ALETIDES,
antient Sacrifices which the Athenians offer'd to Icarus and Erigone, in which they danced Puppets. Icarus was the Son of Aebalus, and Father of Erigone, who having re∣ceiv'd of Bacchus a Bottle full of Wine, gave it the Shepherds of Attica to drink, who were very thirsty, because of the Heat of their Coun∣trey; they drank of it till they lost the use of their Reason, and supposing themselves to be poyson'd by that Liquor, they fell upon him, and killing him, cast his Body into a Pit: He had a little Bitch named Mara, who went, and pulling his Daughter Erigone by the lower part of her Garment, brought her to the place where the Body of her Father was; she seeing him in this condition, hang'd herself for grief, and many Athenian Virgins, who lov'd her ex∣traordinarily, follow'd her Example. The Bitch also pin'd away with Grief, and Jupiter translated her to Haven under the Name of Canicula, i. e. the Dog-Star. Icarus was chang'd into that Sign of the Zodiac which is called Charles's Wain, and Erigone into another Sign call'd Virgo. The Oracle of Apollo being con∣sulted, order'd that a solemn Sacrifice should be offer'd to the Ghosts of Erigone and her Com∣panions, in which the Images of the Virgins hanged were represented; and 'twas in this Solemnity that some Virgins swung themselves about in the Air.