MENELAEIA
MENELAEIA (
μενελάεια, Hesych.
s. v.), a festival celebrated at Therapnae in Laconia, in
honour of Menelaus and Helen, who were believed to be buried there. (
Paus. 3.19,
9; Isocr.
Helen. Encom. § 61.)
Though, however, Menelaus was associated in this worship, and the festival
connected with the place as stated above sometimes bears his name, it is a
question whether the
Ξ̔λένεια is not the
name under which the great festival of Therapnae should be known. In divine
honours Helen was certainly the prominent figure, regarded as a goddess of
dawn; and, further, as the bestower of grace and beauty on children (
Hdt. 6.61). We have no description of the separate
rites for Menelaus; but there is mention of a procession of Spartan maidens
to Therapnae in honour of Helen. They drove in the carriages with wicker
tilts called
κάνναθρα or
κάναθρα (
Hesych. sub
voce). [
CANATHRON] See
also Preller,
Griechische Myth. ii. p. 109.
[
L.S] [
G.E.M]