Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

DIOXYSIA.

DIONYSIA.

ingly celebrated in Poseidenn, Gamelion, An-
thesterion, and Elaphebolion.—The Rural or
Lesser Dionysia, a vintage festival, were cele-
brated in the various deraes of Attica in the
month of Poseideon, and were under the su-
perintendence of the several local magistrates,
the demarchs. This was doubtless the most
ancient of all, and was held with the highest
degree of merriment and freedom ; even
slaves enjoyed full freedom during its cele-
bration, and their boisterous shouts on the
occasion were almost intolerable. It is here
that we have to seek for the origin of comedy,
in the jests and the scurrilous abuse with which
the peasants assailed the bystanders from a
waggon in which they rode about. The Dio-
nysia in the Pciraeeus, as well as those of
the other demes of Attica, belonged to the
lesser Dionysia.-—The second festival, the
Lenaea (from A»j>'6s, the wine-press, from
which also the month of Gamclion was called
by the Ionians Lenaeon), was celebrated in
the month of Gamelion ; the place of its ce-
lebration was the ancient temple of Dionysus
Limnaeus (from Aip.iT), as the district was
originally a swamp). This temple was called
the Lenaeon. The Lenaea were celebrated
with a procession and scenic contests in tra-
gedy and comedy. The procession probably
went to the Lenaeon, where a goat (i"payos,
whence the chorus and tragedy which arose
out of it were called Tpayi/cb? \opos, and
rpaywSCa) was sacrificed, and a chorus stand-
ing around the altar sang the dithyrambic
ode to the god. As the dithyramb was the
element out of which, by the introduction of
an actor, tragedy arose [Chorus], it is natural
that, in the scenic contests of this festival,
tragedy should have preceded comedy. The
poet who wished his play to bo brought out
at the Lenaea applied to the second archon,
who had the superintendence of this festival,
and who gave him a chorus if the piece was
thought to deserve it.—The third festival,
the Anthesteria, was celebrated on the 11th,
12th, and 13th days of the month of Anthe-
stcrion. The second archon likewise super-
intended the celebration of the Anthesteria,
and distributed the prizes among the victors
in the various games which were carried on
during the season. The first day was called
n-iOoiyi'a : the second, x°es : und the third,
Xvrpoi. The first day derived its name from
the opening of the casks to taste the wine of
the preceding year; the second from x0"^,
the cup, and seems to have been the day
devoted to drinking. The third day had its
name from xiirpos, a pot, as on this day per-
sons offered pots with flowers, seeds, or cooked
vegetables, as a sacrifice to Dionysus and
Hermes Chthonius. It is uncertain whether

dramas were performed at the Anthesteria j
but it is supposed that comedies were repre-
sented, and that tragedies which were to be
brought out at the great Dionysia were per-
haps rehearsed at the Anthesteria. The mys-
teries connected with the celebration of the
Anthesteria were held at night.—The fourth
festival, the City or Great Dionysia, was
celebrated about the 12th of the month of
Elaphebolion; but we do not know whethei
the}' lasted more than one day or not. The
order in which the solemnities took place was
as follows :—the great public procession, the
chorus of boys, the comus [Chorus], comedy,
and, lastly, tragedy. Of the dramas whicl
were performed at the great Dionysia, the
tragedies at least were generally new pieces ;
repetitions do not, however, seem to have
been excluded from any Dionysiac festival.
The first archon had the superintendence,
and gave the chorus to the dramatic poet who
wished to bring out his piece at this festival.
The prize awarded to the dramatist for the
best play consisted of a crown, and his name
was proclaimed in the theatre of Dionysus.
As the great Dionysia were celebrated at the
beginning of spring, when the navigation was
re-opened, Athens was not only visited by
numbers of country people, but also by
strangers from other parts of Greece, and the
various amusements and exhibitions on this
occasion were not unlike those of a modern
fair.—The worship of Dionysus, whom the
Romans called Bacchus, or rather the Bac-
chic mysteries and orgies (Bacchanalia), are
said to have been introduced from southern
Italy into Etruria, and from thence to Home,
where for a time they were carried on in
secret, and, during the latter period of their
existence, at night. The initiated, according
to Livy, not only indulged in feasting and
drinking at their meetings, but when their
minds were heated with wine they indulged in
the coarsest excesses and the most unnatural
vices. The time of initiation lasted ten days;
on the tenth, the person who was to be ini-
tiated took a solemn meal, underwent a puri-
fication by water, and was led into the sanc-
tuary (Bacchanal). At first only wornen
were initiated, and the orgies were celebrated
every year during three days. But Pacula
Annia, a Campanian matron, pretending to
act under the direct influence of Bacchus,
changed the whole method of celebration :
she admitted men to the initiation, and trans-
ferred the solemnisation, which had hitherto
taken place during the daytime, to the night.
Instead of three days in the year, she ordered
that the Bacchanalia should be held during
five days in every month. It was from that
time that these orgies were carried on with