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The story may be a reminiscence of primitive customs, marriage by capture and exogamy, on which see McLennan, Studies in Ancient History (ch. vii, f.), and Westermarck (ch. xiv), and (especially on exogamy) Frazer, Totemism and Exogamy (vol. iv).

Brauron lay on the east coast of Attica, between Prasiae and Marathon, probably at the modern Vraona (Frazer, Paus. ii. 446). Attic legend (Eurip. Iph. in Taur. 1435 f.) identified Brauronian Artemis with the Tauric Artemis brought by Orestes (but cf. Paus. iii. 16. 7, as well as i. 23. 7, 33. 1, and Harrison, Ancient Athens, p. 395 f.). The implied dependence of Brauron on Athens, and possibly the festival itself, belong to a later date than the legendary expulsion of the Pelasgi.


ἄρχειν. The legend invented to justify Athenian dominion over Lemnos treats these Attic boys as its natural lords and masters; cf. the tale of Cyrus i. 114.


Θόαντι. The ordinary legend was that King Thoas was concealed by his daughter Hypsipyle, but afterwards discovered and killed by the other women (Apollodor. i. 9. 17; iii. 6. 4). H. may be only summarizing, not differing from this account. Cf. Aesch. Choeph. 633ᾔκασεν δέ τις τὸ δεινὸν αὖ Λημνίοισι πήμασιν”.

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  • Commentary references from this page (2):
    • Aeschylus, Libation Bearers, 633
    • Pausanias, Description of Greece, 3.16.7
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