ARIADNEIA
ARIADNEIA (
ἀριάδνεια), festivals
solemnised in the island of Naxos in honour of Ariadne, who, according to
one tradition, had died here a natural death, and was honoured with
sacrifices, accompanied by rejoicing and merriment (
Plut. Thes. 20). Another festival of the same name was
celebrated in honour of Ariadne in Cyprus, which was said to have been
instituted by Theseus in commemoration of her death in the month of
Gorpiaeos. The Amathusians called the grove in which the grave of Ariadne
was shown, that of Aphrodite-Ariadne. This is the account given by Plutarch
(
Plut. Thes. 20) from Paeon, an
Amathusian writer. (Comp. C. F. Hermann,
Gottesd. Alterth.,
§ 65, n. 12.)
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