DIA´SIA
DIA´SIA (
διάσια), a
great festival celebrated at Athens, without the walls of the city (
ἔξω τῆς πόλεως), in honour of Zeus, surnamed
Μειλίχιος (
Thuc.
1.126). It was the greatest of the Athenian festivals of Zeus,
before the time of Solon, and was of a propitiatory character. The whole
people took part in it, and the wealthier citizens offered victims (
ἱερεῖα), while the poorer classes burnt such
incense as their country furnished (
θύματα
ἐπιχώρια), which the scholiast on Thucydides erroneously
explains as cakes in the shape of animals. (Compare
Xen. Anab. 7.8, § 4; Lucian,
Tim. 7;
Aristoph. Cl. 402, &c.) The
diasia took place on the 23rd of the month of Anthesterion (Schol.
ad Aristoph.
l.c.) with
feasting and rejoicings, and was, like most other festivals, accompanied by
a fair. (
Aristoph. Cl. 841.) It was this
festival at which Cylon was enjoined by an oracle to take possession of the
acropolis of Athens; but he mistook the oracle, and made the attempt during
the celebration of the Olympian games. (Compare Pollux, 1.26; Suidas, s. v.)
The etymology of
διάσια given by most of
the ancient grammarians (from
Διὸς and
ἄση) is false; the name is a mere
derivative from
Διός, as
Ἀπολλώνια from
Ἀπόλλων. See A. Mommsen,
Heortologie, p. 19
ff.
[
L.S]
