THESEIA
THESEIA (
θησεῖα). The festival in
honour of Theseus dates from Cimon, who, in obedience to an oracle from
Delphi (for the historical and political significance, see Grote,
Hist. 5.413 ff.), brought the bones of Theseus from
Scyros and buried them in the spot upon which the Theseum was built. From
this act date the annual
ἐπιτάφια, or
funeral rites in honour of national heroes and of all who died in battle for
Athens, including in war-time a funeral oration over the dead [cf.
FUNUS Vol. I. p. 887
b]. It is true that we hear of
ἐπιτάφια earlier than this in memory of those slain at
Marathon and Plataea (
Diod. 11.33;
Dionys. A. R. 5.17); but these, like many
other funeral rites and games in various times and places, were celebrated
on the spots where the battles were fought. The Epitaphia at Athens, with
the sacrifices, feasts, and orations belonging to them, should not be placed
earlier than 469 B.C., and we may assume Cimon or
one of his contemporaries to be
ὁ τὸν λόγον
προσθείς (
Thuc. 2.35: Curtius
here is to be followed rather than Grote). The ceremonies of the
ἐπιτάφια were conducted by the Polemarch (Poll.
6.91;
ARCHON Vol. I. p. 168),
but the oration was made by some man specially chosen for the occasion
(
Thuc. 1.34).
The whole Theseus-festival comprised on different days of the month
Pyanepsion several distinct ceremonies, which have been elsewhere
particularly described, partly representing the story of Theseus, partly the
funeral rites which had become connected with his festival. The word
θησεῖα may be used generally of the
whole (
Aristoph. Pl. 621), but it is
usual to find the separate ceremonies mentioned under their own name, and
where we find
θησεῖα alone it. commonly
refers to the offering and banquet on 8th Pyanepsion and the games of the
following day: the phrase
θησεῖα καὶ
ἐπιτάφια, which is often found in inscriptions (see
Heortol. p. 282), means that day of the Theseus.festival
on which the
ἐπιτάφια took place.
The Calendar of the whole festival may be thus described (following the
arrangement of A. Mommsen):--
Pyanepsion VI., the
κυβερνήσια or
steersman's festival; to commemorate the return of Theseus, celebrated at
Phalerum, where there were shrines (
ἡρῷα）
of Nausithous and Phaeax, the
κυβερνήτης
and
πρωρεὺς of the expedition (
Plut. Thes. 17). (In those years when there
was occasion of a public funeral for citizens slain in battle, their bones
“lay in state” on Pyanepsion V. and VI.)
Pyanepsion VII., the day of PYANEPSIA: the
ἕψησις τῶν ὀσπρίων having begun with the
evening of the 6th ( = the beginning of P. VII.), the feasting on this food
belonged to the whole of the day. In the morning of this day took place the
OSCHOPHORIA: in the afternoon the
ἐπιτάφια (and in time of war the oration over
[p. 2.829]the dead. The sacrifice for the slain Amazons
seems to have been on this day,
πρὸ τῶν θησεῖων,
Plut. Thes. 27). [For details see OSCHOPHORIA;
Pyanepsion VIII. On the evening of the 7th ( = the beginning of P. VIII.)
took place the offering and banquet in honour of Theseus, and a torch-race
for the
ἐπιτάφια: in the day, gymnastic
contests (cf.
Gel. 15.20,
3).
Pyanepsion IX. Equestrian exercises, processions, and contests. To these last
two days belonged especially the name
θήσεια. (For a fuller discussion, see A. Mommsen,
Heortologie, pp. 269-287; and, for the history of the
vaseillustration, Harrison,
Mythology and Monuments, pp.
xcviii.-cxlviii.)
[
G.E.M]
