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[German version] In Tac. Germ. 46,4, the name of a fantastic people with a human face and a body the shape of an animal. An etymology that goes back to an animal name is therefore assumed; a Germanic equivalent with Greek ἐλλός, Armenian eln, Lithuanian élnis ‘deer (fawn)’ [1. 534-537] has been suggested. Whether this fantastic people bears witness to Scandinavian peoples or rather to seals with a face resembling that of a human remains to be seen [1. 537]. They should certainly not be linked with the Helisii, part of a tribe of Lugians (Tac. Germ. 43,2).…

[German version] (τελετή /teletḗ, pl. teletaí, < *tḷ1-et2 from teléō/télos < *tel-1 , 'to bring' [10. 232] in contrast to the common two-fold derivation of *kwel- and *tel-2 ; as a Greek foreign word in Lat. teleta, Apul. Met. 11,22 et alibi on the cult of Isis). In the religious realm, the term could refer to various types of events (cf. Hsch. s. v. τ.: festivals, sacrifices, mysteries), originally to religious acts in general (e.g. Batr. 303 [11. 97]; Aristoph. Pax 413). It is therefore used in connection with various Greek fest…

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[German version] (μορίαι/ moríai). In Athens a term for the olive-trees that were sacred to Athena, the maintenance of which, by assigning special custodians, known as …

[German version] Daughter of the noble Sabine Hersilius (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 3,1). During the rape of the Sabine women, she is the only married woman who is abducted (Cass. Dio 56,5,5 is a reflection of this: H. teaches the Roman women …

(Πανδίων/ Pandíōn). [German version] [1] Attic King Mythical Attic king and eponymous hero of the Pandionis [2] phyle (with 11 demes [2. 370]). P. occupies the sixth place on the list of kings in Hellanicus [1 (FGrH 4, commentary, vol. 1, p. 449). this list was later expanded by duplications of P. and Cecrops, first detectable in the Marmor Parium (FGrH 239 A 1-17). Here, P. I occupies the fifth place, and P. II the eighth. Originally, the list probably only contained the kings Cecrops, P., Erechtheus and Aegeus, as only they were phyle heros while they were kings. P. is therefore one legendary …

(Ἱππομένης; Hippoménēs). [German version] [1] Victor in foot race against Atalante Boeotian from Onchestus, son of  Megareus (Hyg. Fab. 185) or Ares (schol. Theoc. 3,40) and Merope (Hyg. Fab. 185). The foot race between H. and  Atalante was already known to Hesiod (fr. 74 M.-W.). The most comprehensive account can be found in Ov. Met. 10,560-707 [1]: Upon his request, Venus gives him three apples which Atalante picks up during the race, causing her to lose. H. fails to perform the thanks-offering; Venus en…

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[German version] (Κέκροψ; Kékrops). Indigenous (Apollod. 3,177) Attic first king, who was revered cultically on the acropolis of  Athens, where his grave also lay (Antiochus-Pherecydes FGrH 333 F 1). The Cecropion (building inscription Erechtheion IG I3 474,56. 56-63) is presumably identical with the structure at the south-west corner of the Erechtheion, which was taken into consideration during the construction of the temple, and can be dated before the  Persian Wars (Hecatompedon inscription IG I3 4B, 10-11). An inscription of the Augustan period names a priest of …

[German version] (Πανδάρεος, -εως; Pandáreos, -eōs). Son of Merops [5], from a city named Miletus (schol. V Hom. Od. 19,518); according to Paus. 10,30,2, from Cretan Miletus [3]. His descent from Hermes and Merope (schol. B Hom. Od. 19,518) probably derives from the motif of theft: P. steals the golden hound posted by Zeus to guard his sanctuary in Crete and takes him to Tantalus for safekeeping; through Hermes, Zeus demands the hound back and has Tantalus killed by being cast from Mt. Sipylus for denying possession. He destroys P. along with his wife Harmothoe (Eust. Hom. Od. 19,518 p. 1875) as they flee to Sicily via Athens. Antoninus Liberalis 36 closes this myth with P.'s transformation into a rock. His daughter Aedon marries Zethus, the brother of Amphion, and mistakenly kills her son Itylus - according to schol. Hom. Od. 19,518 out of envy for Niobe's large number of children - while attempting to kill the latter's son Amaleus. Henceforth, as a nightingale she bemoans her suffering (Hom. Od. 19,518-523). Antoninus Liberalis 11 relates a version from Asia Minor of the Attic myth of Tereus, Philomela and Procne featuring Aedon, her sister Chelidon and the husband Polytechnus. Aphrodite cares for the two other daughters of P., who also receive fine gifts from Hera, Artemis and Athena. However before Aphrodite can arrange their wedding with Zeus, they are kidnapped by the Harpies and handed over as servants to the Furies (Erinys) (Hom. Od. 20,66-78). The scholia on the passage cite their names as Merope and Cleothera; Paus. 10,30,1f. who mentions thei…

[German version] ('four-formed', also Quadrifrons, 'four-faced'). Sobriquet of Janus (Ianus) whose statue, which looked in four directions, is supposed to have been taken to Rome after the conquest of Falerii [1] in 241 BC (Serv. Aen. 7,607; Macrob. Sat. 1,9,13). Under Domitian it was moved to the Forum Transitorium (Mart. 10,28,5 f.); there is an illustration of the cult image on an …

[German version] (also Lumphae: Prisc. Institutio de arte grammatica 2,36,22). Italian name for water goddesses. The name should be regarded as close, from the point of view of content and language, like Oscan diumpaís, to Greek nýmphai ( Nymphs) [1] to which it is partly used as a parallel: CIL V 3106 (Vicetia), Aug. Civ. …

[German version] (Ἱππαλεκτρυών; Hippalektryṓn, ‘horse rooster’). Fantastic  monster, a combination of cock and horse. The earliest literary record is Aesch. Myrmidones fr. 134 Radt. The references in Aristophanes (Pax 1177; Av. 800; Ran. 932, as in Aesch. with the epithet xouthós, ‘golden, yellow’) are parodies of tragedies. In Hesychius and Photius s.v. and in the scholia to Aristophanes, the creature has a bird's head - this is the exact opposite of the archaeological findings (a cock's hindquarters with two cock's legs, front of a horse with two horse's legs). Very often, it is depicted as an animal used for riding. Records exist almost exclusively for Attica from the period between 560 and 470 BC. Related in a compositional way are monsters such as the ‘panther cock’ or the ‘girl cock’ [1. 432-433]. An Oriental origin is uncertain but alw…

(Γηγενεῖς, ‘Earth Born ’). [German version] [1] Epithet of the Giants Epithet of the Aloads (Schol. Apoll. Rhod. 1,482),  Orion (Apollod. 1,25 Wagner), the Spartans (Eur. Bacch. 264), Argus [I 5] (Aesch. PV 567), and the  giants (Batr. 7; Soph. Trach. 1058f.; Eur. Phoen. 1131). As a noun = giants (Aristoph. Nub. 853; Lycoph. 1408; explained in Diod. Sic. 4,21,7). Scherf, Johannes (Tübingen) [German version] [2] Mythical people Mythical people…

[German version] [1] Epithet of Athena (‘killer of Gorgo’). Epithet of Athena in Orph. H. 32,8 (but see  Gorgophone [1]). Scherf, Johannes (Tübingen) [German version] [2] Epithet of Perseus Epithet of Perseus (Eur. fr. 985 Nauck; Nonnus, Dion. 18,305; 30,269; 31,12; 47,506; 47,536).…

[German version] (Τήνερος; Tḗneros). Mythical seer ( Mántis : Pind.  Fr. 51d) in Thebes, son of Apollo and the ash-nymph Melia (Melia [1]; schol.  Lycoph. 1211), who gives birth to him in the Ismenion  (Pind. Fr…

[German version] (Μεμνονίδες/ Memnonídes; Lat. Memnoniae aves).The legend of the birds of Memnon is closely associated with the grave of Memnon [1] on the river Aisepus. According to Paus. 10,31,6 Polygnotus had portrayed Memnon wearing a robe painted with birds in the picture of Hades on the Lesche of the Cnidians at Delphi. The extant versions probably date back to scholarly of Alexandrine poetry: according to Q. Smyrn. 2,642-655 it is the companions of Memnon who are turned into birds by Eos (simil…

[German version] (φαλλός/ phallós, Latin phallus; from a Proto-Indo-European root * bhel-, 'blow up', 'swell up'). As bearer of the beneficent power of procreation, the male member played an important role in religion and cult. Its connection with Dionysus is particularly close: Phallus processions can be found in the rural Dionysia (Aristoph. Ach. 241-276), where the phallus is personified as Phales, to whom the cultic song is addressed (Aristoph. Ach. 263; 276), and at the great Dionysia, where the membe…

[German version] (Ζεφυρίτις; Zephyrítis). Epithet of Arsinoe [II 3] II, the sister-wife of Ptolemaeus [3] II Philadelphus who was worshipped…

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