Διὸς κῴδιον

Zeus' ram-fleece

Translated by Antonella Ippolito24 Jan 2005Vetting: high11 revisions

6 notes · 73 words

[The fleece] of which¹ the victim has been sacrificed to Zeus. They [sc. the Athenians] sacrifice both² to [Zeus] Meilichios³ and to Zeus Ktesios.⁴ They preserve the fleeces of these [victims],⁵ calling on the name of Zeus. Those who use them are the participants marching in the solemn procession of the Skirophoria⁶ and the torch-bearer in Eleusis, and certain others when strewing them under the feet of the supplicants asking to be purified.

Notes (6)

Same entry in Photius, Lexicon delta657 (= Pausanias the Atticist delta18); similar material elsewhere.
cf. generally kappa 2216.

1So DW; the translator prefers 'where' for this opening ou(=. ↩

2The transmitted text has te before as well as after tw=|; the first of them is otiose. ↩

3This cultual epithet (cf. mu 847, mu 848), whose meaning is "who should be propitiated", is mostly related to Zeus, but sometimes associated with others gods. The cult of Zeus Meilichios featured the offer of cakes or sacrificial animals and was especially celebrated during the Diasia, an important Athenian festival (see Thucydides 1.126.6: web address 1). ↩

4The epithet is related to the function of Zeus as the god protector of the property (kth=ma), to whom sacrifices were offered from families, individuals and cities. The cult of Zeus Ktesios shares many features with that of Zeus Meilichios: in both roles the god is represented as a huge snake, and an analogous efficiency in protecting a household or a clan is known for Zeus Meilichios as for Zeus Ktesios (cf. Xenophon, Anabasis 7.8.1: web address 2). ↩

5The ritual usage of the skins of the animal offered to Zeus Meilichios is only attested by Eustathius on Homer, Odyssey 10.481 oi( to\ diopompei=n de\ e(rmhneu/ontes fasi\n o(/ti di=on e)ka/loun, kw/|dion (malim di=on e)ka/loun k.) i(erei/ou tiqe/ntos *dii\ *meilixi/w| e)n toi=s kaqarmoi=s fqi/nontos *maimakthriw=nos mhno\s o(/te h)/gonto ta\ pompai=a; "the interpreters of [the word] diopompei=n say that as di=on was indicated the skin of a victim offered to Zeus Meilichios during the purificatory rituals (celebrated) at the end of the month of Maimakterion, when the processional ceremonies were held". For the connection of Zeus Meilichios with the purification of murderers polluted because of bloodshed (e)nagei=s) see Pausanias 2.20.1 (web address 3); Plutarch, Theseus 12.1 (who mentions the rituals as *meili/xia: web address 4). See also alpha 3297, delta 1189; scholia to Plato, Laws 854B. ↩

6A festival (Hesychius sigma1026 o)/noma e(orth=s) celebrated in Athens during the month which took its name -- Skirophorion -- from the event; see sigma 623, sigma 626. It concerned mainly women and included a solemn procession and the carrying of the ski/ra (a sunshade or an image of Athena). The destination of the procession was a sanctuary of Athena Sciras on the road to Eleusis; the ceremonies may have mixed the cult of Athena with those of Demeter and Kore. Hence, perhaps, the mention of the Eleusinian torch-bearer (delta 6).

Διὸς κῴδιον

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Διὸς κῴδιον

Greek original · Adler’s text

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Greek original · Adler’s text

Notes (6)

References

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Linked from2 entries

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