DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0346
Hf4 of the religion of greece.
ATP0TEPA2 ©T2IA (1,) an anniversary sacrifice of five hundred goats,
offered at Athens to Minerva, surnamed Aygcregx, from Agree in Attica.
The occasion of it was this : when Darius* the emperor of Persia, made
an invasion upon Attica, Callimachus, who was at that time in the office
of a polemarch, made a solemn vow to Minerva, that if she would grant
them victory over their enemies, they would sacrifice to her as many he-
goats as should equal the number of the slain on their enemy's side : Mi-
nerva granted his request ; but the number of the Persians that fell in the
battle being so great, that all the he-goats they could procure did not come
near it, instead of them they offered all the she-goats they could find ;
and these also falling infinitely short of the number, they made a decree,
that five hundred goats should be offered every year till it should be
completed.
ATFTriNIS, a nocturnal festival (2,) celebrated in honour of Bacchus,
at Arbela, a place in Sicily ; and so called because the worshippers did
Aygurfven, or watch all night.
aa.qni , or aaoneia, was celebrated in most of the cities of Greece, in
honour of Venus, and in memory of her beloved Adonis. The solemnity
continued two days ; upon the first of which certain images or pictures
of Adonis and Venus were brought forth with all the pomp and ceremo-
nies practised at funerals ; the women tore their hair, beat their breasts,
and counterfeited all other postures and actions usual in lamenting the
dead. This lamentation was termed u2a\tarpcs (3,) or itduvia' whence
uPavlav uyeiv is interpreted by Suidas, AJwviv-xXai'siv, to weep for Adonis*
The songs on this occasion were called k^uttStx (4). There were also
carried along with them, shells filled with earth, in which grew several
sorts of herbs, especially lettuces ; in memory that Adonis was laid out
by Venus upon a bed of lettuces. These were called K»Ve/, gardens;
whence AWw^s wvoi, are proverbially applied to things unfruitful, or
fading ; because those herbs were only sown so long before the festival
as to sprout forth and be green at that time, and then were presently cast
out into the water. The flutes used upon this day were called riyygleti,
from riyygtis, which was the Phoenician name of Adonis. Hence, to play
on this instrument, was termed yiyygxv, or yr/ygufaen, the music ytyyguo--
and the songs ytyygavra.. The sacrifice was termed Kxttidgx, because
(I suppose) the days of mourning used to be called by that name. The
following day was spent in all possible expressions of mirth and joy ; in
memory that, by the favour of Proserpina, Venus obtained that Adonis
should return to life, and dwell with her one half of every year. All this
vain pomp, and serious folly, served only to expose the heathenish super-
stition, and gave birth to the proverb, OdSev h%bv, by which seem to be
Hieant things that bear a show of something great or sacred, but are in
yeality nothing but sorry and ridiculous trifles.
AeHNAiA, two festivals observed at Athens, in honour of Minerva ;
one of them was called Ilava^u'va/a, the other XasXxua, and both shall be
treated of in their proper places.
aiaketa} sports at iEgina, in honour of iEacus, who had a temple in
that island ; wherein, after the end of the solemnity, the victors used to
present a garland of flowers.
(1) Xenoph.Exped. Cvri
(g) Hesychius.
(3) Etymologici Auctor.
(4) Proclns in Cbrestomathia,
ATP0TEPA2 ©T2IA (1,) an anniversary sacrifice of five hundred goats,
offered at Athens to Minerva, surnamed Aygcregx, from Agree in Attica.
The occasion of it was this : when Darius* the emperor of Persia, made
an invasion upon Attica, Callimachus, who was at that time in the office
of a polemarch, made a solemn vow to Minerva, that if she would grant
them victory over their enemies, they would sacrifice to her as many he-
goats as should equal the number of the slain on their enemy's side : Mi-
nerva granted his request ; but the number of the Persians that fell in the
battle being so great, that all the he-goats they could procure did not come
near it, instead of them they offered all the she-goats they could find ;
and these also falling infinitely short of the number, they made a decree,
that five hundred goats should be offered every year till it should be
completed.
ATFTriNIS, a nocturnal festival (2,) celebrated in honour of Bacchus,
at Arbela, a place in Sicily ; and so called because the worshippers did
Aygurfven, or watch all night.
aa.qni , or aaoneia, was celebrated in most of the cities of Greece, in
honour of Venus, and in memory of her beloved Adonis. The solemnity
continued two days ; upon the first of which certain images or pictures
of Adonis and Venus were brought forth with all the pomp and ceremo-
nies practised at funerals ; the women tore their hair, beat their breasts,
and counterfeited all other postures and actions usual in lamenting the
dead. This lamentation was termed u2a\tarpcs (3,) or itduvia' whence
uPavlav uyeiv is interpreted by Suidas, AJwviv-xXai'siv, to weep for Adonis*
The songs on this occasion were called k^uttStx (4). There were also
carried along with them, shells filled with earth, in which grew several
sorts of herbs, especially lettuces ; in memory that Adonis was laid out
by Venus upon a bed of lettuces. These were called K»Ve/, gardens;
whence AWw^s wvoi, are proverbially applied to things unfruitful, or
fading ; because those herbs were only sown so long before the festival
as to sprout forth and be green at that time, and then were presently cast
out into the water. The flutes used upon this day were called riyygleti,
from riyygtis, which was the Phoenician name of Adonis. Hence, to play
on this instrument, was termed yiyygxv, or yr/ygufaen, the music ytyyguo--
and the songs ytyygavra.. The sacrifice was termed Kxttidgx, because
(I suppose) the days of mourning used to be called by that name. The
following day was spent in all possible expressions of mirth and joy ; in
memory that, by the favour of Proserpina, Venus obtained that Adonis
should return to life, and dwell with her one half of every year. All this
vain pomp, and serious folly, served only to expose the heathenish super-
stition, and gave birth to the proverb, OdSev h%bv, by which seem to be
Hieant things that bear a show of something great or sacred, but are in
yeality nothing but sorry and ridiculous trifles.
AeHNAiA, two festivals observed at Athens, in honour of Minerva ;
one of them was called Ilava^u'va/a, the other XasXxua, and both shall be
treated of in their proper places.
aiaketa} sports at iEgina, in honour of iEacus, who had a temple in
that island ; wherein, after the end of the solemnity, the victors used to
present a garland of flowers.
(1) Xenoph.Exped. Cvri
(g) Hesychius.
(3) Etymologici Auctor.
(4) Proclns in Cbrestomathia,