TAURIO'NE, TAURO, TAURO'POLOS, or TAURO'POS
Ταυριώνη, (
Ταυρώ,
Ταυροπόλο,
Ταυρωπός), originally a designation of the Tauran goddess, but also used as a surname of Artemis or even Athena, both of whom were identified with the Taurian goddess. (Hesych.
s. v. ταυροπόλαι.)
The name has been explained in different ways, some supposing that it means the goddess worshipped in Tauris, going around (i. e. protecting) the country of Tauris, or the goddess to whom bulls are sacrificed; while others explain it to mean the goddess riding on bulls, drawn by bulls, or killing bulls. Both explanations seem to have one thing in common, namely, that the bull was probably the ancient symbol of the bloody and savage worship of the Taurian divinity. (Schol.
ad Soph. Ajac. 172 ; Eurip.
Iphig. Taur. 1457 ; Müiller,
Orchom. p. 305, &100.2d ed.)
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