Constellations Ursa Major & Ursa Minor: the two bears

There are only three more constellations in the constellation series, and we will be talking about two of them today. But don't worry, I have a few bonus posts lined up around the theme. Today, we'll be talking about Ursa Major and Ursa Minor: the big and little bear.

Ursa Major (from the Latin: 'Larger She-Bear') is also known as the Great Bear and Charles' Wain. It is visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. Ursa Minor (from the Latin 'Smaller She-Bear') is also known as the Little Bear. Like Ursa Major, the tail of the Little Bear may also be seen as the handle of a ladle, hence the name Little Dipper. Both are amongst the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remain two of the 88 modern constellations. Ursa Minor is notable as the location of the north celestial pole, although this will change after some centuries due to the precession of the equinoxes.

The first mention of Ursa Minor in ancient Hellenic texts was by 6th century BC philosopher Thales of Miletus, who pointed out that it was a more accurate guide to finding true north than Ursa Major. This knowledge had reportedly come from the Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean, and the constellation bore the term Phoenikē. Homer had previously only referred to one 'bear', leading to speculation over what he saw the stars of Ursa Minor as, or whether they were recognised at all. From Hyginus' 'Astronomica':

"There is a great diversity of opinion, too, as to why the Lesser Bear is called Phoenice, and why those who observe her are said to navigate more exactly and carefully; why, also, if she is more reliable than the Great Bear, al do not watch her. These people do not seem to realize the reason for her being called Phoenice. Thales of Miletus, who searched into these matters carefully, and first called her Bear, was by birth a Phoenician, as Herodotus says. Therefore all those in the Peloponnesus use the first Arctos; the Phoenicians, however, observe the one they received from her discoverer, and by watching her carefully, are thought to navigate more exactly, and suitably call her Phoenice from the race of her discoverer." (II.2)

The ancient Hellenes linked Ursa Minor and Ursa Major to the myth of Kallistô and her son Arcas, both placed in the sky by Zeus. In this myth, Zeus and Kallistô had a son together: Arcas. After Arcas was born, Hera caught wind of the affair and turned Kallistô into a bear. Alternatively, Kallistô was a priestess of Artemis, and Artemis punished her for losing her virginity by turning her into a bear. Because of the metamorphosis, the boy was raised by his maternal grandfather Lycaon. When Arcas grew up, he went out to hunt and found a beautiful bear. He chased her through the woods. The bear--his transformed mother Kallistô--ran towards him as soon as she recognized her son. Arcas was terrified and raised his bow to shoot her. Zeus intervened swiftly and placed Kallistô and her son in the sky. In this interpretation, Kallistô became Ursa Major and Arcas either Ursa Minor or Boötes. A furious Hera asked Tethys to chain the two to the night's sky, so that the constellations would never sink below the horizon and receive water. An alternate myth tells of two bears that saved Zeus from his murderous father Kronus by hiding him on Mount Ida. Later Zeus set them in the sky, but their tails grew long from being swung by the God. Hyginus describes all of this in the following way:

"We begin, then as we said above, with the Great Bear. Hesiod says she is named Callisto [Kallistô], daughter of Lycaon, who ruled in Arcadia. Out of her zeal for hunting she joined Diana [Artemis], and was greatly loved by the goddess because of their similar temperaments. Later, when made pregnant by Jove [Zeus], she feared to tell the truth to Diana. But she couldn’t conceal it long, for as her womb grew heavier near the time of her delivery, when she was refreshing her tired body in a stream, Diana realized she had not preserved her virginity. In keeping with her deep distrust, the goddess inflicted no light punishment. Taking away her maiden features, she changed her into the form of a bear, called arktos in Greek . In this form she bore Arcas.

 

But as Amphis, writer of comedies, says, Jupiter, assuming the form of Diana, followed the girl as if to aid her in hunting, and embraced her when out of sight of the rest. Questioned by Diana as to the reason for her swollen form, she replied that it was the goddess’ fault, and because of this reply, Diana changed her into the shape we mentioned above. When wandering like a wild beast in the forest, she was caught by certain Aetolians and brought into Arcadia to King Lycaon along with her son as a gift, and there, in ignorance of the law, she is said to have rushed into the temple of Jove Lycaeus. Her son at once followed her, and the Arcadians in pursuit were trying to kill them, when Jupiter, mindful of his indiscretion, rescued her and placed her and her son among the constellations. He named her Arctos, and her son Arctophylax. About him we shall speak later.

 

Some, too, have said that when Callisto was embraced by Jove, Juno in anger turned her into a bear; then, when she met Diana hunting, she was killed by her, and later, on being recognized, was placed among the stars.

 

But others say that when Jupiter was pursuing Callisto in the woods, Juno, suspecting what had happened, hurried there so that she could say she had caught him openly. But Jove, the more easily to conceal his fault, left her changed to bear form. Juno, then, finding a bear instead of a girl in that place, pointed her out for Diana, who was hunting, to kill. Jove was distressed to see this, and put in the sky the likeness of a bear represented with stars.

 

This constellation, as many have stated, does not set, and those who desire some reason for this fact say that Tethys, wife of Ocean, refuses to receive her when the other stars come there to their setting, because Tethys was the nurse of Juno, in whose bed Callisto was a concubine.

 Araethus of Tegea, however, writer of histories, says that she wasn’t Callisto, but Megisto, and wasn’t the daughter of Lycaon, but of Ceteus, and so granddaughter of Lycaon. He says, too, that Ceteus himself was called the Kneeler. The other details agree with what has been said above. All this is shown to have taken place on the Arcadian mountain Nonacris.

 

Aglaosthenes, who wrote the Naxica, says that she is Cynosura, one of the nurses of Jove from the number of the Idaean nymphs. He says, too, that in the city called Histoe, founded by Nicostratus and his friends, both the harbour and the greater part of the land are called Cynosura from her name. She, too, was among the Curetes who were attendants of Jove. Some say that the nymphs Helice and Cynosura were nurses of Jove, and so for gratitude were placed in the sky, both being called Bears. We call them Septentriones." (II.1, II.2)

Because Ursa Minor consists of seven stars, the Latin word for "North" (i.e. where Polaris points) is septentrio, from septem (seven) and triones (oxen), from seven oxen driving a plow, which the seven stars also resemble. This name has also been attached to the main stars of Ursa Major. About this, Hyginus also has something to say:

"But many have said that the Great Bear is like a wagon, and the Greeks do call it amaza. This reason has been handed down: Those who, at the beginning, observed the stars and supposed the number of stars into the several constellations, called this group no “Bear” but “Wain,” because two of the seven stars which seemed of equal size and closest together were considered oxen, and the other five were like the figure of a wagon. And so the sign which is nearest to this they wished to be called Boötes. We shall speak of him later on. Aratus, indeed, says that neither Boötes nor the Wain has these names for the reason above, but because the Bear seems, wagon-like, to wheel around the pole which is called North, and Boötes, is said to drive her. In this he seems to be considerably in error, for later, in connection with the seven stars, as Parmeniscus says, twenty-five were grouped by certain astronomers to complete the form of the Bear, not seven. And so the one that followed the wagon and was formerly called Boötes, was now called Arctophylax [Bear Watchter], and she, at the same time that Homer lived, was called Bear. About the Septentriones Homer says that she was called both Bear and Wain; nowhere does he mention that Boötes was called Arctophylax." (II.2)

 

In a variant of the story, in which it is Boötes that represents Arcas, Ursa Minor represents a dog. This is the older tradition, which explains both the length of the tail and the obsolete alternate name of Cynosura (the dog's tail) for Polaris, the North Star. Cynosura is also described as a nurse of Zeus, honoured by the God with a place in the sky.

 

Ursa Major is visible at latitudes between +90° and −30°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April. Ursa Minor is visible at latitudes between +90° and −10°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of June.

• Friday, November 12, 2021
  Arcas Artemis astronomy Constellation series Hyginus Kallistô Mythology 101 Ptolemy Zeus

Invocations to the Gods from the Odysseia

An invocation is a request for the spiritual presence and blessing of a deity during a rite. To invoke is to call upon earnestly, so an “invocation” in the context of prayer is a serious, intentional calling upon a God or Goddess. In Hellenic ritual, it's common for prayers of invocation to be offered every time a new deity is invoked, so we can be sure They will the hymns and prayers of petition offered to Them. Invocations fit into the rite like so:

- Lighting of the incense burner with frankincense
- Invocation to Demeter: Khaire Demeter, you who taught us to work the earth and provides for us so bountifully…
- Libation of a kykeon and sacrifices
- Orphic Hymn 40 To Eleusinian Demeter
- Prayers

A few days ago, I put up a list of invocations from the Iliad. People seemed to like it, so let's do another one today: from the Odysseia, because that is the logical step! The Odyssey (Ὀδύσσεια) is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homeros. The Odyssey was composed near the end of the 8th century BC and focuses mainly on the hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca. In his absence, it is assumed Odysseus has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors, who compete for Penelope's hand in marriage. Needless to say, Odysseus keeps his lady love! There aren't as many invocation in this story as most of the characters tell their story themselves, but there are a few.

Artemis:
"Great Goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus..."

Athena:
"Hear me, daughter of Aegis-bearing Zeus, unweariable..."

Eos:
"Rosy-fingered Eos, child of morning..."

Poseidon:
"O thou that encirclest the earth, vouchsafe to grant the prayers of thy servants that call upon thee..."

Themis:
"I pray you by Themis, who is the beginning and the end of councils..."

Zeus:

"Hear me, O King..."

"Father Zeus, and all you other gods who live in everlasting bliss..."
"Father Zeus, you who rule over heaven and earth, you have thundered from a clear sky without so much as a cloud in it, and this means something for somebody; grant the prayer, then, of me your poor servant who calls upon you..."

• Monday, November 1, 2021
  Artemis Athena Eos Hellenismos 101 Hómēros hymns Mythology 101 Odysseia Poseidon Themis Zeus

Entire ancient Hellenic city of Ephesus is UNESCO world heritage site

Ephesus, an ancient Hellenic city on the coast of Ionia, is one of the greatest archaeological treasures on Earth, with the entire city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The great city, which went through endless transformations over the years as a result of earthquakes, wars and conquests, was founded in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists.

The city was famous in its day for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus and a theater capable of holding no less than 24,000 spectators. Archaeologists estimate that the population of any ancient city was ten times that of the capacity of its largest theater; therefore, they believe the population of Ephesus was approximately 250,000.

Ephesus also had one of the “seven churches of Asia” referred to in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may also have been written there, and it was the site of several 5th-century Christian Councils, including the Councils of Ephesus that took place in 431, 449 and 475 AD.

The city was destroyed by the Goths in their invasion in the year 263; although it was rebuilt, its great importance as a commercial center declined as its harbor was slowly silted up by the Meander River. In the year 614, it was partially destroyed by an earthquake. Eventually abandoned, this might have been a blessing in disguise for Ephesus, as its ancient ruins lie in plain sight, rather than being buried under centuries of buildings.

Today, the ancient city of Ephesus is a huge draw for international tourists and scholars because of its ancient provenance and its many historical treasures.

The areas around Ephesus were settled as far back as the Neolithic Age (about 6000 BC), as shown by evidence from excavations at the nearby artificial mounds known as “tells” in Arvalya and Cukurici. After being founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC, the ruler Androklos drove away most of the native Carian and Lelegian inhabitants of the city and united his people with the remainder. He was a successful warrior, and as a king he was able to join the twelve cities of Ionia together into the Ionian League. During his reign the city began to prosper. Androklos and his dog are depicted on the Hadrian temple frieze, dating from the 2nd century.

A temple dedicated to the Egyptian god Serapis, which was also rediscovered in the ancient Greek city, was built in the 2nd century A.D. as a symbol of devotion to the Egyptian god; it is considered the best preserved and largest temple in all of Anatolia. It was constructed in an area measuring an astounding 7,700 square meters (194,520,997 square feet) while  the building alone measures over 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet).

Although it was shaken by the earthquake, almost all of the temple’s pieces are still intact. The Ephesus Foundation has undertaken the restoration project, following the restoration of the city’s illustrious Celsius Library.

The Goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian Goddess Kybele were identified and worshipped together as “Artemis of Ephesus.” The many-breasted “Lady of Ephesus”, identified with Artemis, was venerated in the Temple of Artemis, which was the largest building in the ancient world, according to Pausanias.

The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once stood 418 feet by 239 feet with over 100 marble pillars each 56 feet high. The temple earned the city the title “Servant of the Goddess”.

Pliny tells us that the magnificent structure took 120 years to build but is now represented only by one lonely column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s and still standing alone in the center of the ruins in a grassy field.

About 560 BC, Ephesus was conquered by the Lydians under King Croesus, who treated the inhabitants with respect and even became the main contributor to the reconstruction of the temple of Artemis. His signature has been found on the base of one of the columns of the temple (now on display in the British Museum). The city later fell to the Persian army commander Harpagos in 547 BC. The Persians then incorporated the Greek cities of Asia Minor into their Achaemenid Empire.

Ephesians participated in the Ionian Revolt against Persian rule in the Battle of Ephesus in 498 BC, which instigated the Greco-Persian wars. In 479 BC, the Ionians, together with Athens, were able to oust the Persians from the shores of Asia Minor. In 478 BC, the Ionian cities with Athens entered into the Delian League against the Persians.

During the Classical Roman period, which lasted from 129 BC to 395 AD, Ephesus, as part of the kingdom of Pergamon, became a subject of the Roman Republic, coming under its yoke in 129 BC after the revolt of Eumenes III was suppressed. Mark Antony was welcomed by Ephesus when he was proconsul of Rome; and again in 33 BC with Cleopatra ,when he gathered his fleet of 800 ships before the decisive Battle of Actium with Octavius. When Augustus became emperor in 27 BC, he made Ephesus the capital of proconsular Asia. According to the geographer Strabo, it was second in importance and size only to Rome.

Ephesus also served as an important center for early Christianity beginning as early as the AD 50s. From 52–54, the apostle Paul lived in Ephesus, working with the congregation and apparently organizing missionary activity into the hinterlands of Asia Minor. Initially, according to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul attended the Jewish synagogue in Ephesus, but after three months he became frustrated with the stubbornness of some of the Jews, and moved his base to the school of Tyrannus. Later a silversmith named Demetrios stirred up a mob against Paul, saying that he was endangering the livelihood of those making silver Artemis shrines.

Between 53 and 57 AD Paul wrote the letter known as 1 Corinthians from Ephesus — possibly from the “Paul tower” near the harbor, where he was imprisoned for a short time. Later, he wrote his Epistle to the Ephesians while he was in prison in Rome, around 62 AD. The Gospel of John might have been written in Ephesus a bit later, c. 90–100. Ephesus was one of the seven cities addressed in the Book of Revelation, indicating that the church of the city was already a major presence.

According to Eusebius of Caesarea, Saint Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus. A legend, which was first mentioned by Epiphanius of Salamis in the 4th century, purported that the Virgin Mary may have spent the last years of her life in Ephesus. The Ephesians derived the argument from the apostle John’s presence in the city, and Jesus’ instructions to John to take care of his mother, Mary, after his death. Epiphanius, however, pointed out that while the Bible says John was leaving for Asia, it does not say specifically that Mary went with him. He later stated that she was buried in Jerusalem.

Since the 19th century, The House of the Virgin Mary, about 7 km (4 miles) from Selçuk, has been considered to have been the last home of Mary. It is still a popular place of Catholic pilgrimage. The city and temple were destroyed by the Goths in 263. This marked the first precipitous decline of the city’s ages of splendor. However, the emperor Constantine the Great rebuilt much of the city and even constructed new public baths. The Church of Mary near the harbor of Ephesus was the setting for the Third Ecumenical Council in 431, which resulted in the condemnation of Nestorius. A Second Council of Ephesus was held in 449.

Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia, however, after Constantinople, in the 5th and 6th centuries.The basilica of St. John was built during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century.

The importance of the city as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the river despite repeated dredging during the city’s history. The loss of its harbour caused Ephesus to lose its access to the Aegean Sea, which was important for trade. People started leaving the city for the surrounding hills.

Eventually, the ruins of its great temples were tragically used as building blocks for new homes. Precious marble sculptures from antiquity were ground to powder to make lime for plaster. Sackings by the Arabs, first in the year 654–655 and later in 700 and 716, hastened the decline of the great city of Ephesus even further. By the time the Seljuk Turks conquered Ephesus in 1090, it was just a small village.

The Byzantines resumed control in 1097 and changed the name of the town to Hagios Theologos. They kept control of the region until 1308 — but by that time, the exquisite Temple of Artemis had been completely forgotten by the local population. It would have been lost to human memory completely if it were not for the excavation and restoration efforts of modern archaeologists.

The town surrendered, on October 24, 1304, to a Turkish warlord. Nevertheless, contrary to the terms of the surrender the Turks pillaged the church of Saint John and deported most of the local population to Thyrea, Greece. During these events many of the remaining inhabitants were cruelly massacred. The once-shining city of Ephesus, with its sweeping public spaces, temples and library, was completely abandoned by the 15th century.

But the city is still beloved by those who walk its broad, stone-paved central street and take in the breathtaking ruins of days gone by. Moreover, the ancient Greek city is set to once again have a harbor on the Aegean coast, as the result of an ambitious new project.

In the ancient era Ephesus, which is today one of Turkey’s top tourist attractions, was connected to a harbor on the Aegean Sea with a spacious canal, but the port and the canal became silted up by the river in the years since.

An ambitious canal project proposed by Turkey in 2018 pledged to uncover the canal and eventually link the ancient harbor city to the sea once again after a 6,130-meter length of the canal became covered with alluvial deposits over the centuries. So far, however, nothing has been done to make this project a reality.

The ruins of the once-glorious city still stand, however, and welcome visitors today from all over the world, continuing to tell the stories of its many illustrious inhabitants over the millennia.

• Tuesday, October 19, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Artemis current affairs Turkey

PAT ritual announcement for the Boedromia

The festival that gives its name to the month. It might have been sacred to Apollon, and was thus most likely held on His sacred day--the seventh of the month. The Boedromia might have been another war commemoration. The epithet of Apollon associated with this festival is 'Boedromios', the helper in distress. The origin of the epithet and festival are explained in different ways. According to Plutarch, the name was awarded to Him (and the festival created) because he had assisted the Athenians in the war with the Amazons, who were defeated on the seventh of Boedromion, the day on which the Boedromia were afterwards celebrated. According to others, the name was awarded after the war of Erechtheus and Ion against Eumolpus, because Apollon had advised the Athenians to rush upon the enemy with a war-shout (Boê), if they wanted to win--and they did.

We have already commemorated many ancient wars, but with this ritual, we would like to address the many wars currently taking place in our world. We want to plead the Theoi to bring them to a swift end and bring refuge to the many displaced. We ask that xenia--hospitality--prevail in a time where many would turn these refugees away.

You can join the community page on Facebook here and the ritual can be found here. We hope you join us today, on 14 September, at 10 AM EDT.

• Monday, September 13, 2021
  Apollon Artemis current affairs Elaion festivals PAT

PAT ritual announcement: Sacrifice to Kourotrophos and Artemis

On the 16th of Metageitnion, so on 10 am EDT on the 25th of August, we honor Kourotrophos (κουροτρόφος, child nurturer) and the two Goddesses who protect women and children, Hekate and Artemis with sacrifice. Elaion will be organizing another Practicing Apart Together ritual, which we would love to have you join.

The Kourotrophoi are (mostly) female deities who watched over growing children--Gaea, Artemis, Hekate, Eirênê, Aglauros and Pandrosos, especially. Offerings to them are known from the demos Erkhia, but duplicates similar offerings on the Acropolis of Athens. Especially at Erkhia, it varied per sacrifice which Kourotrophoi was/were sacrificed to. In this ritual, we honor Kourotrophos Herself, a deity whose main function was to watch over nursing children and their mothers. We also honor Artemis and Hekate.

Artemis is named Kourotrophos by Diodorus Siculus, a Hellenic historian, in book five of his library:

"And Artemis, we are told, discovered how to effect the healing of young children and the foods which are suitable to the nature of babes, this being the reason why she is also called Kourotrophos." [5.73.5] 

You can find the ritual here and join the community page here.

• Saturday, August 21, 2021
  Artemis current affairs Elaion Kourotrophoi Kourotrophos PAT

Constellation Orion: the hunter

Today, we are looking at constellation Orion, the hunter (or huntsman). It is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky.

Long story short for the introduction: Orion (Ὠρίων) was a famed hunter who has a lot of mythology to his name. He is the son of Poseidon and has the ability to walk on water.It is said that he once, when drunk, tried to force himself upon Merope, the daughter of Oenopion and was blinded and exiled because of it. Hēlios eventually healed his injury and restored his eyesight. After a failed vengeance attempt, Orion came to Krete and begun  to hunt with Artemis. According to Hyginus' Astromomica, this eventually lead to his downfall:

"Orion since he used to hunt, [...] felt confident that he was most skilled of all in that pursuit, said even to Diana [Artemis] and Latona that he was able to kill anything the produced. Earth [Gaea], angered at this, sent the scorpion which is said to have killed him. Jove [Zeus], however, admiring the courage of both, put the scorpion among the stars, as a lesson to men not to be too self-confident. Diana, then, because of her affection for Orion, asked Jove to show to her request the same favour he had given of his own accord to Earth. And so the constellation was established in such a way that when Scorpion rises, Orion sets." [2.26]

In this scenario, the Scorpion was admitted into the heavens as well, along with his hunting pack and his greatest hunt: the Lepus the hare. Hyginus presents other versions of the myth as well, however:

"Some say that Orion lived with Oenopion in too close intimacy, and wanting to prove to him his zeal in hunting, boasted to Diana, too, what we spoke of above, and so was killed. Others, along with Callimachus, say that when he wished to offer violence to Diana, he was transfixed by her arrows and fashioned for the stars because of their similar zeal in hunting.

Istrus, however, says that Diana loved Orion and came near marrying him. Apollo took this hard, and when scolding her brought no results, on seeing the head of Orion who was swimming a long way off, he wagered her that she couldn’t hit with her arrows the black object in the sea. Since she wished to be called an expert in that skill, she shot an arrow and pierced the head of Orion. The waves brought his slain body to the shore, and Diana, grieving greatly that she had struck him, and mourning his death with many tears, put him among the constellations." [2.34]

The constellation Orion is mentioned in Horace's Odes (Ode 3.27.18), Homer's Odyssey (Book 5, line 283) and Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid (Book 1, line 535). The constellation is visible at latitudes between +85° and −75°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January, so keep your eyes to the sky.

• Sunday, August 8, 2021
  Artemis Constellation series Hēlios Hyginus Orion

Constellation Lepus: the hare

 Lepus is a constellation lying just south of the celestial equator, immediately south of the constellation Orion. Its name is Latin for hare. While Hellenic mythology is not chuck full of hares, Lepus was indeed one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations recognized today.

The only ancient writer I have found who mentioned the constellation Lepus by name and myth is Hyginus, but to make up for it, he gives us a lot of material to work with. Lets break his words down, shall we? From the Astronomica:

"Some say that it was put there by Mercury [Hermes], and that it had been given the faculty, beyond other kinds of quadrupeds, of being pregnant with new offspring when giving birth to others." [II.33]

Well, there is not much to say against that, now is there? I looked it up, and it seems that hares have about three times three+ young every year, and European hares are, indeed, capable of carrying two litters.

"The hare is said to be fleeing the dog of the hunter Orion, for when, as was proper, they represented Orion as a hunter, they wanted to indicate what he was hunting, and so they put the fleeing hare at his feet. [...] Those who disagree with this reason say that so noble and great a hunter as Orion (we spoke about him in the discussion of Scorpio) shouldn’t be represented hunting hares. Callimachus, too, is blamed, because, when he was singing the praises of Diana [Artemis], he said she delighted in the flesh of hares and hunted them. So they have represented Orion fighting the Bull." [II.33]

Orion (Ὠρίων) was a famed hunter who has a lot of mythology to his name. He is also included in a lot of existing mythology. The constellation Canis Major might represent his entire pack or one of them, who are/is eternally pursuing Lepus the Hare or helping Orion fight Taurus the Bull. In the prime of his life, Orion joined with the Goddess Artemis and Her mother Leto, for an epic hunt in which Orion threatened to kill every beast on Earth. Gaea revolted and sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion. Orion, although very powerful, was overcome by the creature, but Artemis and Leto requested to Zeus he'd be immortalized in the night's sky. The Scorpion was admitted into the heavens as well, along with his hunting pack... and the hare.
Kallimachos' wonderful hymn to Artemis does, indeed, include the hare:

"Artemis we hymn – no light thing is it for singers to forget her – whose study is the bow and the shooting of hares and the spacious dance and sport upon the mountains." [1]

Hyginus has one more story to share, which comes not from the realm of mythology, but the realm of folklore.

"The following story of the hare has been recorded. There were no hares on the island of Leros, and a certain young man of the state, led by a liking for the breed, brought in from another country a pregnant female, and watched over her very carefully as she bore her young. When she had borne them, many of the citizens developed an interest, and by acquiring some for money, some as gifts, they all began to raise hares. In no long time such a multitude of hares was produced that the whole island was swarming with them. When men gave them nothing to eat, they made inroads on the grain fields and devoured everything. The inhabitants, faced with disaster because of this, since they were reduced to hunger, by co-operation of the whole state were said at length to have driven them from the island, through with difficulty. So afterwards they put the image of a hare in the stars, that men should remember that there was nothing so desirable in life but that later they might experience more grief than pleasure from it." [II.33]

The constellation Lepus is visible at latitudes between +63° and −90°, and best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January.

• Saturday, June 26, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Artemis astronomy Constellation series Folklore 101 Hyginus Kallimachos Ptolemy

Coming of age ceremonies

Coming of age ceremonies are prevalent in most cultures and are often linked to the religious views of the people performing it. Famous examples are the bar mitswa's and bat mitswa's of the Jewish. The ancient Hellenes had coming of age rituals as well, and like almost everything else in ancient Hellenic life, these rituals were tied into deity worship. Today, I'm going to talk about these coming of age ceremonies, but because the differences are so great between girls and boys, I'm going to describe their coming of age ceremonies separately.

Girl to woman
In ancient Hellas, a girl's coming of age ceremony was linked to her wedding day. As soon as she got married, she would move out, into her new husband's oikos, and commit to the task she was born to fulfill: gift her husband legitimate offspring--boys, preferably. It won't come as a surprise that in preparation for this entirely new role in life, a girl's coming of age ceremony was focussed almost entirely on ending her own childhood, and petitioning the Theoi for help in her life as an adult. As such, fertility and womanhood were big parts of the rituals.

Young girls rarely had a role to play in household worship. The family only had them with them for thirteen to fifteen years, on average, after that, she joined her rightful place at the oikos of her husband, where she carried more (religious) responsibility. There were religious roles young girls could fulfill outside of the home, however, most notably as 'Arrephoros' (Ἀρρήφορος)--year long handmaidens of Athena Polias (Πολιάς)--in Athens, and as 'Arktos' (αρκτος), bear, a service in the following of Artemis Brauronia (Βραυρωνια) at Brauron (Βραυρών).

During the Arkteia festival, celebrated every four or five years alongside--or as a part of--the Brauronia, named and in honor of the epithet of Artemis. Every Athenian girl, as well as many other girls from all over Attika, had to take part of the festival before they could marry. The girls were brought to Brauron, a temple of Artemis with a rich history in both myth and history. Some versions of the myth of Iphigeneia have her taken from the sacrifice and dropped in Brauronia, where she established a temple to the Theia in gratitude. Otherwise, an oracle might have told the ancient Hellenes to build a temple to the Theia at Brauron after a terrible plague or famine plagued the land following the killing of a bear by two hunters.

The symbolism of the bear might refer to the bear which was slain by the hunters, or the clothes Iphigeneia might have left at her 'sacrifice'. It's also possible that the bear reference refers to Kallisto, who was transformed into a bear by the Theia.

During the festival young girls, and it seems that on occasion young boys, would gather to celebrate Artemis Brauronia with races, and dances. They would don bear masks and dance a dance known as the 'Arkteia', which was made up of slow, solemn steps meant to imitate the movements of a bear and was performed to a tune from a diaulos (double flute). They might have carried baskets of figs. Up until as far back as the 5th century, the girls might have worn actual bear skins, but bears soon became scarce, so they wore yellow dresses called 'krokoton', which they 'shed' instead of the skins to signal their coming adulthood.

The actual reason for the 'bear' ritual has been lost. It's possible that the ritual served to exorcise 'the wildness' out of little girls, but it's more likely that it was simply a way to procure kharis for the young girls who would soon call on Artemis during childbirth. In the same spirit, young women on the threshold of marriage made an offering to Artemis of their childhood toys and other paraphernalia that represented childhood, as with an offering of one drachma (roughly $ 60,-) at the temple of Aphrodite. Most likely, the bride also honored Hera Teleia and Zeus Teleios in some way.

A young woman came of age during her wedding and the subsequent wedding night, but became a woman when she gave birth for the first time. Especially during the latter, they desperately needed the support of the Theia Artemis. Aphrodite and Hera Teleia would support her through her marriage, and help her make it a success. With the help of the Theoi, a girl could become a woman.

Boy to man
Young boys had a very different life to young girls when it came to life in ancient Hellas. Because it was very important for a man to have legitimate children, the child's paternity was attested to on multiple occasions. In Athens, this was done the first time shortly after being named, and the second time when he reached sixteen years of age. Both times, the child was presented at the 'phratria' (φ(ρ)ατρία)--brotherhood--of his father. The system of brotherhoods, four in total, was the system that preceded the system of tribes. The brotherhoods largely fades, except for the registration of male offspring, and the vetting of such with testimonials and tests. The brotherhoods were overseen by Zeus Phratrios and Athena Phratria, who were honored yearly in a three-day festival called the 'Apoutouria'.

During a son's presentation to the brotherhood, Zeus Phratrios and Athena Phratria during the Apoutouria, boys sacrificed a lock of their hair to the patron Theoi and Hēraklēs, their father an animal. If one of the phratria contested that the father was, indeed, the father of this child, he could take the animal from the father before they reached the altar, and drag it away. Doing so would have been a very serious thing to do, and very shocking for a young boy to witness, not to speak of the father. The claim would then be put to a vote. When the phratria ruled in favor of the father, the animal was sacrificed and the meat distributed to the members of the brotherhood. The son became a full member.

At sixteen, a boy was considered a young man, and he entered one or two years of public service, either to mature, or to show he had matured enough to take part. This was called his 'ephebeia', which literally means 'young man'. On completion of this public service, a young man could enter the military and became a voting member of the Ekklesia. He became a citizen. Although young man were now considered adults, he only truly became an adult at age thirty, when he could serve in the boule, and get married.

Young men swore an oath upon completion of their ephebia, which has largely been preserved. It read as follows:

"I will not bring shame upon these sacred weapons nor will I abandon my comrade-in-arms wherever I stand in the ranks. I will defend both the holy and profane things. I will not hand on the fatherland smaller than I received it, but larger and better, so far as it lies in my power with the assistance of all the other citizens. I will obey the officials who govern wisely and the laws, both those which are already established and those which are wisely established in the future. If anyone attempts to destroy them, I will not allow it, so far as it lies in my power with the assistance of all the other citizens. I will hold in honor the ancestral sanctuaries. The following gods are witnesses: Aglauros, Hestia, Enyo, Enyalios, Ares and Athena Areia, Zeus, Thallo, Auxo, Hegemone, Heracles, the territory of the fatherland, the wheat, barley, vines, olive trees, and fig trees."

With this oath, the world opened up for young men; they would now be held divinely accountable for any trespassing upon the law and common sense. Political life would become important for men, as well as military service. They had roughly ten years to dedicate to these before he took a wife, so young men tended to fulfill much of their obligation to the city in these ten years. After his marriage, he became the one who presented sons to the phratria, and he got to experience the entire proceedings from the spot his father once held. This--most likely--created strong familial ties that continued through family lines for centuries.

In conclusion
There is much that remains to be said about coming of age ceremonies in ancient Hellas, more to be said about coming of age ceremonies in ancient Athens, even, but that is talk for another day. For now, I hope you have a basic idea of the youth and religious focal points of an Athenian child's life. Personally, I have a soft spot for coming of age rituals, and I strongly suggest creating or adapting ceremonies for the second (or even third) generation of Hellenists. What this would look like will be left for another post, but it would surely be beautiful.

• Thursday, June 17, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Aphrodite Apollon Artemis Athena Phratria Hellenismos 101 Hera Teleia Hēraklēs Iphigeneia Pagan Blog Project Zeus Phratrios Zeus Teleios

PAT ritual announcement: The Bendideia

On the 19th of Thargelion, an Athenian festival for the Thrakian Goddess Bendis (Βενδις) was held. This festival, which went on into the night of the 20th of the month, was designed especially for Bendis, who was introduced to Attika by Thrakian métoikoi who took the opportunity to introduce their Goddess into the Athenian pantheon after the Oracle of Dodona decreed that Thrakian worshippers should be granted the right for ground to build a sanctuary on. Their shrine to Her was built on the hill Mounykhia, near to the temple of Artemis Mounikhia, with whom She was identified. The temenos was completed somewhere before 429 BC, and at least one Thrakian festival to the Goddess was held before the Athenians got involved. Would you like to involve yourself with Her worship as well? Elaion is hosting a PAT ritual for Her, Artemis and Hekate on May 31st at 11 am EDT.

The Goddess Bendis originated in Thrake, to the north of Hellas. Her cult was imported into Athens around 432 BC, at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Athens had always had close ties with Thrake, but besides the oracle's decree, it seems that the acceptance of the foreign cult into the city at this time was probably connected with Athens' military alliance with the Odrysian Thrakians, who supplied mercenaries throughout the war.

The Bendideia (Βενδίδεια) itself was celebrated in the port town of Peiraeeus. At first, only the Thrakians honored Her, but within a few years, the Athenians held their own procession alongside the Thrakians, theirs winding down from the Prataneion (Πρυτανεῖον)--the seat of government in ancient Hellas--in the morning  to the sanctuary of the Goddess in the Peiraios, while the Thrakian procession was entirely within the port town. The six-mile procession of the Athenians was so unusual, that a decree called for basins, water and sponges to bathe after it, and garlands. It seems obvious to place a meal here in the timeframe, followed by a period of rest until it became dark enough to perform the most telling of cult worship to the Goddess: an evening torch race on horseback; a true novelty. Plato, in his 'Republic' tells us a little it about this race:

"Polemarchus said to me: I perceive, Socrates, that you and our companion are already on your way to the city.

You are not far wrong, I said.

But do you see, he rejoined, how many we are?

Of course.

And are you stronger than all these? for if not, you will have to remain where you are.

May there not be the alternative, I said, that we may persuade you to let us go?

But can you persuade us, if we refuse to listen to you? he said.

Certainly not, replied Glaucon.

Then we are not going to listen; of that you may be assured.

Adeimantus added: Has no one told you of the torch-race on horseback in honour of the goddess which will take place in the evening?

With horses! I replied: That is a novelty. Will horsemen carry torches and pass them one to another during the race?

Yes, said Polemarchus, and not only so, but a festival will he celebrated at night, which you certainly ought to see. Let us rise soon after supper and see this festival; there will be a gathering of young men, and we will have a good talk. Stay then, and do not be perverse.

Glaucon said: I suppose, since you insist, that we must.

Very good, I replied."

What, exactly, Bendis presided over to either the Thrakians or the Athenians is unclear. She was identified mostly with Artemis, but not equated with Her, as She received a temple of Her own. Due to a connection with grain and the growth cycle of plants, she was identified with Demeter, and sometimes Persephone and/or Hekate. She was thus also associated with Selene.  Mostly, however, she was equated with Artemis Mounikhia.

In the Classical literature and in later traditions, Artemis was portrayed as a huntress; a savage and wild deity of nature, and a virgin maiden. Artemis Mounikhia, however, differed from this Classical image. The characteristics of this particular epithet of Artemis were in fact more similar to the cult of the moon Goddess Hekate. In Classical tradition, the holy day of Artemis was on the 6th day of the month, but the Mounikhia festival was instead held on the 16th day of Mounikhion, under the full moon, an element of the cult of Hekate. During the Mounikhia procession, round cakes with little torches were offered to the Goddess, corresponding directly to the torch races of the neighboring cult of Bendis.

It appears that Artemis Mounikhia was seen as a deity of protection, one connecting women with the moon cycle, and one which represents marriage, fertility and the protection of human life and nature. The physical proximity of the Bendis temple to that of Artemis Mounikhia, and the similarity of festival activities (such as the torch use in relation to the moon cycle) suggests their cults were similar and perhaps even linked. And through Artemis, Bendis is also linked to Hekate.

The worship of Bendis outside of Thrake and Athens never caught on; she was revered almost solely at these places. Yet, the Athenians seemed to have held Her in high regard for a Goddess not of their pantheon.

Will you be honoring Bendis with us on May 31st, at 11 am EDT? You can find the ritual here and the community page here.

• Sunday, May 23, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Artemis Artemis Mounikhia Athens Bendideia Bendis current affairs Elaion festivals Hekate Hellenic Reconstruction Hellenismos 101 PAT

PAT ritual announcement: The Thargelia

Elaion is proud to announce that on the sixth and seventh of Thargelion, 18 and 19 May, we will be hosting another PAT ritual, this time for the Thargelia. The Thargelia (Θαργήλια) was, as said, held over the course of two days. It was an agricultural festival as well as a kathartic one. The purpose was to purify the city in order to please the Theoi and ensure a successful harvest come harvesting time. It also celebrates the birth of the divine twins Apollon and Artemis.

The first day, a sheep was sacrificed to Demeter Khloe on the Acropolis, and perhaps a swine to the Fates, but most telling about that first day was the following that took place:

In ancient times, two poor, ugly men (or a man and one woman) were chosen each year to be Pharmakoi.  They were fed for a while at public expense and were then paraded around Athens as scapegoats for the people, one wearing a string of black figs to represent the men, the other white figs to represent the women. At the end of the procession, they were driven out of the city by flogging and beaten them with branches and squills (sea onions), and killed. The bodies were burned and the ashes thrown into the sea or land, to fertilize.

This sacrifice became symbolic as time wore on, first with banishment, then with play acting where they were beaten with branches of figs and pelted with squills instead of beaten with branches and stoned to death. What matters was that they were driven out and with them, so was the pollution of ever man and woman in the city.

The first day focused on purification and appeasement but the second day was a lot less gruesome: a great pot of vegetables was prepared as an offering of the first fruits to Apollon. A panspermia was ritually sown into the earth. The Thargelia also featured choral contests among pairs of phratriai, and was recognized by phratriai as a day of festival and sacrifice. An eiresione (olive branch of supplication) with fillets of white wool and first fruits attached was carried in procession along with a winnowing basket full of fruit.

Sources tell us clearly that Apollon was linked to the festival as well as the sun, Helios, and the seasons, the Horai. With Apollon's birth, so came the light that grew the vegetation, that ripened the corn and barley. And in line with Apollon is Helios who journeys across the sky every day and the Horai who precede over the lengthening and shortening of the days, giving Apollon and Helios more or less time with us to ripen our crops.

At its core this festival is a festival of Apollon, but myth tells us Artemis helped bring Him into the world and thus She is honored as well. And we bring Demeter offerings because She taught us how to grow crops and once Persephone leaves for the Underworld again, She will kill them all. Add to that the Horai and Helios and you have a very involved and intricate festival that was absolutely essential to ensure a good harvest. And so we shall celebrate it as well and honor to all these Theoi in appeasement.

You can find the rituals for the events here, for both days, and the community page here.

• Saturday, May 15, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Apollon Artemis current affairs Demeter Elaion festivals PAT Thargelia

PAT ritual announcement: the Mounikhia

 The Mounikhia (Μουνιχιας), the festival after which the month was named, is celebrated on the sixteenth of Mounichion. On this day of the full moon, Artemis Mounikhia (Αρτεμις Μουνυχια) was honored at the hill of Munikhia, for granting the Hellenes victory in the Battle of Salamis (Ναυμαχία τῆς Σαλαμῖνος).

During the festival, young girls walked in procession to the temple on top of the hill carrying green boughs, while the rest of the celebrants followed, carrying special cakes called 'amphiphontes' ('shining all round’). These round white cakes were adorned with dadia (little torches)--lit candle--and were supposed to represent the full moon. A she-goat is also attested as a sacrifice.

During this festival, an amphiphon was sacrificed to Artemis. It was a cheese pie on which candles were lit. Most likely, the amphiphon was a type of popanon; this is a large, round, flat cake with one or more, upright, protruding, knobs made from flour and cheese. The flat version of the cake, the popanon kathemenon was offered to Artemis, amongst others, as well as one with twelve knobs. We've seen this before for the Delphinia.

If you want to learn more about the festival and its history, please read this blog post.

To honour Artemis on this day, Elaion is organizing a PAT ritual. Will you be celebrating the Mounikhia with us? There will be two times: just after your dusk on April 9th, or at our regular 10 a.m. EDT on April 10st. As always, we hope you will join us at your oikos to honour Artemis, our eternal protector. You can join the community page here and find the ritual here.

• Monday, April 26, 2021
  Artemis Artemis Mounikhia current affairs Elaion festivals mounikhia PAT

PAT ritual announcement: the Elaphebolia

On the sixth of the month of Elaphebolion, the people of Athens and Phocis (Φωκίδα), and perhaps other cities and city-states, held a modest festival for Artemis that gave lended name to the month: the Elaphebolia (Έλαφηβόλια). Will you join us on March 20th at the usual 10 am EDT in celebrating the rite?

It appears that the festival was a major festival in honor of Artemis Elaphêbolos (Αρτεμις Ελαφηβολος) down to the time of Plutarch. It was mainly observed at Hyampolis, to commemorate a Phocian victory over the Thessalians. Afterwards, it seems to have lost its grander, most likely in the face of the Greater Dionysia which was held only a few days later, starting on the tenth of the month, and the Asklepia, held on the eighth.

Artemis Elaphêbolos is the stag-killer, the shooter of deer, the huntress who relishes the chase. She's the slayer of prey, both animal and human, and in ancient Hellas, she guarded Hyampolis and the surrounding cities from the horrors of war.

The festival was most likely quite grand right after the war, but slowly became a festival which consisted almost entirely of a single offering. In the early days, the offering was always a stag, one per family, most likely. As the years went on, however, and the expansion of cities drove the stag far into the Athenian hills, only the city's elite was able to offer a stag to the Goddess. Everyone else made due with cakes in the shape of stags. It seems these stag cakes--called 'elaphos' (ἔλαφος)--were made out of the basic dough mixture with honey, and sesame seeds.

You can find the ritual here, and we really hope you will join us on the community page here.

• Friday, March 19, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Artemis Artemis Elaphêbolos current affairs festivals

Repost: Cats in ancient Hellas

I'm sorry this post is late. Our cat Hugo is very ill and it's been a long and sad few days. Some things fall by the wayside a bit, but I'm trying to keep up. A repost then, in honor of Hugo.

As you are probably all well aware, the ancient Egyptians were big fans of cats, and one of their main Goddesses, Bastet, Goddess of protection and motherhood, carried the head of one. Alexandria had a temple to Bastet, for example, so the ancient Hellenes would have come in contact with Her. Most likely not everyone, but at least a few of the ancient Hellenes would have equated Bastet with Artemis--especially in Late Antiquity. Bast was a lioness goddess of the sun throughout most of Ancient Egyptian history, but later she was changed into the cat goddess Bastet. She also was changed to a Goddess of the moon by Hellenes occupying Ancient Egypt toward the end of its civilization. In Hellenic mythology, Bast also is known as Ailuros. Hyginus, for example, in his 2nd century AD 'Astronomica' writes:

"Egyptian priests and some poets say that once when many gods had assembled in Egypt, suddenly Typhon, an exceedingly fierce monster and deadly enemy of the gods, came to that place. Terrified by him, they changed their shapes into other forms: Mercurius [Hermes] became an ibis [the god Thoth], Apollo [Apollon], the bird that is called Thracian [the god Horus], Diana [Artemis], a cat [the goddess Bastet]. For this reason they say the Egyptians do not permit these creatures to be injured, because they are called representations of gods." [2.28]

You can read more about this bit of mythology here.

Returning to ancient Hellas--and not so much the Roman era--the question of the cat as a pet in ancient Hellas is rather vexing. Modern Athens is home to countless feral cats, however, the status of the cat in ancient Hellas is unclear, as images of cats are fairly rare. This is obviously a sign that even if there is a God or Goddess of cats in the ancient Hellenic pantheon cats are most likely a side-line.

Cats were probably kept by Greek households as liminal animals--animals who were free to come and go as they pleased, roaming houses and streets alike. This may account for the fact that few cat bones have been found in domestic situations. Historically, the main reason to keep cats is to get rid of mice, only in ancient Hellas the job of 'mouser' seems to have been handled by weasels and ferrets, many of which were also considered liminal pets. Yet some clear representations of cats do exist, primarily on funeral stele. These show caps on leashes, or being shown off as prized possessions, so we do know that some cats were updated to the status of 'pet'. The comic playwright Aristophanes liked to include cats in his productions and often used the phrase 'the cat did it' for comic effect, as cats were blamed for things breaking in the household.

So no, there isn't a God or Goddess of cats, but there is a Goddess associated with cats: Hekate. There is one single piece of mythology I have to base this on: the myth of Galinthias, the nurse of Alkmene, transformed by the angry Eileithyia, but received by Hekate as her animal. Again, I have only late sources, second century AD again, although this time recorded by Antoninus Liberalis in his 'Metamorphoses':

"At Thebes Proitos had a daughter Galinthias. This maiden was playmate and companion of Alkmene, daughter of Elektryon. As the birth throes for Herakles were pressing on Alkmene, the Moirai (Fates) and Eileithyia (Birth-Goddess), as a favour to Hera, kept Alkmene in continuous birth pangs. They remained seated, each keeping their arms crossed. Galinthias, fearing that the pains of her labour would drive Alkmene mad, ran to the Moirai and Eleithyia and announced that by desire of Zeus a boy had been born to Alkmene and that their prerogatives had been abolished.

At all this, consternation of course overcame the Moirai and they immediately let go their arms. Alkmene’s pangs ceased at once and Herakles was born. The Moirai were aggrieved at this and took away the womanly parts of Galinthias since, being but a mortal, she had deceived the gods. They turned her into a deceitful weasel (or polecat), making her live in crannies and gave her a grotesque way of mating. She is mounted through the ears and gives birth by bringing forth her young through the throat. Hekate felt sorry for this transformation of her appearance and appointed her a sacred servant of herself." [29]

And Dionysos, He is God of wild, predatory, felines--of those felines who pose a wild threat, who can rip flesh and inspire fear. I doubt He looks out for the smaller felines as well, although of course you could ask if you have a feline companion you are worried about. Your best bet, though, would seem Hekate to me, as She has taken mercy on felines before.

• Tuesday, March 9, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture Antoninus Liberalis Artemis Dionysos Eileithyia Hekate Hellenismos 101 Hera Hēraklēs Hyginus requested post

Late Αrchaic temple found in the Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia

A Late Archaic temple was located in a central spot of the sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia in this year’s excavation season taking place from July 20 to August 28, 2020, as part of the five-year programme (2020-2024) of archaeological research. It was led by archaeologist Amalia Karapaschalidou and, on the part of the Swiss School of Archaeology, headed by its director Karl Reber with the participation of only a small number of Greek and Swiss students, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Reconstruction of the eastern stoa [Credit: MOCAS]

Identifying the archaeological site at Palaioekklisies / Palaiochoria, east of today’s Amarynthos, with the sanctuary of Amarysia Artemis mentioned in various ancient sources as the most important sanctuary of Euboea, was made possible in 2017 as part of a five-year programme of collaboration (2015-2019) between the Euboea Ephorate of Antiquities and the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece.

The Late Archaic temple discovered during this year’s excavation season is a 10x30 m building with a colonnade on its central axis and preserving its solid foundation, inside which a wall was found from an earlier phase and a grate with traces of fire. Votive offerings of the 7th and 6th centuries were deposited in the building’s foundations during the last quarter of the 6th cent. BC.  

Specifically, these included black figure vessels (among them an amphora depicting a Medusa), clay figurines, scarab shaped signet rings and faience figurines imported from the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as locally produced vessels such as long necked prochous vases and small hydriae, similar with vessels found in large numbers in excavations at Eretria of the Archaic sites of worship of female deities. These findings are evidence both of the Amarysia Artemis sanctuary participating in the religious practices of the Eretrians and the Euboeans in general and of  trade relations of the Amarynthos region with the Eastern Mediterranean.

The excavation of the large Post-Classical-Hellenistic portico was also completed inside the expropriated area. The monumental building with 27 Doric columns on its facade, is 69 m long and surrounded the sanctuary to the east. To the north, a portico and a series of three small buildings set the sanctuary’s boundaries. These are perhaps “treasuries” or small temples, which have a ground plan similar to corresponding buildings in other major Greek sanctuaries. No findings from the buildings revealed their proper use except for the fragment of a statue’s marble base bearing a votive inscription with the first letters of the name of Artemis. One of these buildings was destroyed by a lime kiln being installed, probably in Medieval times.

An earlier building of the 7th cent. BC was located to the west of the portico, 38 m long with a rectangular floor plan. This building probably functioned both as a monumental entrance to the sanctuary from the east and possibly for practices of worship.

Also worth mentioning among this year’s finds  are new fragments of tiles stamped with the name of Artemis, similar to those found in 2017 which then allowed for the sanctuary’s identification. The excavation period just completed was the first in a new five-year programme. In the coming years, research will focus on finding the initial phases of worship in this important sanctuary of Euboea. 

The field research is combined with special analyzes such as micromorphological sampling and archaeobotanical studies, in collaboration with the Wiener laboratory of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.The Field archaeologists are Olga Kyriazi and Tobias Kraft,from the Euboea Ephorate of Antiquities and the Swiss Archaeological School respectively.

Source and far moe images here.

• Wednesday, January 27, 2021
  ancient Hellenic culture archeology Artemis current affairs Temples

PAT ritual announcements: the Kharisteria and the Boedromia

You thought we were done, weren't you? Nope! But these will be the last two rituals until the Eleusinian Mysteries, which we will be organizing a sort of ten day PAT festival for. The Kharisteria ritual will be held today. The Boedromia is for tomorrow. Both are at 10 AM EDT. Will you be joining us?

The Kharisteria

The Kharisteria takes place on the sixth of the month--a day sacred to Artemis. This festival is another commemoration of a battle, in this case, the battle of Marathon which took place in 490 BC. It was also a festival to pay off a debt to the Theoi. During the battle of Marathon, around 10,000 Hellenes stood their ground against a Persian force between 30.000 and 100.000 men. 192 Hellenes fell, opposite 6.400 Persians. That was quite a victory--especially if you consider that the Hellenes were the attacking side. The casualty numbers are known because the Hellenes set up a memorial for their fallen comrades. The Persian dead were counted for a very specific reason: the Hellenes had promised to the Theoi a sacrifice of one goat for ever Persian killed. In the end, they discovered they'd killed so many Persians that they couldn't find enough goats. A payment plan of sorts was devised, and over the course of thirteen years, roughly 500 goats per year were sacrificed, a practice that was still performed in Plutarch’s day. Plutarch also confirms that the sacrifice took place at Artemis Agrotera’s sanctuary at Agrai.

You can join the community page for this event here and download the ritual from here. As a personal note, this would be a great day to break out your copy of 300 because that's definitely the spirit of the battle that took place! We hope you join us for the ritual on 25 August, at 10 AM EDT.

The Boedromia

The festival that gives its name to the month. It might have been sacred to Apollon, and was thus most likely held on His sacred day--the seventh of the month. The Boedromia might have been another war commemoration. The epithet of Apollon associated with this festival is 'Boedromios', the helper in distress. The origin of the epithet and festival are explained in different ways. According to Plutarch, the name was awarded to Him (and the festival created) because he had assisted the Athenians in the war with the Amazons, who were defeated on the seventh of Boedromion, the day on which the Boedromia were afterwards celebrated. According to others, the name was awarded after the war of Erechtheus and Ion against Eumolpus, because Apollon had advised the Athenians to rush upon the enemy with a war-shout (Boê), if they wanted to win--and they did.

We have already commemorated many ancient wars but with this ritual, we would like to address the many wars currently taking place in our world. We want to plead the Theoi to bring them to a swift end and bring refuge to the many displaced. We ask that xenia--hospitality--prevail in a time where many would turn these refugees away.

You can join the community page on Facebook here and the ritual can be found here. We hope you join us on 26 August, at 10 AM EDT.

• Tuesday, August 25, 2020
  Apollon Artemis current affairs Elaion festivals PAT