ARTEM´SIA
ARTEM´SIA (
ἀρτεμίσια),
great festivals celebrated in honour of Artemis in various parts of Greece,
in the spring of the year. We find one mentioned at Syracuse in honour of
Artemis Potamia and Soteria (
Pind. P. 2.12).
It lasted three days, which were principally spent in feasting and
amusements (
Liv. 25.23;
Plut. Marc. 18). Bread was offered to her under the name of
Λοξία (
Hesych.
sub voce). But similar festivals occur in many other places in
Greece, as at Delphi, where, according to Hegesander (
Athen. 7.325), they offered to
the goddess a mullet on this occasion; because it appeared to hunt and kill
the sea-hare, and thus bore some resemblance to Artemis, the huntress. The
same name was given to the festivals of Artemis in Cyrene and Ephesus,
though in the latter place the goddess was not the Grecian Artemis, but a
deity of Eastern origin. (
Dionys. A. R.
4.25; Achill. Tat. 6.4, 7.12, 8.17; Xenoph. Ephes. 1.2.)
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L.S]
