CRO´NIA
CRO´NIA (
κρόνια), a
festival celebrated at Athens in honour of Cronos, whose worship was said to
have been introduced into Attica by Cecrops. He had a temple in common with
Rhea. (
Paus. 1.18.7; comp. 6.20.1.) The
festival was held on the twelfth of the month of Hecatombaeon (Demosth.
c. Timocr. p. 708.26;
Plut.
Thes. 12;
Etym. M. s. v.), which, at an early
period of the history of Attica, bore the name of
μὴν
Κρονίων. (
Athen. 13.
581; comp. A. Mommsen,
Heortologie, p. 108,
&c.)
The Rhodians also celebrated a festival in honour of Cronos--perhaps the
Phoenician Moloch--to whom human sacrifices, generally consisting of
criminals, were offered. The festival was held on the sixteenth of
Metageitnion. (Porphyr.
de Abstinent. 2.54.)
Greek writers, when speaking of the Roman Saturnalia. apply to them the name
Κρόνια, which in the early times seem
to have really resembled them in their excessive merriment. (See
Athen. 14.639; Appian,
Samn. 10.5; Buttmann,
Mythol. vol. ii. p.
52, &c.)
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L.S]
