DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0624
OF THE MISCELLANY CUSTOMS OF GREECE,
Xxfa'traj ti yvva.lx.ci f*v%ai d-ctxapoto veAo.
The Athenian virgins were presented to Diana before it was lawful
for them to marry. This ceremony was performed at Brauron, an Athe-
nian borough ; it was called igxreTu, the virgins themselves, ugxroi, and
the action, eegxTsTa, the custom being instituted to appease the goddess,
who had been incensed against some of the Athenians for killing a bear ;
the story whereof is described at large in one of the precedent books(l)„
Another custom there was for virgins, when they became marriageable,
to present certain baskets full of little curiosities to Diana, to gain leave to
depart out of her train (virgins being looked on as that goddess's peculiar,)
and change their state of life. To which custom Theocritus has this al -
lusion (2).
Aacoc isr' ApTifAt(Toe.-
Anaxo, EubuPs daughter, full of love,
Came to me with a basket for Diana's grove.
The action was called xav/iQogsTv, and the virgins xayycpogoi, from the bas-
kets they carried. The Boeotians and Locrians had a custom, for persons
of both sexes, before their nuptials, to offer sacrifices to Euclia, who had
an image and altar in their market-place. This Euclia some will have to
be the daughter of Menoecius, and sister of Patroclus ; others rather think
her the same with Diana (3) ; it is not improbable that Diana received
this surname from Patroclus's sister, or that she was worshipped by the
name of Diana Euclia ; for Diana being the goddess of virginity, it is not
to be wondered that one honoured for the. preservation of her viginity5
should be worshipped under her name, since it is common to attribute to
those that were first eminent for any sort of virtue or excellent quality,
the actions of all that afterwards imitated them. Hence we have several
Jupiters, Minervas, Bacchuses, Herculeses. &x. the famous exploits of
many persons, distant as well in time as place, being ascribed to one he-
ro. To return : we find Diana concerned in the preparatory solemnities
before all marriages ; for a married life being her aversion, it was thought
requisite for all that entered upon it to ask her pardon for dissenting from
her. This was done by prayers and several sorts of sacrifices ; whence
Agamemnon in Euripides, pretending he was going to match Iphigenia
with Achilles, speaks thus to Clytemnestra (4) :
'Clc yipnQic. 7r<tpu<Ti)i wTftTria-fAyat,
TlpO-^yTdt ti /S*MMV TUP HxBiptlOV IK. JftptoY
Mosr^o* ts, Trpb •yst/utov atS &£* Trtcrftv £/sew
,AgfilunS'i, (tts^avoj sti',«aToc (pvo-HfActra..
Send now thy daughter to her father's charge
Committed ; for the lavers ready stand,
The salted cakes, which o'er the lustral fire
The hand must cast; the heifers too, whose blood
Must in black streams, before the nuptials, flow,
To the chaste queen, Diana, are prepared. potter.
These were called ya^Xioi sfyaf, tfwyiueia,, *^ots'Xsjo» sixa'\ or ifgoTeketa,
for ri'kos and y«f*og are terms of the same signification (5) ; the former
(1) Lib. ii.cap. 20. in [iyaujivid,
m Idyl). v. 66.
(3) Plutarchus Aristide.
(4) Iphigen. in Aulid. 1110.
(5) Eustathks in Iliad.
Xxfa'traj ti yvva.lx.ci f*v%ai d-ctxapoto veAo.
The Athenian virgins were presented to Diana before it was lawful
for them to marry. This ceremony was performed at Brauron, an Athe-
nian borough ; it was called igxreTu, the virgins themselves, ugxroi, and
the action, eegxTsTa, the custom being instituted to appease the goddess,
who had been incensed against some of the Athenians for killing a bear ;
the story whereof is described at large in one of the precedent books(l)„
Another custom there was for virgins, when they became marriageable,
to present certain baskets full of little curiosities to Diana, to gain leave to
depart out of her train (virgins being looked on as that goddess's peculiar,)
and change their state of life. To which custom Theocritus has this al -
lusion (2).
Aacoc isr' ApTifAt(Toe.-
Anaxo, EubuPs daughter, full of love,
Came to me with a basket for Diana's grove.
The action was called xav/iQogsTv, and the virgins xayycpogoi, from the bas-
kets they carried. The Boeotians and Locrians had a custom, for persons
of both sexes, before their nuptials, to offer sacrifices to Euclia, who had
an image and altar in their market-place. This Euclia some will have to
be the daughter of Menoecius, and sister of Patroclus ; others rather think
her the same with Diana (3) ; it is not improbable that Diana received
this surname from Patroclus's sister, or that she was worshipped by the
name of Diana Euclia ; for Diana being the goddess of virginity, it is not
to be wondered that one honoured for the. preservation of her viginity5
should be worshipped under her name, since it is common to attribute to
those that were first eminent for any sort of virtue or excellent quality,
the actions of all that afterwards imitated them. Hence we have several
Jupiters, Minervas, Bacchuses, Herculeses. &x. the famous exploits of
many persons, distant as well in time as place, being ascribed to one he-
ro. To return : we find Diana concerned in the preparatory solemnities
before all marriages ; for a married life being her aversion, it was thought
requisite for all that entered upon it to ask her pardon for dissenting from
her. This was done by prayers and several sorts of sacrifices ; whence
Agamemnon in Euripides, pretending he was going to match Iphigenia
with Achilles, speaks thus to Clytemnestra (4) :
'Clc yipnQic. 7r<tpu<Ti)i wTftTria-fAyat,
TlpO-^yTdt ti /S*MMV TUP HxBiptlOV IK. JftptoY
Mosr^o* ts, Trpb •yst/utov atS &£* Trtcrftv £/sew
,AgfilunS'i, (tts^avoj sti',«aToc (pvo-HfActra..
Send now thy daughter to her father's charge
Committed ; for the lavers ready stand,
The salted cakes, which o'er the lustral fire
The hand must cast; the heifers too, whose blood
Must in black streams, before the nuptials, flow,
To the chaste queen, Diana, are prepared. potter.
These were called ya^Xioi sfyaf, tfwyiueia,, *^ots'Xsjo» sixa'\ or ifgoTeketa,
for ri'kos and y«f*og are terms of the same signification (5) ; the former
(1) Lib. ii.cap. 20. in [iyaujivid,
m Idyl). v. 66.
(3) Plutarchus Aristide.
(4) Iphigen. in Aulid. 1110.
(5) Eustathks in Iliad.