DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14697#0303
Appendix M
n38
(7) The Diasia.
Towards the close of the seventh century (636? 632? 628? B.C.) Kylon, an
Athenian noble who had married the daughter of Theagenes tyrant of Megara,
resolved with Theagenes' help to make himself tyrant of Athens. In answer to
an enquiry the Delphic god bade him seize the Akropolis 'at the greatest festival
of Zeus.' Kylon, who had been an Olympic victor, naturally took this to be the
festival at Olympia. So he waited till it came round and then made his coup,
which proved a disastrous failure1. Thoukydides' comment concerns us :
' Whether the greatest festival spoken of was in Attike or elsewhere, was a
point which he did not perceive and the oracle did not reveal. For the Athenians
too have what is called the Diasia, a festival of Zeus Meillckios, greatest of any,
held outside the city, at which all the people offer sacrifice—many not victims
but sacrifices peculiar to the country2.'
The difficulties of the Thucydidean style3 and the doubts attaching to the text4
have, I think, hindered scholars from asking the obvious question : Why did
the oracle regard the Diasia as a suitable day for setting up a tyranny at Athens?
The explanation is twofold : partly, no doubt, because the gathering of the
populace outside the city would leave the coast clear for Kylon's attempt ; but
partly also because the Diasia was the festival of Zeus Meitichios, who repre-
sented the line of ancient kings. Kylon might in fact have acted under their
auspices and been accepted as their successor. His presumptuous error spoiled
what was, in reality or pretence, quite a pretty piece of politico-religious plotting5.
1 Thouk. 1. 126, Hdt. 5. 71, Aristot. de Athen. rep. frag. 8 p. iio, i4ff. Blass—
Thalheim, Herakleides Pontikos frag. 1. 4 (J^rag. hist. Gr. ii. 208 Midler), Cic. de leg.
2. 28, Plout. v. Sol. 12 f., Paus. 1. 28. 1, 1. 40. 1, 7. 25. 3, Hesych. s.v. KwXui/^e) top 1x70s,
Souid. s.v. KvXwveiov dyos, schol. Aristoph. eq. 445.
2 Thouk. 1. 126 el be ev tj/'Attikti rj dXXodL nov 77 /xeyLarri eoprrj elp7}To, ovre enelvos 'in.
KaTevb-qtre to re fxavrelov ovk edrjXov. iari yap Kai 'Adr/vaiois Aidata a /caXerrat, Atos ioprr]
Mei\ix<-ov /u.eyL0~T7], tt}s iroXews, ev fj Tvai>br]p.ei Ovovffi, woXXoi oi)% iepeia dXXd dup-artx
eirix&pia with schol. ad loc. iepeia ' irpb^ara and Ov/mara ' riva ivep.p.aTa eis fawv /uiop<pa.s
rejvnbifxevo. eQvov.
3 B. Jowett ad loc. would punctuate differently, reading either (1) &rrt yap /cat
'AOrjvalots, Atdcria d KaXeirai, Aids eopri) MeiXixiov /aeyiaTt], k.t.X. ' For the Athenians
also have a greatest festival of Zeus, namely, of Zeus Meilichius, the Diasia as it is called';
or (2) ecrrt yap Kai 'Adr/valois Aidaia, a KaXeirat Atos eoprr; MetXixiou peyiffT-r], k.t.X. ' For
the Athenians also have a festival of Zeus, namely, the Diasia, which is called the greatest
festival of Zeus Meilichius.' E. C. Marchant ad loc. translates as in (2).
4 E. F. Poppo—J. M. Stahl ad loc. cj. Atdtrta 17 KaXeiTai. C. F. Hermann in
Philologus 1867 ii. 1 ff. cj. Iv f] Travbrjuei dvovcri rroXXd oux iepeia, k.t.X. T. Hemsterhuys
on Loukian. Tim. 7 cj. dXA' ayva dvpaTa eirixdipia. O. Band op. cit. p. 4 regards the
words idTi—pLeyicTTri as a probable and 'i^w—iirix^pta as a certain interpolation.
0 In view of Kylon's connexion with Theagenes, note that the cult of Zeus at Megara
bore some resemblance to the cult of Zeus on the Ilissos. A relief from Megara, like that
from the Kallirrhoe-basin, associates Zeus with Acheloios (supra p. 11x7 n. 7). Megara,
like the Ilissos-bank, had its myth of the deluge (Paus. 1. 40. 1). And at Megara too
there was an Olympieion with a famous statue of Zeus (Paus. 1. 40. 4 p.erd raCra es to tov
Atos (tov Atos to cod. Monac.) Te/xevos eaeXdovcn KaXovLievov 'OXvp-wieiov vabs ecrrc dtas
d£tos ' to be dyaXpa ovk etjeipydcrdr] tov Atos eiriXafiovTos tov lleXowovpriaiwp rroXepov wpbs
' Adr/vaiovs,... t<2> be aydX/xaTi tov Atos irpbauirov eke<pavTos Kai x/wcroD, rd de Xonra TrrjXov
t€ eo~Tt Kai yv\f/ov' -woirjcraL be ai>To QeoKoapov Xeyovaiv eruxwpiov, ffvvepydcraadai be oi
Qeibiav. virep be tt)s KetpaXrjs tov Atos eicriv Tfipat /cat Moipai' br/Xa be 7racrt tt)v ILeirpupein^v
fxbyuj oi Treidecrdai, Kai rds uipas rbv debv tovtov vepieiv is (so H. C. Schubart—E. C. Walz
for els) to beov. biriade bk tov vaov /cetrat ^vXa i]/j.iepya ' Tavra ep.eXXev 6 QebKoa/j.os iXe<pavTi
n38
(7) The Diasia.
Towards the close of the seventh century (636? 632? 628? B.C.) Kylon, an
Athenian noble who had married the daughter of Theagenes tyrant of Megara,
resolved with Theagenes' help to make himself tyrant of Athens. In answer to
an enquiry the Delphic god bade him seize the Akropolis 'at the greatest festival
of Zeus.' Kylon, who had been an Olympic victor, naturally took this to be the
festival at Olympia. So he waited till it came round and then made his coup,
which proved a disastrous failure1. Thoukydides' comment concerns us :
' Whether the greatest festival spoken of was in Attike or elsewhere, was a
point which he did not perceive and the oracle did not reveal. For the Athenians
too have what is called the Diasia, a festival of Zeus Meillckios, greatest of any,
held outside the city, at which all the people offer sacrifice—many not victims
but sacrifices peculiar to the country2.'
The difficulties of the Thucydidean style3 and the doubts attaching to the text4
have, I think, hindered scholars from asking the obvious question : Why did
the oracle regard the Diasia as a suitable day for setting up a tyranny at Athens?
The explanation is twofold : partly, no doubt, because the gathering of the
populace outside the city would leave the coast clear for Kylon's attempt ; but
partly also because the Diasia was the festival of Zeus Meitichios, who repre-
sented the line of ancient kings. Kylon might in fact have acted under their
auspices and been accepted as their successor. His presumptuous error spoiled
what was, in reality or pretence, quite a pretty piece of politico-religious plotting5.
1 Thouk. 1. 126, Hdt. 5. 71, Aristot. de Athen. rep. frag. 8 p. iio, i4ff. Blass—
Thalheim, Herakleides Pontikos frag. 1. 4 (J^rag. hist. Gr. ii. 208 Midler), Cic. de leg.
2. 28, Plout. v. Sol. 12 f., Paus. 1. 28. 1, 1. 40. 1, 7. 25. 3, Hesych. s.v. KwXui/^e) top 1x70s,
Souid. s.v. KvXwveiov dyos, schol. Aristoph. eq. 445.
2 Thouk. 1. 126 el be ev tj/'Attikti rj dXXodL nov 77 /xeyLarri eoprrj elp7}To, ovre enelvos 'in.
KaTevb-qtre to re fxavrelov ovk edrjXov. iari yap Kai 'Adr/vaiois Aidata a /caXerrat, Atos ioprr]
Mei\ix<-ov /u.eyL0~T7], tt}s iroXews, ev fj Tvai>br]p.ei Ovovffi, woXXoi oi)% iepeia dXXd dup-artx
eirix&pia with schol. ad loc. iepeia ' irpb^ara and Ov/mara ' riva ivep.p.aTa eis fawv /uiop<pa.s
rejvnbifxevo. eQvov.
3 B. Jowett ad loc. would punctuate differently, reading either (1) &rrt yap /cat
'AOrjvalots, Atdcria d KaXeirai, Aids eopri) MeiXixiov /aeyiaTt], k.t.X. ' For the Athenians
also have a greatest festival of Zeus, namely, of Zeus Meilichius, the Diasia as it is called';
or (2) ecrrt yap Kai 'Adr/valois Aidaia, a KaXeirat Atos eoprr; MetXixiou peyiffT-r], k.t.X. ' For
the Athenians also have a festival of Zeus, namely, the Diasia, which is called the greatest
festival of Zeus Meilichius.' E. C. Marchant ad loc. translates as in (2).
4 E. F. Poppo—J. M. Stahl ad loc. cj. Atdtrta 17 KaXeiTai. C. F. Hermann in
Philologus 1867 ii. 1 ff. cj. Iv f] Travbrjuei dvovcri rroXXd oux iepeia, k.t.X. T. Hemsterhuys
on Loukian. Tim. 7 cj. dXA' ayva dvpaTa eirixdipia. O. Band op. cit. p. 4 regards the
words idTi—pLeyicTTri as a probable and 'i^w—iirix^pta as a certain interpolation.
0 In view of Kylon's connexion with Theagenes, note that the cult of Zeus at Megara
bore some resemblance to the cult of Zeus on the Ilissos. A relief from Megara, like that
from the Kallirrhoe-basin, associates Zeus with Acheloios (supra p. 11x7 n. 7). Megara,
like the Ilissos-bank, had its myth of the deluge (Paus. 1. 40. 1). And at Megara too
there was an Olympieion with a famous statue of Zeus (Paus. 1. 40. 4 p.erd raCra es to tov
Atos (tov Atos to cod. Monac.) Te/xevos eaeXdovcn KaXovLievov 'OXvp-wieiov vabs ecrrc dtas
d£tos ' to be dyaXpa ovk etjeipydcrdr] tov Atos eiriXafiovTos tov lleXowovpriaiwp rroXepov wpbs
' Adr/vaiovs,... t<2> be aydX/xaTi tov Atos irpbauirov eke<pavTos Kai x/wcroD, rd de Xonra TrrjXov
t€ eo~Tt Kai yv\f/ov' -woirjcraL be ai>To QeoKoapov Xeyovaiv eruxwpiov, ffvvepydcraadai be oi
Qeibiav. virep be tt)s KetpaXrjs tov Atos eicriv Tfipat /cat Moipai' br/Xa be 7racrt tt)v ILeirpupein^v
fxbyuj oi Treidecrdai, Kai rds uipas rbv debv tovtov vepieiv is (so H. C. Schubart—E. C. Walz
for els) to beov. biriade bk tov vaov /cetrat ^vXa i]/j.iepya ' Tavra ep.eXXev 6 QebKoa/j.os iXe<pavTi