Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

412 DIONYSTA. DIONYSIA.
days, and the first fell on the 11th (Suidas, s. v. which seem to have consisted in purifications by
Xo's), and the third on the 13th (Philoch. ap. air, water, or fire. (Serv. ad Aen. vi. 740; Paus.
Suidam, s. v. XvrpoI). The second archon super- ix. 20. ~ 4; Liv. xxxix. 13.) The initiated perintended the celebration of the Anthesteria, and sons wore skins of fawns, and sometimes those of
distributed the prizes among the victors in the panthers. Instead of ivy, which was worn in the
various games which were carried on during the public part of the Dionysia, the mystae wore
season. (Aristoph. Achalrn. 1143, with the Schol.) myrtle. (Schol. ad Aristoph. Rcan.330.) The
The first day was called rlOotyia: the second, sacrifice offered to the god in these mysteries conXOES: and the third, XVrTpo0. (Harpocrat. and sisted of a sow, the usual sacrifice of Demeter, and
Suidas, s. v.; Schol. ad Aristoph. Ran. 219; in some places of a cow with calf. It is msore
Athen. x. p. 437, vii. p. 276, and iv. 129.) The than probable that the history of Dionysus was
first day derived its name from the opening of the symbolically represented in these mysteries, as the
casks to taste the wine of the preceding year; the history of Demeter was acted in those of Eleusis,
second from XoUs, the cup, and seems to have been which were in some respects connected with the
the day devoted to drinking. The ascolia seem to former. (Schol. ad Ar-istoph. Ran. 343.)
have been played on this day. [AscoI.IA.] We The fourth Attic festival of Dionysus, Atovlrta
read in Suidas (s. v.'Aco'ds) of another similar Ei' &-TEts, &h'TrLc& or EydXCAa, was celebrated about
amusement peculiar to this day. The drinker the 12th of the month of Elaphebolion (Aesch.
placed himself upon a bag filled with air, trumpets c. Ctesiplz. p. 63); but we do not know whether
were sounded, and he who emptied his cup they lasted more than one day or not. The order
quickest, or dralk most, received as his prize a in which the solemnities took place was, according
leather bag filled with wine, and a garland, or, ac- to the documnent in Demosthenes, as follows: -
cording to Aelian (V. H. ii. 41), a golden crown. The great public procession, the chorus of boys,
(Aristoph. Acharn. 943, with the Schol.) The the K/scos [CHoRus], comedy, and, lastly, tragedy.
Cc6pos e' &,uapCS also took place on this day, We possess in Athenaeus (v. p. 197, 199) the deand the jests and abuse which persons poured scription of a great Bacchic procession, held at
forth on this occasion were doubtless an imitation Alexandria in the reign of Ptolemaeus Philadelof the amusements customary at the rural Dionysia. phus, from which we may form some idea of the
Athenaeus (x. p. 437) says that it was customary great Attic procession. It seems to have been
on the day of the Choes to send to the sophists customary to represent the god by a man in this
their salaries and presents, that they too might procession. Plutarch (Aic. 3), at least, relates
enjoy themselves with their friends. The third that on one occasion a beautiful slave of Nicias
day had its name from XVrTpos, a pot, as on this represented Dionysus (compare Athen. v. p. 200).
day persons offered pots with flowers, seeds, or A ridiculous imitation of a Bacchic procession is
cooked vegetables, as a sacrifice to Dionysus and described in Aristophanes (Eccles. 759, &c.). Of
Hermes Chthonius. (Schol. ad Aristoph. Acharn. the dramas which were performed at the great
1009; Suidas, s. v. Xtrpot.) With this sacrifice Dionysia, the tragedies at least were generally
were connected the ay7veS XS')hrpivo mentioned new pieces; repetitions do not, however, seem to
by the Scholiast on Aristophanes (Ran. 220), in have been excluded from any Dionysiac festival.
which the second archon distributed the prizes. The first archon had the superintendence, and
Slaves were permitted to take part in the general gave the chorus to the dramatic poet who wished
rejoicing3 of the Anthesteria; but at the close of to bring out his piece at this festival. The prize
the day, they were sent home with the words awarded to the dramatist for the best play con-:Spate, KapEs, oelc &r''AV, E-'~pta. (Hesych. s. v. sisted of a crown, and his name was proclaimed
OvparSC; Proclus, ad Ilesiod. Op. et Dies.) in the theatre of Dionysus. (Demosth. De Coron.
It is uncertain whether dramas were performed p. 267.) Strangers were prohibited from taking
at the Anthesteria; but Bickh supposes that co- part in the choruses of boys. During this and
medies were represented, and that tragedies which some other of the great Attic festivals, prisoners
were to be brought out at the great Dionysia were set free, and nobody was allowed to seize
were perhaps rehearsed at the Anthesteria. The the goods of a debtor; but a war was not intermysteries connected with the celebration of the rupted by its celebration. (Demosth. c. Boeot.
Anthesteria were held at night, in the ancient de Nome. p. 999.) As the great Dionysia were
temple E't AIUvaLT, which was opened only once celebrated at the beginning of spring, when the
a year, on the 12th of Anthesterion. They were navigation was re-opened, Athens was not only
likewise under the superintendence of the second visited by numbers of country people, but also by
archon and a certain number of'ilrUeXalra. He strangers from other parts of Greece, and the
appointed fourteen priestesses, called yepaspat or various amusements and exhibitions on this ocyEpapai, the venerable, who conducted the cere- casion were not unlike those of a modern fair.
monies with the assistance of one other priestess. (Isocr. Areop. p. 203, ed. Bekker; Xen. Hiero,
(Pollux, viii. 9.) The wife of the second archon i. 11; compare Becker, Clsarikles, ii. p. 237, &c.)
(aoftriAra) offered a mysterious sacrifice for the Respecting the scrupulous regularity, and the
welfare of the city; she was betrothed to the god enormous sums spent by the Athenians on the
in a secret solemnity, and also tendered the oath celebration of these and other festivals, see Deto the geraerae, which, according to Demosthenes mosthenes (Philip. i. p. 50). As many circum(c. Nreamr. p. 1371. 22), ran thuLs: "I am pure stances connected with the celebration of the
and unspotted by any thing that pollutes, and have Dionysia cannot be made clear without entering
never had intercourse with man. I will solemnize into minute details, we must refer the reader to
the Theognia and Iobakeheia at their proper time, Btckh's essay.
according to the laws of my ancestors." The ad- The worship of Dionysus was almost universal
mission to the mysteries, from which men were among the Greeks in Asia as well as in Europe,
excluded, took plac2 after especial preparations, and the character of his festivals was the same