‘Colossus of Rhodes Project’ to revive one of the ancient world’s seven wonders

Young professionals from Greece, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom have been inspired to take up the ambitious 'Colossus of Rhodes Project', aiming to revive one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, thus reports the Archaeological News Network.

Since ancient times, the small Greek island of Rhodes has been a main intersection between the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas, and was an important economic center in the ancient world. The capital city, also named Rhodes, was built in 408 BC and was designed to take advantage of the island's best natural harbor on the northern coast. In 357 BC the island was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus but fell into Persian hands in 340 BC and was finally captured by Alexander the Great in 332 BC.

In the late fourth century BC, Rhodes allied with Ptolemy I of Egypt against their common enemy, Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Macedonia. In 305 BC, Antigonus sent his son Demetrius to capture and punish the city of Rhodes for its alliance with Egypt. He attacked the island with 40,000 men and weapons and started a war which lasted a year. A relief force of ships sent by Ptolemy arrived in 304 BC, and Antigonus’ army abandoned the siege, leaving behind most of their siege equipment. To celebrate their victory, the Rhodians sold the equipment and decided to use the money to build a huge statue, to their sun god, Helios, called the Colossus of Rhodes.

The base was made of white marble and the structure was gradually erected as bronze plates were fortified over an iron and stone framework. It stood over 107 feet (30 meters) high, making it one of the largest statues in the ancient world; the thigh alone was supposedly 11 feet (3 meters) in width, the ankle 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length.

Over 2200 years after its collapse, architect Ari A. Palla, archaeologist Christos Giannas and public relations-marketing professional Dionisis Mpotsas from Hellas, civil engineer Enrique Fernández Menendez and economist Matilda Palla from Spain, architect Ombretta Iannone from Italy, as well as civil engineer Eral Dupi from the United Kingdom, recommended its restoration, as part of a European initiative the financing of which is addressed to the general public. According to the creators:

"Antoni Gaudi managed to collect fundings from citizens making them feel part of the project Sagrada Familia. We would like to share the same idea but, thanks to technology, people all around the world could be involved. Thus, the Colossus of Rhodes will become a 'global' monument."

Their primary objective, according to their statement, is to put back on the map the island of Rhodes beginning with the restoration of its historical value, while they also wish to bring out to light the hundreds of archaeological findings forgotten in the storerooms of the island. For the aforementioned reasons, the young professionals are planning to create a gigantic 150 meter-high museum-structure, that will house thousands of archaeological findings that have long been abandoned beneath layers of dust in several storage areas in Rhodes, simultaneously arousing the same emotions that visitors who arrived on the island more than 2200 years ago felt.

 The colossal statue will also host a cultural center and a library, while at the same time will regain its ancient function as a point reference for boats (lighthouse). Its size will be larger than the original structure, while its “skin” will be covered by solar panels, making it energy autonomous.

For more videos and construction details visit the website http://colossusrhodes.com

Two hellenic cross-tied hairstyles for women

I love learning about women's hair from the ancient Hellenic period. My mother would laugh at this because I used to hate getting my hair done. I stil do, really, but I found a video that I need to try out something fierce!

Hair has long had an important role in society and religion. During the classical period female citizens wore their hair long except when they were in mourning during which they cut their hair short. Before the fifth century BC women's hair was allowed to fall over the shoulders and back, but it was often fastened by a headband or diadem, and the front section of the hair was restrained. After that, hair was often restrained.  Female citizens, especially, wore their hair long, and after their marriage--usually at a very early age--they wore their hair up in elaborate styles. Typically, only their immediate family and servants saw Hellenic women with their hair undone.

Janet Stephens' tutorial for recreating two ancient Hellenic hairstyles using period appropriate tools and techniques is thus super interesting to me. Her techniques are based on artifacts in the Walters Art Museum and the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, Rome. Enjoy! And if you ever want to do this to my hair, feel free to come over!

SyrianAid Pandora's Kharis Pyanepsia 2015 cause

We are very happy to announce that SyrianAid has become Pandora's Kharis' Pyanepsia 2015 cause!

SyrienHilfe e.V. (SyriaAid , Aid to Syria Association) is an Organization that provides Humanitarian Aid in Syria. In order to provide personal and direct aid to the victims of the conflict in Syria, a group of doctors, engineers, archaeologists, teachers, and artists came together to found the charitable organization SyrienHilfe e.V. (SyriaAid).

The foundation works primarily inside Syria, but also in Lebanon and Turkey, to provide humanitarian and emergency aid to Syrian refugees. They undertake and support various self-help projects as well as training and education projects. And as far as they are able, they help with the care of orphans in Syria.

The aid SyriaAid provides is purely humanitarian and without any political motivation. Thanks to your donation and to the tireless engagement of our local helpers, they hope to deliver direct aid to as many people in Syria as possible. They aim to provide the victims of this crisis not only with food, clothing, lodgings, and medical services, but to give them psychological and moral support as well, to help them reestablish their sense of dignity. To give them support and to show them: You are not forgotten!

The deadline to donate is November 13, 2015. You can do so by using the 'PayPal option to the side of the Pandora's Kharis website or by donating directly to baring.the.aegis@gmail.com. Thank you in advance!

On invocations

Many of Elaion's PAT rituals--if not all--hold invocations to the Gods. I wanted to take a post to explain what this is and what its purpose is. An invocation in this case takes the form of a supplication or prayer. The term comes from the Latin verb invocare: 'to call on', 'invoke', 'to give'. During our PAT rituals, an invocation implies a call upon a God or Goddess. In fact, it is our initial call. If we take a standard offering to a deity, this is the basic formula we use:

• Invocation
• Libation
• Hymn
• Prayer
• (Sacrifice)

In case of, say, Demeter, it might thus look like this:

• Invocation to Demeter: Of Demeter, ruler of corn-rich Sikelia, and of the violet-garlanded Persephone sing...
• Libation of a kykeon (barley meal, water, ground goat cheese, mint) to Demeter
• (Part of) Homeric Hymn 2

                                                        To Demeter

         Golden-haired Demeter sat a Eleusis, apart from all the blessed Gods and
         stayed, wasting with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter. Then she
         caused a most dreadful and cruel year for mankind over the all-nourishing
         earth: the ground would not make the seed sprout, for rich-crowned Demeter
         kept it hid. In the  fields the oxen drew many a curved plough in vain, and
         much white barley was cast upon the land without avail. So she would have
         destroyed the whole race of man with cruel famine and have robbed them
         who dwell on Olympos of their glorious right of gifts and sacrifices, had not
         Zeus perceived and marked this in his heart.

• Sacrifice
• Prayer

          “To you, golden-haired Demeter, libations of thanks. That after all
          darkness may come the light and that You may always guide me to it.”

When a person calls upon a God or Goddess to ask for something like protection, a favour, his/her spiritual presence in a ceremony, etc., or simply for worship, this can be done in a pre-established form or with the invoker's own words or actions, but we try to base out invocations on ancient texts where possible. In the example above, the line 'Of Demeter, ruler of corn-rich Sikelia, and of the violet-garlanded Persephone sing...' was taken from Bacchylides, Fragment 3.

Invocations are, basically, short introductury hymns. In general, a hymn is sung to the Theoi with the aim to please the God in question. They have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning contains two things: a note that the hymn is about to begin, and an announcement of whom the speaker/singer is addressing. While the announced hymn (in this case part of Homeric hymn 2 to Demeter) has these elements as well, we double up on it by using an invocation.

Hymns were sung to please, to bring forth. It was a way to celebrate the Deity in question, but also to make Him or Her more inclined to grant the following request. Hymns were accompanied with music and dancing; they were true celebrations in that regard. They were performed to establish existing kharis and built upon it.

As a note, a hymn differs from a prayer that follows after. A prayer was carefully formulated to convey a message as persuasively as possible to the God, and was thus often spoken. The idea was not to please, but to request. They made use of the established and just now strengthened kharis to petition the Gods for aid. Where the hymn is an offering to go along with a material sacrifice, the prayer is not an offering at all.

We enjoy adding invocation, sometimes even double ones. Like this one which has an invocation to Demeter by Ovid, from Metamorphosis 5:

• Invocation to Demeter: Khaire Demeter, you who taught us to work the earth and provides for us so bountifully…

         Demeter first turned the earth with the curved plough; She first gave corn
         and crops to bless the land; She first gave laws; all things are Demeter's gift.
         Of Demeter I must sing. Oh that my song may hymn the Goddess' praise as
         She deserves, a Goddess who deserved high hymns of praise.

To us, adding invocations is another way of giving praise to the Theoi. It's also our way to honour and connect us to the ancient Hellenes who might have sang these words to the Gods. They focus the mind and remind us of the many way in which the Theoi influence our life and this world. They matter to worship, and we therefor hope you enjoy them and recite them with joy and pride.

PAT ritual announcement: sacrifice to the Heroines

A little short notice, but today we will hold a PAT ritual for a sacrifice originally performed at Erkhia. This is a sacrifice to the Heroines. Will you be joining us at 10 AM EDT?

The ancient Erkhians honoured the Heroines twice a year, once on the 19th of Metageitnion, and once on the 14th of Pyanepsion. Certain heroines--like Basile--were worshipped separately from the group as well, most likely because they were local heroines instead of universally accepted heroines like Atalanta, who hunted the Calydonian boar, slew Centaurs, defeated Peleus in wrestling, or Kallisto, who was an Arcadian princess and hunting companion of the Goddess Artemis. The Heroines received a white sheep in sacrifice, of which the meat was partly sacrificed and partly eaten by those who came out to sacrifice. The skin of the animal went towards the priestess.

Heroes and heroines have a special place in Hellenismos, as they had in ancient Hellas. These were humans--most with at least a part divine heritage--who were considered so brave, so skillful, so extraordinary in their lifetime that they became revered. Some were priests or priestesses of a temple, some excelled in battle, others were skilled healers or good rulers. Once they passed to the realm of Hades, their names were remembered at least once a year on a special occasion, because the ancient Hellenes believed that if the name and deeds of a person were remembered, they would live forever and potentially look out for those they had looked out for before.

Archaeological evidence suggests that hero worship was closer to Khthonic sacrifices in execution than Ouranic ones the further back in time you go; especially in the archaic period, it seems that hero worship consisted of destructive sacrifices--sometimes in the form of a holókaustos where the entire animal was burned, sometimes in a sacrifice where only a part (most often 'a ninth' of the animal) was burned and the rest remained on the altar for the heroes to eat from until gone. The sacrifices were generally burned in an offering pit known as a bothros. The food offered to heroes consisted of meat, blood, and 'food eaten by men' like grains, fruits and other every-day dishes. These were usually offered to the heroes on a table--known as a trapeza--and the heroes were sometimes offered chairs or a bench to sit on. As time went on, the living began to eat part of the meal laid out for the heroes, joining them in celebration.

You can find the ritual here, and join our community page here. We have added some of the other main Hellenic Goddesses to the ritual as well. Feel free to add more of our Goddesses and heroines to your own ritual, especially if you feel close to Them! This ritual will be a celebration of the feminine power in our religion!

Getty Villa displays unseen early 19th century watercolors of Greece

The Getty Villa has a new exhibit entitled 'Greece’s Enchanted Landscapes: Watercolors by Edward Dodwell and Simone Pomardi', offers an amazingly precise account of magnificent landscapes and panoramic views of the Athens they encountered during their travels in the early 19th Century. This reports Liberty Voice.

Classical scholar Edward Dodwell and artist Simone Pomardi traveled in Greece in the early 1800s. They both published books about the experience and left behind a sort of photo album of their journey, albeit photos sketched and painted in, that has never been publicly displayed in the U.S. (or anywhere prior to a show at The British Museum in 2013). The duo did sketches on location and finished applying the watercolors later. Together, they reportedly produced approximately 1,000 pictures (less than half survive) and both wrote extensively about their travels.

The Getty Villa presentation includes 44 artworks from the archive acquired by the Packard Humanities Institute from Dodwell’s descendants in the 1980s, accompanied by photographs from the Getty Museum collection and prints from the Getty Research Institute. The exhibition presents a unique record of the rediscovery of ancient Greece overlapping with the creation of the modern Greek state. The Dodwell/Pomardi journeys took place in the later years of the Ottoman’s empire control over Greece. The artworks show a mosque beside the Parthenon and ancient monuments blended with modern life, including residences built on the Acropolis among the ruins. David Saunders, curator of the Getty Villa exhibition explains:

“The sight of ancient temples lying in ruin, or of the Greek people under Turkish rule, contrasted poignantly with nostalgic imaginings of the classical past. Yet for Dodwell and Pomardi, such juxtapositions only magnified the lost splendor of Greek antiquity."

One historically interesting work on display at the Getty shows workmen hired by Lord Elgin (Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin), who was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, removing sculptures and architectural features from the Parthenon that now reside in London and are known as the Elgin Marbles. Besides capturing the scene, Dodwell described his 'mortification of being present when the Parthenon was despoiled.' Getty Dodwell noted on a later visit that:

"Instead of the picturesque beauty and high state of preservation in which I first saw it, it is now comparatively reduced to a state of shattered desolation. It is indeed impossible to suppress the feelings of regret which must arise in the breast of every traveller who has seen these temples before and since their late dilapidation."

For some of the works presented, particularly expansive multi-panel panoramic views of Athens, they employed an optical device that was a precursor of today’s panoramic camera capabilities--camera obscura. On portable legs like a tripod, the camera obscura allowed the user to obscure extraneous details and light to view an area, and then move slightly to the right or left and see another view. The result is fully apparent in the four panorama displays of Athens at the Getty. The works combine beautiful views of ancient ruins, thriving villages and vast countryside with topographical exactitude. They manifestly express Dodwell and Pomardi’s goal to document Greece, and capture what Dodwell referred to as 'the delights of the present, and recollections of the past'. Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum adds:

“These captivating drawings represent one of the most beautiful and compelling manifestations of Europe’s fascination with modern and ancient Greece—its landscape, archaeological sites and social customs—in the years before its independence from Ottoman rule.” 

He noted that displaying them at the Getty Villa, alongside their Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art collections, allows visitors to experience the images in a unique setting. The largely unseen-till-now early 19th century watercolors of Greece will be on display at the Malibu Getty location until Feb. 15, 2016.

Nemean Games once more revived

Students from all over the world and of all ages will have the opportunity to attend the new School of Ancient Greek Athletics that will be established by the Society for the Revival of the Nemean Games in ancient Nemea. The Society for the Revival of the Nemean Games has chosen ancient Nemea, the archaeological site in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese where ancient Hellenes celebrated athletic and religious festivals, as the absolute place to host this unique ancient sports facility. Students who choose to attend the new school will become familiar with the philosophy and practice of sports in ancient Hellas.

 

The Nemean Games, Panhellenic festivals that were celebrated by the ancient Hellenes as part of the cycle of games at Delphi, Isthmia, and Olympia, will be revived for the sixth time from June 10 through June 12, 2016. The modern-day international athletic event has previously happened in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 with thousands of people, from around 120 different countries and of all ages, participating in the event.

“It is our belief that the modern Olympic Games, despite their obvious success in many respects, have become increasingly removed from the average person. Our goal is the participation, on the sacred ancient earth of Greece, of anyone and everyone, in games that will revive the spirit of the Olympics. We will achieve this by reliving authentic ancient athletic customs in the ancient stadium of Nemea,”

The Society for the Revival of the Nemean Games is a movement born from nearly 40 years of excavation by the University of California at Berkeley in the panhellenic Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea, Greece, and from the enthusiasm and dedication of local residents of Nemea who feel that they could make an important contribution to today's world because of their personal ties to Nemea.

It was at Nemea that the ancient Hellenes celebrated athletic and religious festivals that were part of the cycle of games at Delphi, Isthmia, and (best known today) Olympia. It was at one of these four sites that, for a brief period each year, wars and hostilities were suspended by a sacred truce, and all Hellenes gathered in recognition of their common humanity. This impulse toward peace - albeit limited to a few days each year - was the first in the history of mankind on an organized, regular, and international scale. Thus, the festivals at Nemea, Olympia, Delphi, and Isthmia are the direct ancestors of today's United Nations and Olympic movement. The ancient stadium discovered at Nemea is, therefore, an important monument in the history of such institutions.

The Olympic movement has become an ever more important and complex international event, and a symbol of the nobler aspirations of our human race. But it has also become increasingly removed from those who are not extraordinarily athletically gifted. The average person, inspired by the ancient lessons of peace and hopeful of participation in the movement finds even the role of spectator difficult to fulfill at the modern Olympics.

The Society for the Revival of the Nemean Games believes that there is scope for the average person to participate in such an international athletic festival where no records will be kept and no medals awarded. Races will be organized by gender and age, and participants will be rewarded only by bare feet sore from contact with the same stones and the same soil where ancient feet ran more than 2,000 years ago.

The Sixth Nemead will take place on June 11, 2016.  For more details about the organization and significance of the games, see ancient basis; for a living image of the games, see step into history; to participate, see run.

Question Collections post 27

I get a lot of questions from readers, and most of the time, the answers are fairly short. When I feel the question or the reply would be valuable to others as well, I make a post with a collection of them and post them in one go. Today is one of those posts.

"Hi! Skiraphoria, Stenia, and Thesmophoria are the three festivals that only women are allowed to attend. What if i'm nonbinary? Should i not celebrate them? I look forward to read your answer :)"

There is no easy answer to this. The ancient Hellenes believed in the binary. Their entire society was based on that binary. It literally controlled every social interaction, every job, every ritual. It governed laws, politics, and even science and philosophy. It even dictated sexuality and the roles in homosexual contact. Ancient Hellas was divided in two.

Personally, I think the binary does not exist. As such, I tend to look at the function of rituals, and then give my opionion and advice. And I always, always, go by mind, not physique. Unless otherwise specified, I will always mean 'someone who identifies as' when saying 'male' or 'female'. So what of the non-binary?

The Stenia, Thesmophoria, and Skiraphoria are all tied to the Eleusinian Mystries and thus to the fertility of the land, agriculture, and harvest.

The Skiraphoria was one of the few days when the women of ancient Athens would gather in public to honor Demeter and bless the harvest. They refused to sleep with the men on this day and took part in a very odd tradition: casting piglets down into a chasm where they were left to rot until the Stenia.
The Stenia was dedicated solely to Demeter and Persephone and was held three days before the Thesmophoria. During the Stenia, women came together and begun the extensive purification rituals needed to partake in the Thesmophoria. How, exactly, the women purified themselves is unknown but it is known that the women engaged in Aiskhrologia, insulting each other and using foul language, in honor of Iambe, who cheered up a grieving Demeter by either lifting her skirts or making a dirty joke. At the Stenia, some women, called 'Bailers', hiked to the chasm where the piglets had been thrown into months ago. Then, in a gruesome display of devotion, the women hauled out the rotting corpses of the piglets and carried them to the Thesmophorion, a site probably on the hillside of the Pnyx.

During the Thesmophoria, there was a male and female encampment at the Thesmophorian and the division was clearly set; no men were allowed in the female encampment, and no women in the male encampment. Sex was not allowed. All free women, except for maidens, were allowed to participate. On the first day, called Anodos ('ascent') and Kathodos ('descent'), the women sacrificed the rotting piglets to Demeter and Persephone. The remains were mixed with seeds and would be plowed into the earth after the festival to assure a good harvest. The second day was called Nēsteia ('feast of lamentation'). On this day, the women did not eat. They recreated the time before Demeter taught humankind to cultivate the fields. The third day, Kalligeneia ('she who is of beautiful birth'), was a happy one. The women prayed to Demeter and Persephone for fertility for themselves, their loved ones and the earth. They celebrated the magic of new life, fertility and the kindness of the Gods.
The Skiraphoria and Stenia, in my opinion, are fairly 'stretchable' when it comes to who can attend. Traditionally it were women only, but the focus is fertility of the land, so I see no issue for those who are non-binary and identify with the festival in some way to attend.

So how about the Thesmophoria? The Thesmophoria ha an additional element: female fertilty, the act of human life growing in a uterus. So here the field is narrower. Do you identify with the biologically female side of reproduction? With motherhood? With pregnancy? Then join in. The same goes for cis-females, trans* women, those women who do not have children, and those women no longer physically capable of having them. It's a squishy line and it depends on the person.

My advice--for anyone--is to read up on the festival and look inside yourself to see if this is a ritual you can wholeheartedly celebrate.

***

"So what are your views on the creation of the world? I was curious about how you think about it."

The ancient Hellenic philosophers and mythographers were pretty much in agreement that the Gods created the universe--or are the universe itself. The most famous account of how everything came to be comes from Hesiod. His 'Theogogy' is a complete recounting of the story, starting with Khaos:

"Verily at the first Chaos came to be, but next wide-bosomed Earth, the ever-sure foundations of all  the deathless ones who hold the peaks of snowy Olympus, and dim Tartarus in the depth of the wide-pathed Earth, and Eros, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them. From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night; but of Night were born Aether and Day, whom she conceived and bare from union in love with Erebus. And Earth first bare starry Heaven, equal to herself, to cover her on every side, and to be an ever-sure abiding-place for the blessed gods. And she brought forth long Hills, graceful haunts of the goddess-Nymphs who dwell amongst the glens of the hills. She bare also the fruitless deep with his raging swell, Pontus, without sweet union of love. But afterwards she lay with Heaven and bare deep-swirling Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne and gold-crowned Phoebe and lovely Tethys. After them was born Cronos the wily, youngest and most terrible of her children, and he hated his lusty sire." [ll. 116-138]

He goes on to list a great many deities, cutting out a rough shape of the cosmos while doing so. There are many variations of this family tree, and in the ancient writings, there are also creation stories that range beyond this basic framework. Many of them match very well with science, though.

I believe in the theory of the Big Bang, where the universe was in an extremely hot and dense state and began expanding rapidly. After the initial expansion, the universe cooled sufficiently to allow energy to be converted into various subatomic particles, including protons, neutrons, and electrons. Giant clouds of these primordial elements later coalesced through gravity to form stars and galaxies, and the heavier elements were synthesized either within stars or during supernovae (courtesy of Wikipedia, because of ease). I see no issue in overlaying this theory with Hesiod's cosmology, however. The Big Bang theory does sound like first there was Khaos, and from that, matter came into being to eventually form the Earth as it is now. So as far as the creation of the universe and the Gods goes, I will go with Hesiod and his explanation, although a variation of his work is also fine by me.

***

"Hi Elani! I've been binding my hair for 15 months (and counting!) and while it feels right to me for many reasons, I'm curious to know more about it. Specifically, miasma. I read your post on your blog about binding hair, and you mentioned that unbound female hair is miasmic. Why is that? Also, why only female hair? Is it to do with length (and if so, if a man has long hair, is it miasmic too)? Or because of the association with funerary rites? Any information would be appreciated :) Thank you!"

Hair has long had an important role in society and religion. During the classical period female citizens wore their hair long except when they were in mourning during which they cut their hair short. Before the fifth century BC women's hair was allowed to fall over the shoulders and back, but it was often fastened by a headband or diadem, and the front section of the hair was restrained. After that, hair was often restrained.  Female citizens, especially, wore their hair long, and after their marriage--usually at a very early age--they wore their hair up in elaborate styles. Typically, only their immediate family and servants saw Hellenic women with their hair undone.

Within a religious framework, hair was done up as well, unless otherwise specified. Many Dionysian rites, for example, encouraged women to literally 'let their hair down', and join in the revelry. For (married) women, it was extremely uncommon to wear their hair down outside of the oikos, and to do so must have helped them get out of their comfort zone. For other religious ceremonies, wearing the hair up was a way to apply katharmos, and prevent miasma from entering the ritual setting. This is a practice is still applied today, by yours truly included.

Plutarch (Ploútarkhos, Πλούταρχος) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, who later in his life became a Roman citizen. As such, he was extraordinarily qualified to write two standard works: the 'Quaestiones Graecae' (Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά, or 'Greek Questions'), and the 'Quaestiones Romanae' (Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκά, or 'Roman Questions'). These essays are part of the book series 'Moralia' (Ἠθικά, loosely translatable as 'Matters relating to customs and mores'), and can be found in book IV of the series. The Greek Questions contain fifty-nine questions, the Roman version hundred-thirteen, and all pertain to matters concerned with their respective culture. Many of the answers are names or customs, and because Plutarch often refers (back) to Hellenic customs, both are extremely valuable for research on ancient Hellenic life.

He writes in the 'Quaestiones Romanae': 'why do sons cover their heads when they escort their parents to the grave, while daughters go with uncovered heads and hair unbound?' and answers, partly, with the following:

"Is it because fathers should be honoured as gods by their male offspring, but mourned as dead by their daughters, that custom has assigned to each sex its proper part and has produced a fitting result from both? Or is it that the unusual is proper in mourning, and it is more usual for women to go forth in public with their heads covered band men with their heads uncovered? So in Greece, whenever any misfortune comes, the women cut off their hair and the men let it grow, for it is usual for men to have their hair cut and for women to let it grow." [14]

Women were supposed to wear their hair bound, and even veiled. In a Kthonic situation (like a death, or festival for a Kthonic deity), this would have been reversed, as everything in the rites was reversed--nighttime instead of daytime, unmixed wine instead of mixed wine, etc.--I am going to guess that because of this, unbound hair on women became associated with miasmic situations and thus they were not allowed to wear their hair down during Ouranic religious rites (and daily life). for me, that's enough to tie my hair.

Philicus' hymn to Demeter

Philicus, or Philikos, of Corcyra was a poet and tragedian, as well as a priest of Dionysos at Alexandria in the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC). Sadly, nothing survives of the 24 tragedies attributed to him. Philicus, however, did write a Hymn to Demeter in choriambic hexameters which has been partially preserved on a stone slab. Unlike Horeric and Orphic hymns, this was not a cult song. It was an exercise in poetry.

The hymn is focussed on the cult of Demeter, which was very popular at the time. It narrates some part of Demeter’s search for Persephone, and told how the earth was rendered unfruitful. It also tells the story of how bashful Iambe made the Goddess laugh and lifted her grief off of her.

As part of the Stenia ritual I reconstructed a part of the hymn into a readable whole but I would share what remains of the rest of the hymn as well. It seems that the first part of the hymn was a speech by a fellow Goddess. Whom this is, is unclear. It could be Peitho (Persuasion), who consoles Demeter, forecasts the institution of the Eleusinian Mysteries, and offers her assistance in recovering Persephone from the underworld. But more likely it's the oracular Titan Dione. She is sister of Rhea, Zeus’ mother. Her inclusion would fit the mythology and various lines. There is, however, no evidence for a close connexion of Dione with Demeter, and therefore no reason why she should intercede in this poem on Demeter’s behalf.

I am very intrigued by poetry fragments or obscure pieces like this and greatly enjoy reading them. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Philicus' hymn to Demeter

this of the daughter

mother child not

chariot of writhing [snakes

and where (she?) has gone away to

clo?hes predator

torches wood

like a tunic her wrap

.....

to him the girl

fortune nor marriage

to speak

heaven

wandering to a run

words such as these

feet; did you not see

... ...

to me ...

gaping

was thrown without order

and the hot beam was burning upon

and the goddess, beginning to speak first,

I judged in an omen of victory

listen to prayers that are from a sister from the same mother

]in the same womb I nurtured Cypris

I was desirable when I gave my milk to you, and I, of the same stock as your mother

us(?) mighty ladies a common father begat

and she gave birth to mighty-boasting violence

a destined possession; and for me to persuade

to have share in this, and not from me alone my
not failing to hearken to these words, and the goddesses will reward(?) you

for we, I alone, with the Graces, have been announced as to give honour

have been apportioned, but you should accept other honours from us

and greater ones in return for what is a small one--these I shall tell you in detail.

for to none will a friend accord more than to you, and I shall love more and more

in the season(?) to Eleusis with the mystic coursings of the Iacchoi

large [] welcoming the faster by the waves in large numbers

they will swell out for you, nurturing one, perfumed branches

a single fountain water marked out for each

by this two-throned precinct with your tears you will send up a spring

will be called the royal fountain

than these words we shall accord in honour more powerful deeds

do not prematurely take them as untrustworthy before testing

the branches of supplication they bear now

these again will pour forth

to be performed as a ritual at your festival

zealous ... overcome

taking up the sceptre bring Persephone up to where there are stars

with me leading you shall not go wrong at all.

but pick up the torches, relax your heavy brow."

She ceased, and the nymphs and Graces joined in just Persuasion,

and whole swarms of women in a circle about her caressed the ground with their foreheads

and gathered the only living growth from the cropless earth to cast as foliage upon the goddess

But Halimous dispatched the old woman, who had lost her way in the mountain haunts, but arrived at a good time

as a result of some chance: for solemn occasions can an amusing tale be unprofitable?

For she stood and uttered at once in a bold, loud voice: “Do not throw goat-fodder:

it is not this that is a remedy for a starving god, but ambrosia is the support for such a delicate stomach.

But you, divine one, should give ear to Attic Iambe's little benefit;

I am one who has poured out unschooled words, as well as might a chattering living in a distant deme: these goddesses

her [  ] for you cups and garlands and water drawn in a fresh stream;

and from the women, look!, there is grass as a gift, a timorous deer's diet.

None of these things do I have for my gift: but if you loosen up your grieving, then I shall release…”

New finds at the Asklepeion of ancient Pheneos

New impressive findings have come to light in the archaeological excavations at the site of the Asklepieion in ancient Pheneos, in the Peloponnese, thus reports The Archaeological News Network.

Among them are a pedestal on which originally stood two bronze statues which were later replaced by one made of stone, the form of the Ionic colonnade and the access to the sanctuary. Ancient Pheneos is a hill located in the Pheneos plateau of the same name on mountainous region of the Corinth prefecture, at a height of 750 metres.

The Asclepeion, which dates from the 2nd half of the 2nd century BC was unearthed in the late 1950’s and archaeologists found remnants of an ancient settlement and marble parts of statues which now reside in the local museum.

In September 2015, the first phase of the excavations concluded under the direction of the ephorate of ancient antiquities in Corinth and its director Konstantinos Kissas and Classic Archaeology Professor Dr. Torsten Mattern from the University of Trier in Germany.

In this year's excavations, archaeologists revealed that the colonnade was shaped like a “Π” with a space of 2.30 metres between the columns and confirmed the direction of the walls of the colonnade and the outdoor courtyard.

They also revealed that the entrance to the sanctuary was achieved from the east via a ramp. A secondary entrance was located to the north, along the corresponding wall of the courtyard.

For more images of the finds, visit The Archaeological News Network.

PAT ritual announcements: the Stenia and the Thesmophoria

One more PAT ritual announcement before you all get a tiny breather: the Stenia and the Thesmophoria. The Stenia will be celebrated on 22 October and the Thesmophoria on 24-26 October, all at 10 am EDT. Both are connected to the Eleusinian Mysteries, Demeter, and Persephone.

The Stenia
The Stenia is celebrated on 9 Pyanepsion. It was a festival dedicated solely to Demeter and Persephone and was held three days before the Thesmophoria. Not much information about this festival has survived, but because bits and pieces have survived of the Thesmophoria and the preceding Skiraphoria, we can put parts of the festival back together.

A little background first: On 12 Skirophorion, the Skiraphoria was celebrated. The Skiraphoria was one of the few days when the women of ancient Athens would gather in public to honor Demeter and bless the harvest. They refused to sleep with the men on this day and took part in a very odd tradition: casting piglets down into a chasm where they were left to rot until the Stenia.

During the Stenia, women came together and begun the extensive purification rituals needed to partake in the Thesmophoria. How, exactly, the women purified themselves is unknown but it is known that the women engaged in Aiskhrologia, insulting each other and using foul language. To understand this practice, it's important to know the mythology behind it. Nearly all festivals where Demeter is included, recount the myth of Kore/Persephone who was abducted by Hades. While Demeter grieved and vowed to get her daughter out, Persephone was seduced to eat of the pomegranate fruit. This decision allowed Hades to keep Persephone in the Underworld for a part of the year, while she was allowed to rejoin her mother for the rest of it. While Demeter grieved, there was only one who could make her laugh: the strange old woman Iambe. From the Homeric Hymn 2: To Demeter:

"But Demeter bringer of seasons and giver of perfect gifts, would not sit upon the bright couch, but stayed silent with lovely eyes cast down until careful Iambe placed a jointed seat for her and threw over it a silvery fleece. Then she sat down and held her veil in her hands before her face. A long time she sat upon the stool without speaking because of her sorrow, and greeted no one by word or by sign, but rested, never smiling, and tasting neither food nor drink, because she pined with longing for her deep-bosomed daughter, until careful Iambe - who pleased her moods in aftertime also - moved the holy lady with many a quip and jest to smile and laugh and cheer her heart." [188]

I believe that a large part of the Stenia was to make the other women laugh by shouting witty insults, making crude jokes or any other way they could think of that was out of character and liberal. It's a laughing day. Yet, there was also a serious note to it. At the Stenia, some women, called 'Bailers', hiked to the chasm where the piglets had been thrown into months ago. Then, in a gruesome display of devotion, the women hauled out the rotting corpses of the piglets and carried them to the Thesmophorion, a site probably on the hillside of the Pnyx, in preparation for the Thesmophoria.

The Stenia is a female only festival, sorry guys! We can't really provide you with laughter and jokes, so here is my suggestion: get all your friends together and have a girl's night. Find Magic Mike on Netflix and break out the wine and popcorn.The ritual will focus on the religious part. You can find the ritual here and chat amongst yourselves here.


The Thesmophoria
Two days later, the three day festival of Thesmophoria took place. There was a male and female encampment at the Thesmophorian and the division was clearly set; no men were allowed in the female encampment, and no women in the male encampment. Sex was not allowed. From what I have been able to gather, the three days in the female encampment followed a strict regime.

On the first day, called Anodos ('ascent') and Kathodos ('descent'), the women sacrificed the rotting piglets to Demeter and Persephone. The remains were mixed with seeds and would be ploughed into the earth after the festival to assure a good harvest. The piglets were fertility symbols, but also related to the myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades, because it is said that, when Hades opened a chasm to swallow up Persephone, a swineherd called Eubouleus was grazing his pigs and they were swallowed up in the chasm as well. The women ate on this day, but only food which would not upset Demeter. Pomegranate fruits were off the menu.

The second day was called Nēsteia ('feast of lamentation'). On this day, the women did not eat. They recreated the time before Demeter taught humankind to cultivate the fields. It was a dark time, a time of hunger and pain. At the same time, this day was also used to remember the time when Demeter sought her daughter and neglected her duties as a harvest Goddess. This had also been a time of great hunger.

The third day, Kalligeneia ('she who is of beautiful birth'), was a happy one. The women prayed to Demeter and Persephone for fertility for themselves, their loved ones and the earth. They celebrated the magic of new life, fertility and the kindness of the Gods.

We don't know what happened for the men on these days (sorry), so this is another female only festival. You can find the ritual here and the Facebook page here.


Needless to say, these festivals were huge. All free women, except for maidens, were allowed to participate. While we can never be entirely sure why this is, I dare to wager an educated guess. The Stenia and Thesmophoria were festivals in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros, the law-giver. She was seen as the foundation of law and society: agriculture allowed settlements to thrive, allowed societies to be built, and humanity to evolve into what it was now. In short, Demeter was at the root of modern life. A huge part of that modern life was the institution of marriage, which was far more important then as it was now.

Demeter is, perhaps, ancient Hellas' most famous mother, and marriage allowed for the continuation of the family line. Children born out of wedlock were frowned upon, and as such, maidens were excluded from a festival intended to raise fertility in the ground and the women who took part in it. As women married young, maidens were often teens, and they would represent Persephone more than Demeter--and since the Stenia and Thesmophoria commemorated Demeter's separation from her daughter, the inclusion of maidens was most likely discouraged because of that fact.

The Stenia and especially the Thesmophoria were festivals intended for mothers, for those who sought to bear children. They acknowledge the powerful position of women in a patriarchal society. It was because of that that women could say no to their husbands when it came to sex, and why they all left their marital homes. Many women rarely left their homes, and never overnight. To do so for not one but two nights was huge. These were powerful festivals for women, because they celebrated their fertility: the one thing they were always respected and honoured for by the men in their lives.

PAT ritual announcement: the Oskhophoria

The Oskhophoria (ὀσχοφόρια), or Oschophoria when Latinized, was an ancient Hellenic festival dedicated to Dionysos, Ariadne, Athena Skiras, and Apollon. This month, festivals are either related to the Eleusinian Mysteries or the mythology surrounding Theseus. This festival is one of the latter. It was a vintage festival and we would like to invite you to join us for it at 10:00 am EDT on October 21th.

The Oskhophoria falls during the vintage season in Attica. The principal feature of this festival, the procession, featured ripe grapevines. As such, we can assume that this festival was a thanksgiving for the grape harvest. In fact, branches of vines with fresh grapes were carried in a great procession from the temple of Dionysos in Athens, to the ancient temple of Athena Skiras in Phalerus. This was the main feature of the festival. After Theseus, hero and king, the festival was augmented to include the recounting of his many exploits with accommodation to earlier traditions. It seems that this recounting was done at the banqueting after the ritual and there would be much recounting indeed. Because the festival adopted features from mythology, Apollon also became one of the Theoi sacrificed to, as He is closely tied to the mythology of Theseus.

Many sources have snippits of information about the Oskhophoria and most disagree, as we have come to expect. We can be fairly certain the ancient Hellenes attributed the mythical foundation of the festival to Theseus, however, and many details of the festival relate back to his journey to Krete:

• the procession featured two youthful men in female attire, said to recall the trick of Theseus in which he substituted two of the seven female tributes with young male fighters
• mothers carrying dinner baskets also featured, representing the mothers of the fourteen tributes who made a last meal for their children before they sailed
• the Oskophoria was an ocassion for storytelling, as the youths sailing to Krete would have needed their spirits raised

Plutarch's account, in 'Theseus', recounts the origins of the festival as follows, obviously trying to make a coherent whole out of contradictory evidence:

"The feast called Oschophoria, or the feast of boughs, which to this day the Athenians celebrate, was then first instituted by Theseus. For he took not with him the full number of virgins which by lot were to be carried away, but selected two youths of his acquaintance, of fair and womanish faces, but of a manly and forward spirit, and having, by frequent baths, and avoiding the heat and scorching of the sun, with a constant use of all the ointments and washes and dresses that serve to the adorning of the head or smoothing the skin or improving the complexion, in a manner changed them from what they were before, and having taught them farther to counterfeit the very voice and carriage and gait of virgins so that there could not be the least difference perceived, he, undiscovered by any, put them into the number of the Athenian maids designed for Crete. At his return, he and these two youths led up a solemn procession, in the same habit that is now worn by those who carry the vine-branches.

 

Those branches they carry in honour of Bacchus and Ariadne, for the sake of their story before related; or rather because they happened to return in autumn, the time of gathering the grapes. The women, whom they call Deipnopherae, or supper-carriers, are taken into these ceremonies, and assist at the sacrifice, in remembrance and imitation of the mothers of the young men and virgins upon whom the lot fell, for thus they ran about bringing bread and meat to their children; and because the women then told their sons and daughters many tales and stories, to comfort and encourage them under the danger they were going upon, it has still continued a custom that at this feast old fables and tales should be told.

 

 For these particularities we are indebted to the history of Demon. There was then a place chosen out, and a temple erected in it to Theseus, and those families out of whom the tribute of the youth was gathered were appointed to pay tax to the temple for sacrifices to him. And the house of the Phytalidae had the overseeing of these sacrifices, Theseus doing them that honour in recompense of their former hospitality."

In the myth of Theseus and the minotaur, Theseus, looking to become king of Athens, hears about the Minotaur of Krete, and the nine-yearly sacrifices to it. These sacrifices were a punishment by King Minos of krete for the death of his son Androgeus, at the hands of Athenian assassins. Theseus offered to be one of the youths who sailed for Krete. Once there, Ariadne, daughter of the king, fell for him and offered him a ball of yarn so he would be able to find his way out off the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur the youths would be sacrificed to. Theseus defeated the Minotaur and took Ariadne and her sister Phaedra from their home in thanks for their help. That night, they slept on the beach but Athena woke up Theseus and told him to sail out now, and to leave Ariadne and Phaedra behind. He did, although it pained him greatly. It was here, Dionysos found Ariadne and fell in love with her. He would later end up marrying her and she became his immortal wife.

Because the Oskophoria is in many ways two festivals in one, it is a hard one to pin down in terms of modern worship. The Oschophoria was essentially a banquet celebration in honor of Theseus and the rescue of youths and maidens and even more so, an older celebration of the vintage combining traditions of Salamis and Athens. Well into the fourth century BC, two branches of the Salaminians were involved in preparation, were Deipnophoroi, and received equal portions of the meat. The vintage rituals of the Salamic Goddess Skiras became associated with Athena Skiras and naturally Dionysos. The various Theseus mythos was explained through the numerous recounting which we have added to the ritual.

We hope you join us tomorrow in celebrating this festival. You can join the Facebook community here and find the ritual here.

The 'Ship of Theseus' paradox

Yesterday, when announcing the PAT ritual for the Pyanepsia, I mentioned the 'Ship of Theseus paradox'. Today, I would like to address this metaphysical philosophical thought experiment that even the ancient Hellenes wrestled with. Let's start with this video that explains the whole thing and then do the philosophical math again afterwards, shall we?

 

So, to recap: the ' ship of Theseus'  paradox is a thought experiment that raises the question of whether an object which has had all of its components replaced remains fundamentally the same object. The paradox is most notably recorded by Plutarch in Life of Theseus from the late first century. Plutarch asked whether a ship which was restored by replacing each and every one of its wooden parts remained the same ship. He writes:

"The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place, insomuch that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same."

The Hellenic philosopher Heraclitus (535 – c. 475 BC) attempted to solve the paradox by introducing the idea of a river where water replenishes it. Arius Didymus quoted him as saying:

"On those stepping into rivers staying the same other and other waters flow." (DK22B12)

Heraclitus holds the 'Flux Doctrine': everything is constantly changing; no object retains all of its component parts from one moment to the next. In other words, though the waters are always changing, the rivers stay the same. He thus believed that while the material of Theseus' ship was replaced, the greater whole--this thing called 'a ship'--remained the same. That ship was the ship of Theseus, thus the ship of Theseus remained, even if all parts were replaced. This is option 'A' in the video example.

Aristotle also spent a lot of time on this paradox, and he discussed it with his followers. They came up with four causes, or reasons, that describe an object: the 'Formal Cause' (the design of an object), the 'Material Cause' (the matter that the object is made of), the 'Final Cause' (the intended purpose), and the 'Efficiency Cause' (how, and by whom, an object was made). Aristotle then goes on to say that an object is its formal cause; so the Ship of Theseus is the same ship, because the formal cause, or design, does not change, even though the matter (Material Cause) used to construct it may vary with time. Furthermore, the renewed ship of Theseus would have the same end (final cause)--transporting Theseus--even though its material cause would change with time. If the workers who replaced the planks of the ship could have used the same techniques and made the ship as it was before--thus preserving all previous causes as well.

So, is there an answer to the paradox? No, not really. The proper response is that the definition we have for the ship is not clear enough to provide an answer to that question. The ship of Theseus does not really exist as the ship of Theseus. There is no exact definition of what is meant by the ship of Theseus. The atoms are not tagged as the ship’s atoms. Rather, it is we who make those atoms into a whole entity called a ship. It is we who further demarcate this ship as somehow belonging to Theseus. In short, this whole discussion is in our minds only. The ancient Hellenes took a ship said to have sailed Theseus to Krete and back. They kept it in the harbour and maintained it for centuries because it was an ideal, a reminder, and a trophy. It had a function: no longer to carry Theseus but to be the ship that carried Theseus. For this purpose, it does not matter if the boards are the same as those on the original ship. It's the lore we--and the ancient Hellenes--connected to it that matters.

PAT ritual announcement: the Pyanepsia

As you might have noticed, it's a new month and thus many festivals are taking place in the coming days. On October 20th, 7 Pyanepsion, It's the Pyanepsia. The Pyanepsia (Πυανέψια) was one of the many harvest festivals of the season, but instead of focussing on the actual harvest, the Pyanepsia focusses almost completely on the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. will you join us on October 20th, at 10:00 am EDT?

Theseus (Θησεύς) was fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, whom had both slept with his mother Aethra, and was thus destined to become a hero. In order to claim his rightful place as ruler over Athens, he had to uncover his father's sandals and sword from under a stone in his mother's birth land where Theseus grew up, and bring it to his mortal father. He did, taking the long and dangerous route over land, and fought many Khthonic creatures and mortal bandits in the process. This was long before he would vow to bring down the Minotaur and thus, set in motion the events that led up to the strange festival of Pyanepsia.

Theseus' father, Aegeus, had taken Medea as his new wife. Afraid hat Theseus would claim the throne and take her position of power from her, Medea pressed Theseus to capture the Marathonian Bull. This, he did, but upon returning, Medea tried to poison him. Aegeus recognized his son just in time and Medea fled while father and son reunited. Theseus then heard about the Minotaur of Crete, and the nine-yearly sacrifices to it. These sacrifices were a punishment by King Minos of Crete for the death of his son Androgeus, at the hands of Athenian assassins.

Theseus offered to be one of the youths who sailed for Crete. Once there, Ariadne, daughter of the king, fell for him and offered him a ball of yarn so he would be able to find his way out off the labyrinth that housed the Minotaur the youths would be sacrificed to. Theseus defeated the Minotaur and took Ariadne and her sister Phaedra from their home in thanks for their help. That night, they slept on the beach but Athena woke up Theseus and told him to sail out now, and to leave Ariadne and Phaedra behind. He did, although it pained him greatly. In his dismay, he forgot to sail with the white sails he had promised his father to sail with if he was alive. As he reached the main land, Aegeus saw the black sails and figured his son dead. He then cast himself off of the cliffs overlooking the sea, and drowned.

Theseus blamed himself for his father's death, but was very relieved to be home none the less. He wished to thank Apollon for his safe journey and his victory over the Minotaur and thus, he ordered his men to gather all the foodstuffs that remained. This was mostly beans and grains, and he ordered the food to be cooked up for a feast and a sacrifice.

In celebration, Theseus then put together an eiresiône (εἰρεσιώνη), a branch of olive or laurel bound with purple or white wool. It was decorated with fruits of the season, pastries, and small jars of honey, oil and wine. The eiresiône was also called a 'supplicant branch', as it was intended as a thank-offering for blessings received, and at the same time as a prayer for similar blessings and protection against evil in future. He walked through the streets of Athens with his eiresiône, to signal his victory and the end of scarcity.

In ancient Hellas, and especially Athens, both observances were conglomerated into the Pyanepsia, and boys tended to carry their home made eiresiône through the streets in a Halloween-esque manner. They knocked on the doors of every house and sang a song. In return, they expected a gift. The eiresiône song from Plutarch, Life of Theseus, 22.5, goes as follows:

'eiresiône suka pherei kai pionas artous

kai meli en kotulêi kai elaion apopsêsasthai

kai kulik' euzôron, hôs an methuousa katheudêi.'

Modern Greek pronunciation:

(Capitalized syllables are emphasized according to the poetic meter)

'EE-re-si-ON-NE SEE-ka fe-RE KE PEE-on-as AR-tous

KE me-lee EN ko-tee-LEE ke e-LE-on a-POP-SEE-SAS-the

KE kee-lik EF-ZO-RON, OS AN me-thee-OU-sa ka-THEV-dee.'

Plutarch has the song:

“Eiresione for us brings figs and bread of the richest,
brings us honey in pots and oil to rub off from the body,
Strong wine too in a cup, that one may go to bed mellow.”
 

A special eiresiône was brought to the temple of Apollon by a boy whose parents were both alive. He was encouraged to recite the song during the procession. By the Classical Period an eiresione was hung over almost every door in Athens and remained here a full year before being replaced by a new one.

The sacrifice to Apollon was upheld for a long while as well. The ship Theseus used on his return from Crete to Athens was kept in the Athenian harbor as a memorial for several centuries. It was maintained and kept in proper shape. Often, this meant replacing parts of the ship, a practice which led to the question if the ship could still ethically be called the ship of Theseus after so much of it had been replaced. This dilemma became known as the 'Ship of Theseus paradox'. 

At any rate, the ship was sailed out to the island of Delos--which housed a sanctuary of Apollon--yearly after Theseus' return. To ensure the sanctity of the sacrifice, executions were not allowed to take place during the weeks it took to sail to Delos and back.

You can join us for this event on Facebook. The ritual for it can be found here. We would love for you to share your experiences and images of your eiresiône.

PAT ritual announcement: the Proerosia

In the daylight hours of the 19th of October, on 6 Pyanepsion, we will celebrate and host a ritual for the Proerosia which, in Attica, honoured Demeter and Apollon first and foremost as Goddess of the harvest and oracular deity who insured bountiful harvest. It seems that in Myrrhinus, the primary recipient of worship during the Proerosia was Zeus. Will you join us on the 19th of October, at 10 AM EDT?

The Proerosia (Προηροσία) was a festival for Demeter’s blessings in preparation for the ploughing and sowing at the beginning of the agricultural season. In ancient times it was held at Eleusis. The name serves to convey the essence of the rites: 'sacrifice before ploughing'.

The myth goes that the whole of Hellas was suffering from a terrible famine or plague, and the oracle of Delphi was visited to ask how to stop this terrible affair. The Delphic Oracle said that Apollo ordered a tithe to Demeter of the first harvest on behalf of all Hellenes. Except for disruptions during the Peloponnesian War, offerings arrived annually at Eleusis from all over Hellas. While Athens wasn't a big contributor to the rites--perhaps because they already made their own offerings of grain and first fruits to Demeter--most other city-states contributed generously, and the Athenians were welcome during the rites. For His help, Pythian Apollon also received an offering during the Proerosia.

There is some confusion over the dating of the festival. Many modern sources date the festival on the fifth of Pyanpesion, but new research shows that, because of the placement of the Pyanepsia festival, in honour of Apollon and Theseus, the Proerosia could only have been celebrated in the daylight hours of the sixth.

The festival can be celebrated with first fruit-offerings, any offering related to grains (like bread, cakes, or pancakes), or a kykeon libation. The kykeon was made of barley, water, herbs, and ground goat cheese. Sometimes honey was added. Herbs that are described as part of the kykeon are mint, pennyroyal and thyme, although it seems any herb that was found to flavor the drink, was acceptable.

You can join our community for the event here, and find the ritual here.

$31,- raised by Pandora's Kharis for Doctors of the World Greece

It was a bit of a slow (and short notice) fundsraiser, but $ 31,- have been raised for Doctors of the World Greece by Pandora's Kharis. Thank you for your donations, if you have made one!

Médecins du Monde / Doctors of the World is an international Non – Governmental, independent, humanitarian organization, which was founded in 1980 by 15 French doctors that believed in bearing witness and providing direct access to medical care for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The first and foremost mission of Médecins du Monde is to provide treatment. Actions though are not limited to medical care: always based on its medical experience and acting independently, MdM is vocal against the obstruction of access to healthcare and the violation of human rights and dignity. Firm supporters of human rights, they are against racism, xenophobia and the social isolation and marginalization of social groups.

These are the principles underlying the establishment of the organization «Médecins du Monde» which later began to spread in other countries (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA), creating an international network of Humanitarian Relief organizations dedicated to provide medical care to populations while fighting for equal access to healthcare worldwide. MdM has become today an integral and important part of the international network of Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organizations.
From this moment on, pitches are open on the Pandora's Kharis Facebook page. You can vote for your desired cause until October 22, 2015. Thank you in advance!

'Armillary Spheres: Following Celestial Objects in the Ancient World'

I recently came across a very interesting article on armillary spheres. An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky (in the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centred on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines of celestial longitude and latitude and other astronomically important features such as the ecliptic. As such, it differs from a celestial globe, which is a smooth sphere whose principal purpose is to map the constellations. With the Earth as center, an armillary sphere is known as Ptolemaic. With the sun as center, it is known as Copernican.

Armillary spheres may be divided into two main categories based on their function – demonstrational armillary spheres and observational armillary spheres. The former is used to demonstrate and explain the movement of celestial objects, whilst the latter is used to observe the celestial objects themselves. Therefore, observational armillary spheres are generally larger in size when compared to their demonstrational counterparts. The observational armillary spheres also had fewer rings, which made them more accurate and easier to use.     

The armillary sphere is believed to have originated from the ancient Hellenic world. The inventor of this device, however, is less than certain. Some, for instance, claim that the armillary sphere was invented sometime during the 6th century BC by the Hellenic philosopher Anaximander of Miletus. Others credit the 2nd century BC astronomer, Hipparchus, with the invention of this device.

The earliest reference to the armillary sphere, however, is said to have come from a treatise known today as the Almagest (known also as the Syntaxis), written by the 2nd century AD Greco-Egyptian geographer, Claudius Ptolemy. In this treatise, Ptolemy describes the construction and use of a zodiacal armillary sphere, an instrument used to determine the locations of celestial bodies in ecliptic co-ordinates. Furthermore, Ptolemy also gives examples of his use of this device for the observation of stars and planets.

Astronomy is often considered to be one of the oldest branches of science. In many ancient societies, astronomical observations were used not only for the practical job of determine the rhythm of life, (e.g. the various seasons of the year, the celebration of festivals, etc.) but also for the philosophical exploration of the nature of the universe as well as that of human existence. Therefore, various instruments were invented to aid the important science of astronomy. One of these instruments was called the armillary sphere and it was what the ancient Hellenes would have used to plan out their festivals.

'Eunomia' by Solon

Solon (Σόλων) was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet, who lived from 638 BC to 558 BC. He spent most of his adult life trying to legislate against political, economic, and moral decline in archaic Athens. His ideologies are often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy. As a statesman, Solon put principles before expediency. In a time when Athens was struggling under the burden of civil war, his reforms strove to bridge the gap between the rich an the poor. Solon's reforms were substantial, and took a lot of power away from the aristocracy. They gave every free man the hope that they could hold office one day, if they worked hard to reach the upper class. For those without political aspirations, Solon's reforms provided judicial safety.

Many sayings were attributed to Solon, but among his writings is the following piece of prose that I would like to share. It refers to the Goddesses Dysnomia and Eunomia. Dysnomia (Δυσνομία) is the daimon of lawlessness and poor civil constitution, daughter of Eris (Discord). She is a companion of Adikia (Injustice), Ate (Ruin) and Hybris (Violence). Eunomia (Εὐνομία), on the other hand, is the Goddess of good order and lawful conduct. She is associated with the internal stability of a state, including the enactment of good laws and the maintenance of civil order. She is the daughter of Themis, Good Order. So, to Solon's good words to live by.

'Eunomia' by Solon

 

These things my spirit bids me
 teach the men of Athens:
 that Dysnomia
 brings countless evils for the city,
 but Eunomia brings order
 and makes everything proper,
 by enfolding the unjust in fetters,
 smoothing those things that are rough,
 stopping greed,
 sentencing hybris to obscurity
 making the flowers of mischief to whither,
 and straightening crooked judgments.
 It calms the deeds of arrogance
 and stops the bilious anger of harsh strife.
 Under its control, all things are proper
 and prudence reigns human affairs

Pioneering technology gives new insight into ancient Hellas

A team of researchers from Macquarie University recently brought science and ancient history together by using new non-destructive technology to analyse artefacts from ancient Hellas.

As part of a project funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) discovery grant, Associate Professor Kenneth Sheedy, director of the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies at Macquarie University (ACANS); Professor Damian Gore; and Dr Gil Davis used Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectroscopy to evaluate the composition of approximately 1000 coins from archaic Athens (550 BC – 480 BC).

The study was the first to employ a high-power, transportable instrument for XRF spectrometry in a statistically broad-based study of the coin output of one of the most important mints in antiquity.

"The use of this transportable machinery and on-the-spot analysis is revolutionary in the study of ancient history," Sheedy said. "We hope that eventually our research will enable us to learn more about the role money played in the development of Athenian society as it moved to democracy."

The team spent three years (2012-14) doing fieldwork around the world, including in some of the main archaeological museums in the United States, England, Germany, France and Greece. According to Davis:

"Through our evaluation, we gained valuable knowledge about a variety of factors that have influenced the present condition of the coins such as corrosion, historical preservation methods and environmental conditions."

Using this data, the team now plans to determine the degree to which archaic Athenian coinage was produced using silver from the local mints in the Laurion district, located in the south-eastern countryside of Attica.

A video presentation of the team's work, together with an important selection of archaic Athenian coins and artefacts related to the mining and smelting of silver ores in the Laurion, are on display at the Athens Numismatic Museum in Greece until 31 October 2015 as part of the 'When Silver was born…' exhibition open to the public.

Valuable material for the displays, including some unique archaeological finds which are being exhibited for the first time, was provided by the Athens Epigraphic & Numismatic Museum, the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, and the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection.
The team also presented their preliminary fieldwork results at an international conference in Athens in April. The conference titled 'Mines, Metals and Money in Attica and the Ancient World,' was jointly organised by ACANS.

Doctors of the World Greece Boudromion 2015 cause for Pandora's Kharis

With 71 percent of votes, Doctors of the World Greece has become Pandora's Kharis cause for Boudromion 2015. Thank you once more for your vote!

Médecins du Monde / Doctors of the World is an international Non – Governmental, independent, humanitarian organization, which was founded in 1980 by 15 French doctors that believed in bearing witness and providing direct access to medical care for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The first and foremost mission of Médecins du Monde is to provide treatment. Actions though are not limited to medical care: always based on its medical experience and acting independently, MdM is vocal against the obstruction of access to healthcare and the violation of human rights and dignity. Firm supporters of human rights, they are against racism, xenophobia and the social isolation and marginalization of social groups.

These are the principles underlying the establishment of the organization «Médecins du Monde» which later began to spread in other countries (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA), creating an international network of Humanitarian Relief organizations dedicated to provide medical care to populations while fighting for equal access to healthcare worldwide. MdM has become today an integral and important part of the international network of Non-Governmental Humanitarian Organizations.

We'll leave the possibility to donate open a little longer this time. The deadline to do so is October 15, 2015. You can do so by using the 'PayPal option to the side of the Pandora's Kharis website or by donating directly to baring.the.aegis@gmail.com. Thank you in advance!

PAT ritual announcement for the sacrifice to the Achelous, Alochus, the Nymphs, Hermes & Gaea

Near the end of the month of Boedromion, there was a singular sacrifice organised in Erkhia, a deme of Attica. It was held in honour of the river God Achelous, his intended wife (alochos) Deianeira, the Nymphs, Hermes, and Gaea. We will be holding a PAT ritual for this sacrifice today, at 10 AM EDT.

In Hellenic mythology, Achelous (Ἀχελῷος Achelōios) is the patron deity of the 'silver-swirling' Achelous River, which is the largest river of Greece, and thus the chief of all river deities. His name is pre-Hellenic, its meaning unknown. His parents are generally believed to be Tethys and Okeanos. Very few of the river Gods have mythology about Them, but Achelous was featured heavily in the legends surrounding the hero Hēraklēs. In fact, we believe the origins for this sacrifice lie exactly there. The myth goes as follows:

Achelous, God of the most powerfully flowing river in Hellas, fell in love with the daughter of the king who ruled the land along the river. Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus king of Calydon came to age as the most beautiful woman in the land. For her hand, her father announced a contest: the strongest of her suitors would win her. Achelous, as a God, was by far the strongest in the region and was sure He would win her. But Hēraklēs had also heard of her beauty so in the end it came down to the two of them.

Hēraklēs was the strongest mortal in the world, but Achelous, being a God, had some advantages over him. He could change his shape at will. He could become a snake that curved like the winding river. He could become a bull that roared like the roaring river. And when He was a bull He could tear the very earth with His massive horns, just as the river carved away the land when it overflowed its banks. Even in the shape of a man, He had the horns of the bull on His head.

The fight was terrible. Achelous thrashed and fought Hēraklēs in all his shapes. When Hēraklēs pinned him, he became a snake and slithered loose. But Hēraklēs gripped him again and this time Achelous tried to shake free by changing into a bull. He bucked and raged, but Hēraklēs drove his horns into the Earth and with a mighty heave, he tore one off. Achelous howled and was forced to submit. As such, Hēraklēs won the match and won Deianeira's hand in marriage. And the people of Calydon won as well as the Nymphs hollowed out the horn and good Earth fills it with all the fruits and vegetables of the harvest. It became the Cornucopia, or Horn of Plenty.

This sacrifice, timed well with the reaping of the final fruits of the Earth before winter, includes all involved with the myth: Gaea's inclusion, as the source of all the fruits of harvest, speaks for Herself, Achelous (as the largest, life giving, river) was included because of His waters and the myth of the Cornucopia. That myth included his intended wife Deianeira and the manifestations of Achelous as the sacred bull, the serpent and the Minotaur--all creatures associated with Gaea. Because of their close connection to water, a fertilizing element, and the creation of the Cornucopia itself, the Nymphs were worshiped as daimons of fertility and vegetation. Hermes, as the Bringer of All that is Good helped bridge the divide between myth and humanity.

We hope you join us for this event on Facebook, and the ritual can be found here.

Citizens help Greece capitalize on ancient assets

Sorry, have to run! The Archaeological News Network has a really interesting article up about how Greek citizens help Greece capitalize on their ancient assets.

3D visualization of the Orchomenos Archaeological Park, Boeotia
[Credit: Diazoma]

Diazoma, a citizens’ platform aimed at protecting and promoting ancient Hellenic monuments, has come a long way since it was established in 2008 and is now looking to the future with reinforced confidence based on its winning combination of digital culture and entrepreneurship. This was the main line of thought expressed at the organization’s seventh general assembly, which took place recently in Kammena Vourla, Central Greece, as the broader geographical area came under the organization’s scrutiny. Diazoma completes restoration studies which are then presented to state officials, who in turn seek European funding for their realization.

Stavros Benos, the former culture minister who founded Diazoma as a citizens’ movement with the objective of benefiting the country as a whole stressed that this year the focus is on entrepreneurship. Diazoma has grown to such an extent that it is now helping to build synergies in the higher echelons of private initiative: From archaeologists and scientists through institutions, the initiative is promoting a development model for regions by focusing on ancient theatres as well as ways to connect culture, the environment, tourism, local societies and Greek and international networks. So far, the efforts have led to tangible results.

This is why this year’s assembly – the annual meetings tend to serve as mini-conferences for brainstorming between established scientists and young visionaries – focused on the future. The prevailing feeling among participants was that the country needs to be raised and to enter a period of growth. At the meeting, Regional Governor of Central Greece Costas Bakoyiannis spoke of an 'opening toward culture' and the idea of an organic connection between points of interest in different regions.

It is worth pointing out that following the successful piloting of the initiative’s Cultural Itinerary for the Ancient Theatres of Epirus, a similar route was developed in the region of Central Greece. The developing network and the possibilities attached are not focused exclusively on archaeological landmarks, such as Delphi, but also around lesser-known archaeological areas, such as Eretria, Thebes, Chaeronea and Orchomenos, among others.

These ancient sites figure on a cultural map which is further enriched with more recent monuments, such as the Castle of Lamia, or beautiful landscapes, such as those of Evrytania. During the Diazoma officials’ four-day tour across Central Greece, the region demonstrated its potential as a tourist destination, an area capable of generating pride, emotion and wealth.

While the restoration project for the ancient Theatre of Eretria is about to be submitted to the Central Archaeological Council (KAS), the impressive study regarding the development of the Archaeological Park of Orchomenos is based on Diazoma’s holistic approach – also reflected in the initiative’s Epidaurus project. This has to do with the fact that two of Greece’s leading archaeologists, professors Vassilis Lambrinoudakis and Petros Themelis, are core members of Diazoma.

The Orchomenos project – the city was one of the wealthiest in antiquity – was presented at the Athens Concert Hall to high acclaim. The trilogy of monuments located in the vicinity – a 13th-century tomb monument, a Hellenistic theatre and the 9th-century Church of Panagia Skripou – are bound to change the broader area’s overall character and future. The study for the Orchomenos Archaeological Park was carried out by Pleias Architects, headed by Dimitris Diamantopoulos, while the theatre’s restoration project was developed by Themis Billis and Maria Magnisali. For more information see the Diazoma Website.