PA´NDIA
PA´NDIA a festival celebrated at Athens after the
Dionysia, in the middle of the month Elaphebolion (Dem.
Meid.
p. 517.9). Its origin has been a matter of dispute even among the ancients,
as may be seen by reference to
Etym. M. and Photius s.v.
where three origins are assigned,--Pandia, the moon-goddess, the Attic king
Pandion, and Zeus. Hermann takes it to be a general feast of the old tribe
Dias, and Welcker as an “all-Zeus” festival; but probably the
right view is that of A. Mommsen and Preller, that it was a
full-moon feast in honour of Pandia, an equivalent
name for Selene, or of Artemis when her worship was afterwards identified
with that of Selene. It is not impossible that in course of time the tribe
Pandionis may have regarded themselves as specially connected with this
festival, though we have no clear evidence of it, nor again that Zeus, as
Preller thinks, may afterwards have been associated in the worship. The
exact date seems to be the 14th of Elaphebolion, if the 13th ended the
Dionysia. (See
DIONYSIA Vol.
I. p. 640; A. Mommsen,
Heortol. pp. 61, 389, 396; Preller,
Griech. Myth. 1.347.)
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L.S] [
G.E.M]