DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26205#0014
12
writes that Vespasian dedicated in the Templum Pacis a statue of the Nile
made of black basalt. Archaeological finds fail to support these remarks
by Pausanias and Pliny, since the statues of the Nile known to us are executed
in white marble. A temple dedicated to the Cephisus was in Argos (Paus. 2,
20, 6). Periegeta also mentions the temple of the river Pamisos in Messenia,
adding at the same time that offerings were given there every year (Paus. 4,
3, 10). At this site, a Swedish archaeological expedition discovered a sanctuary
where votive offerings had been made since the 6th century B. C. 6
The rivers were given numerous offerings and already Hesiod (erg. 737 ff.)
recommended not to cross their stream without making an offering and
washing hands. The offering most often mentioned in ancient literature was
hair, which may well have been a substitute for human sacrifice 7. Peleus
offered the hair of Achilles to the Spercheios (II. 23.141)8, Orestes vowed
to dedicate it to the Inachos (Aisch. Choeph. 5 ff.), as did Aias in honour
of the Hisses (Phil. Her. 13, 4). Pausanias (1, 37, 3) mentions a votive statue
erected on the Cephisus: “Beside the river are two statues, one of Mnesimache,
the other a votive representing her son shearing his hair in honour of the
Cephisus” (translated by J. G. Frazer), at the same time remarking that
it was an old custom of the Hellenes. He also writes (8, 41, 3) of a custom
existing in his days in Arcadia: “Where the Neaa comes nearest to the city
of Phigalia, the Phigalian boys shear their hair in honour of the river” (trans-
lated by J. G. Frazer).
Somewhat less frequently, judging from literary sources, the rivers were
given animal sacrifices. Peleus vowed a hecatomb to the Spercheios and
Achilles augmented it with 50 rams in view of his coming back safely from
Troy (II. 23.144). Nestor offered to the Alpheus and Poseidon a bull apiece,
and to Athena a heifer (II. 11.727). This passus from the Iliad once more
confirms status of the rivers was on a par with that of the other gods. Oxen
were sacrificed to the Scamandei and live horses were submerged in his waters
(11. 21.132). This latter kind of sacrifice appears only once in Homer but
we know that horses were also offered to other gods, among others to Poseidon
and Helios 9. Most probably an Oriental custom is here in question 10, which
0 E. Valmin, The Swedish Messenia Expedition, 1938, p. 419 If. In the temple a votive stele
of Asclepiodoros was found, dedicated to the Pamissos. There was also a votive inscription from the
mid-4th century B. C. with a dedication to the river, cf. Jones, Archaeology, 7,1953, p. 240, quotation
after Hamdorf, Kultpersonifikationen, p. 82, T 120 d.
7 E. Rohde, Psyche. Seelenkult und Unsterblichkeitsglaube der Griechen, 1925, I, p. 17 If.
8 This scene is often to be seen on ancient gems, cf. P. Zazoff, Die Antiken Gemmen, Hdb.
d. Archaol., Munchen 1983, p. 232, notes 85 and 86, Pis. 58, 6.
9 The Rhodians annually used to throw a chariot and four horses into the sea in honour of
Helios (Festus, ed. Muller, p. 181). On offerings of horses for Poseidon cf. Paus. 8, 7, 2; Cass.
Dio 48, 48. Also bulls were sacrified to him, cf. Eurip. Hel. 1584; Paus. 10, 9, 2.
10 The offering of a horse was to be encountered in almost all Indoeuropean cultures, if only
to mention numerous burials of these animals (often with their owners) found in the whole area
of Eurasia.
writes that Vespasian dedicated in the Templum Pacis a statue of the Nile
made of black basalt. Archaeological finds fail to support these remarks
by Pausanias and Pliny, since the statues of the Nile known to us are executed
in white marble. A temple dedicated to the Cephisus was in Argos (Paus. 2,
20, 6). Periegeta also mentions the temple of the river Pamisos in Messenia,
adding at the same time that offerings were given there every year (Paus. 4,
3, 10). At this site, a Swedish archaeological expedition discovered a sanctuary
where votive offerings had been made since the 6th century B. C. 6
The rivers were given numerous offerings and already Hesiod (erg. 737 ff.)
recommended not to cross their stream without making an offering and
washing hands. The offering most often mentioned in ancient literature was
hair, which may well have been a substitute for human sacrifice 7. Peleus
offered the hair of Achilles to the Spercheios (II. 23.141)8, Orestes vowed
to dedicate it to the Inachos (Aisch. Choeph. 5 ff.), as did Aias in honour
of the Hisses (Phil. Her. 13, 4). Pausanias (1, 37, 3) mentions a votive statue
erected on the Cephisus: “Beside the river are two statues, one of Mnesimache,
the other a votive representing her son shearing his hair in honour of the
Cephisus” (translated by J. G. Frazer), at the same time remarking that
it was an old custom of the Hellenes. He also writes (8, 41, 3) of a custom
existing in his days in Arcadia: “Where the Neaa comes nearest to the city
of Phigalia, the Phigalian boys shear their hair in honour of the river” (trans-
lated by J. G. Frazer).
Somewhat less frequently, judging from literary sources, the rivers were
given animal sacrifices. Peleus vowed a hecatomb to the Spercheios and
Achilles augmented it with 50 rams in view of his coming back safely from
Troy (II. 23.144). Nestor offered to the Alpheus and Poseidon a bull apiece,
and to Athena a heifer (II. 11.727). This passus from the Iliad once more
confirms status of the rivers was on a par with that of the other gods. Oxen
were sacrificed to the Scamandei and live horses were submerged in his waters
(11. 21.132). This latter kind of sacrifice appears only once in Homer but
we know that horses were also offered to other gods, among others to Poseidon
and Helios 9. Most probably an Oriental custom is here in question 10, which
0 E. Valmin, The Swedish Messenia Expedition, 1938, p. 419 If. In the temple a votive stele
of Asclepiodoros was found, dedicated to the Pamissos. There was also a votive inscription from the
mid-4th century B. C. with a dedication to the river, cf. Jones, Archaeology, 7,1953, p. 240, quotation
after Hamdorf, Kultpersonifikationen, p. 82, T 120 d.
7 E. Rohde, Psyche. Seelenkult und Unsterblichkeitsglaube der Griechen, 1925, I, p. 17 If.
8 This scene is often to be seen on ancient gems, cf. P. Zazoff, Die Antiken Gemmen, Hdb.
d. Archaol., Munchen 1983, p. 232, notes 85 and 86, Pis. 58, 6.
9 The Rhodians annually used to throw a chariot and four horses into the sea in honour of
Helios (Festus, ed. Muller, p. 181). On offerings of horses for Poseidon cf. Paus. 8, 7, 2; Cass.
Dio 48, 48. Also bulls were sacrified to him, cf. Eurip. Hel. 1584; Paus. 10, 9, 2.
10 The offering of a horse was to be encountered in almost all Indoeuropean cultures, if only
to mention numerous burials of these animals (often with their owners) found in the whole area
of Eurasia.