883 iii. 998 f.
(' Fly-shape'), 1888 iv. 1604 f., G. Weicker Der Seelenvogel Leipzig 1902 p. 30 n. 3,
M. Wellmann in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. vi. 2745 f.
2 In some parts of South Germany the stag-beetle is called donnergutg, donnerguge,
donnerpuppe, perhaps because he likes to live in oak-trees, and it is believed that lightning
will strike a house into which he is carried (J. Grimm op. cit. 1882 i. 183, [883 ii. 692).
3 Theophr. de siguis tempestatum 23 koXto drt/LLoaiov to irepl ras /j-vias \eybp.evov aXr/des-
0to.v yap 5a.Kvwai o~(f>65pa, vButos arjixelov, Geopon. 1. 3. 9 /cat /mvlai eiri TrXeov daKvovaai
(sc. 6/J.ftpOV 07]/J.aivOV(Tl).
4 Herakleides Pontikos KTiaeis lep&v frag. 1 Tresp (Frag. hist. Gr. ii. 197 Miiller) ap.
Clem. Al. protr. 2. 39. 8 p. 30, 7 ff. Stahlin Hpa/cXeiS^s he ev Krio-eaLv iepCov irepi tt\v
' Anapvaviav (prjtjiv, £vda to "Aktlov cotiv aKpwTrjpiov Kai tov 'AttoWuvos tov 'Akt'lov to
iepov, reus fxviais Trpodveadai j3ovv.
5 Cp. the Praisian sacrifice to a pig (supra i. 653 n. 3).
15 Ail. de nat. an. ii. 8 (dvowi j3ovv Tais fiviais, ai 8t ep-TrXr/adelcraL tov cu/xaros
a.(pavi£ovTo.i). 7 Ail. de nat. an. 5. 17.
8 Sir J. E. Sandys ^4 History of Classical Scholarships Cambridge 1906 i. 336 f.
9 Antiphanes fab. incert. frag. 5 (Frag. com. Gr. iii. 134^ Meineke) ap. Athen. 4 F—5 A.
10 Paus. 8. 26. 7, cp. Souid. s.v. p-vLaypos- 6 /xvLodrjpas.
tended to disturb the ritual and was therefore undesirable. But to
the superstitious Greek the buzzing myriads that claimed their
share in the sacred feast seemed something of a divine visitation.
If not the god himself1, they might at least be his emissaries2.
Biting flies meant coming storm3—and who could tell? The safest
course was to placate the little pests. Accordingly the Leucadians,
before celebrating the festival of Apollon Aktios, first sacrificed an
ox to the flies4—an almost unique example of direct sacrifice to
living animals on Greek soil5. Aelian tells us that the flies, when
gorged with the blood of the ox, took themselves off, and contrasts
their mercenary conduct with that of the flies at Olympia, which
did the right thing through sheer respect for the god". Olympic
flies, it would seem, though countless victims were offered, blood
poured out, and flesh hung up, yet retired discreetly across the
Alpheios, returning only when the festival was over7. Aelian, being
a pious priest, is fond of edifying conclusions8. Unfortunately
Antiphanes the comedian, who lived five centuries and more before
Aelian, had long since spoilt the moral : parasites—he says—ought
to be treated like the uninvited flies at Olympia, for which an ox is
cut up by way of preliminary sacrifice9. We gather, then, that in
s. iv B.C. the Olympians, like the Leucadians, slew an ox for the
special benefit of the flies. As time passed and men ceased to
believe in the divinity of flies, their expulsion would be attributed
to some local hero or god. Thus Pausanias informs us that the
inhabitants of Aliphera in Arkadia, before keeping their festival of
Athena(?), sacrificed to a hero Myiagros, the 'Fly-catcher10.' Simi-
1 I have suggested that Zeus became a fly in pursuit of Io (supra i. 532). Parallels are
cited by J. Grimm Teutonic Mythology trans. J. S. Stallybrass London 1883 iii. 998 f.
(' Fly-shape'), 1888 iv. 1604 f., G. Weicker Der Seelenvogel Leipzig 1902 p. 30 n. 3,
M. Wellmann in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. vi. 2745 f.
2 In some parts of South Germany the stag-beetle is called donnergutg, donnerguge,
donnerpuppe, perhaps because he likes to live in oak-trees, and it is believed that lightning
will strike a house into which he is carried (J. Grimm op. cit. 1882 i. 183, [883 ii. 692).
3 Theophr. de siguis tempestatum 23 koXto drt/LLoaiov to irepl ras /j-vias \eybp.evov aXr/des-
0to.v yap 5a.Kvwai o~(f>65pa, vButos arjixelov, Geopon. 1. 3. 9 /cat /mvlai eiri TrXeov daKvovaai
(sc. 6/J.ftpOV 07]/J.aivOV(Tl).
4 Herakleides Pontikos KTiaeis lep&v frag. 1 Tresp (Frag. hist. Gr. ii. 197 Miiller) ap.
Clem. Al. protr. 2. 39. 8 p. 30, 7 ff. Stahlin Hpa/cXeiS^s he ev Krio-eaLv iepCov irepi tt\v
' Anapvaviav (prjtjiv, £vda to "Aktlov cotiv aKpwTrjpiov Kai tov 'AttoWuvos tov 'Akt'lov to
iepov, reus fxviais Trpodveadai j3ovv.
5 Cp. the Praisian sacrifice to a pig (supra i. 653 n. 3).
15 Ail. de nat. an. ii. 8 (dvowi j3ovv Tais fiviais, ai 8t ep-TrXr/adelcraL tov cu/xaros
a.(pavi£ovTo.i). 7 Ail. de nat. an. 5. 17.
8 Sir J. E. Sandys ^4 History of Classical Scholarships Cambridge 1906 i. 336 f.
9 Antiphanes fab. incert. frag. 5 (Frag. com. Gr. iii. 134^ Meineke) ap. Athen. 4 F—5 A.
10 Paus. 8. 26. 7, cp. Souid. s.v. p-vLaypos- 6 /xvLodrjpas.