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(Ποσειδῶν/ Poseidôn, Doric Ποτειδάν/ Poteidán, along with other forms of the name). I. Myth and cult [German version] A. General remarks P. was the Greek "god of the sea, of earthquakes and of horses" (Paus. 7,21,7). He belongs to the older strata of Greek religion: his name is already well attested in Mycenaean times. He was worshipped both in Knossos and in Pylus [2], where he also had a sanctuary (the Posidaion), a cult association (the Posidaiewes) and probably even a wife, Posidaeja [1. 181-185]; his local importance is still reflected in Pylian Nestor's [1] sacrifice to…

I. Religious studies [German version] A. General Sacrifice is one of the central concepts in describing ritual religion in ancient and modern cultures. In European Modernity, the term sacrifice (directly or indirectly influenced by Christian theology of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ to redeem mankind) also has an intimation towards individual self-giving ('sacrifice of self'). The range of nuances in the modern meaning stretches to include discourses that have lost their religious motif and hav…

(Φιλύρα/Philýra, literally 'lime-tree'). [German version] [1] Oceanid Oceanid, already in Hesiod (Theog. 1002) the mother of the centaur Chiron, in whose cave she lived according to Pindar (N. 3,43). The Hesiodic, Aeolic spelling Phillyrídēs for Chiron points to an archaic stratum of the myth (West on Hes. Theog. 1002). She was loved by Kronos who, being surprised by Rhea while making love to her, turned himself and P. into horses. Their child was the centaur Chiron, whose monstrous shape so horrified the mother that she prayed…

[German version] I. Mythical character (Νάρκισσος/ Nárkissos, Lat. Narcissus). [German version] A. Mythology Narcissus is the personification of a plant by the same name; as with many plants, the etymology may be pre-Greek (Chantraine, vol. 2, s.v.). The aetiological myth of Narcissus is documented only in relatively late sources and is unlikely to be earlier than Hellenistic. Conon [4] (FGrH 26 F 1,26), a mythographer, who knew many local myths, tells of the fate of a handsome youth from Thespiae in Boeotia…

[German version] (ᾍδης; Háidēs). Greek term for the Underworld and its ruler. Various spellings are attested: Aides, Ais and Aedoneus in Homer, H. (aspirated) only in Attica. The etymology is unclear; the most recent proposal is that H. should be traced back to *a-wid ‘invisible’ [1. 575f.], cf. however [2. 302]. Outside Attica, for instance in Homer (Il. 23,244; Od. 11,623), the word can also designate the  Underworld, whose gates are guarded by the hell-hound  Cerberus (Il. 5,646; 8,368). In Home…

[German version] (Ἅρπυιαι; Hárpyiai, Latin Harpyiae). Female monsters of Greek mythology who, as daughters of Thaumas and Electra (Apollod. 1,2,6), belong to an older generation of gods. These ‘snatchers’ (< ἁρπάζω, harpázō = ‘snatch’, ‘rob’), who are never described in detail, are personifications of the demonic forces of storms and are always represented as winged women. Homer uses them in order to explain the disappearance without a trace of Odysseus (Hom. Od. 1,241; 14,371) or the sudden death of  Pandareus' daughters (Od…

[German version] (Κασσάνδρα, Kassándra, ‘who stands out among men’ [1. 54-57]; Lat. Cassandra). In the Iliad ‘the most beautiful daughter’ of Priamus (Hom. Il. 13,366-67), who ‘compares to the golden Aphrodite’ (ibid. 24,699); Ibycus describes her as ‘she of the narrow ankles’ (fr. S 151 Davies). Beauty, youth and social status as a princess make her the paradigmatic feminine adolescent. The attempted rape on the part of  Ajax [2] fits this scenario; afterwards C. sought asylum at a stature of Athena in her sanctuary, as is reported already in the Iliupersis and in Alcaeus (S 262 Pa…

[German version] (Λίνος; Línos) presumably is the personification of the ritual (Oriental?) cry aílinon (Phoenician ai lanu?), the refrain of the so-called L. song (Hom. Il. 18,569-570; Hes. fr. 305-306 M.-W.; Pind. fr. 128c 6). According to this tradition, L. is the son of Apollo and a Muse (Urania, Calliope, Terpsichore or Euterpe [1. 14; 2. 55]); the link with the Muses is reflected in a cult on the Helicon [1] (Paus. 9,29,5-6) and in Epidaurus (SEG 33, 303; 44, 332A). Argive women and maidens in an annual…

[German version] [1] Horrific monster Female monster in Greek mythology. According to the canonical version of the myth (Apollod. 2,4,1-2),  Perseus must get the head of  Medusa, the mortal sister of Sthenno and Euryale (Hes. Theog. 276f.; POxy. 61, 4099), the daughters of Phorcys and Ceto (cf. Aeschylus' drama Phorcides, TrGF 262). The three sisters live on the island of Sarpedon in the ocean (Cypria, fr. 23; Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 11), although Pindar (Pyth. 10,44-48) located them among the Hyperboraeans ( Hyperborei). Their connection to the s…

[German version] (Τιτάν/ Titán, pl. Τιτάνες/ Titánes; Lat. Titan(us), pl. Titanes; the name is possibly of North-Syrian origin [1. 20428]). For the Greeks, the 'ancient gods' par excellence who, after their rebellion against Zeus, were banished into the Tartarus (cf. recently the 'subterranean T.' in a Sicilian defixio : SEG 47, 1442). The earliest sources: Hom. Il. 5,898; 8,478 f., etc., Hes. Theog. 617-719 and the lost ' Titanomachy' [2]. Hesiod (Theog. 133-137) and Acusilaus (FGrH 2 F 7) record Oceanus, Coeus, Hyperion, Crius [1], Iapetus…

[German version] (Νηρεύς; N ēreús), whose name may be related to the Lithuanian nérti (‘to dive’), has only a shadowy role in Greek mythology. He is a typical ‘Old Man of the Sea’. This category of deities is usually anonymous in Homer (Il. 1.358, 18.141 etc.), although the title also refers to other sea-deities like Proteus (Od. 4.365) and Phorcys (Od. 13.96). These, and comparable deities like Glaucus [1], Thetis and Triton, possess the gift of prophecy and the ability to change shapes. The background is a…

[German version] (Τριπτόλεμος; Triptólemos). The paradigmatic mythological representative of Eleusis [1]. The etymology of the name is dubious [1]. T.'s genealogy is transmitted in various versions, which may indicate that he is not a long-established figure. His connection to the royal Eleusinian family (Apollod. 1,29f.) may be old. In any case, he was claimed by Argos [II 1] after the mid 5th cent. BC (Paus. 1,14,2; [2.158f.]). Around 530 BC, Athenian vases depict him as a bearded figure in a rus…

[German version] [1] Magician, v. Magic (φάρμακος; phármakos). Magician, v. Magic. Bremmer, Jan N. (Groningen) [German version] [2] Human 'scapegoat' (φαρμακός/ pharmakós from φάρμακον/ phármakon, 'remedy, medicine'). The pharmakos was a human 'scapegoat' (Scapegoat rituals), who at Athens and in the Ionian poleis was driven out of a city to 'purify' it during the Thargelia as well as in times of crisis such as epidemic and famine. The scapegoat was chosen from among the poor and deformed; pharmakos and associated terms were thus regarded as insults [7; 8]. The pharmakoí received pr…

(Αἴολος; Aíolos). [German version] [1] Eponym of the Aeolean tribe Eponym of the Aeolean tribe. Son of Hellen (Hes. fr. 9 MW), grandson of  Deucalion, whose many genealogical connections help to give structure to the mythical worldview of the Greeks, including geographically. His brothers Dorus and Xythos emigrate, A. is king in the paternal Magnesia/Thessaly. By Enarete, daughter of Deimachus, he has many children: the sons Cretheus, Athamas,  Sisyphus, Salmoneus and Perieres (Hes. fr. 10 MW; Apollod. 1,…

[German version] (Λιτυέρσης; Lityérsēs). Personification of a harvest song (Men. Karchedonios fr. 230 Koerte; Apollodorus FGrH 244 F 149; Phot. λ 263-264 Theodoridis) and a flute melody (Suda s.v.). The melody, probably a dirge-like one, gave rise to a story in which L., the bastard son of the Phrygian king Midas, would force passing strangers into a reaping contest with him. If they lost, he would give them a thrashing (Poll. 4,54) or cut off their heads and tie their bodies up in the wheat sheav…

(Ἕλενος; Hélenos). [German version] [1] One of the great early seers One of the great early seers, more important in the epic kyklos than in Homer; son of  Priamus and  Hecabe (Hom. Il. 6,76; 7,44; Soph. Phil. 605f.; Apollod. 3,151; P Oxy. 56,3829), twin brother of  Cassandra (Anticlides FGrH 140 F 17; P Oxy. 56,3830). According to a probably archaic tradition, H. received his gift of prophecy when he was still a child in the temple of Apollo Thymbraeus, where he and Cassandra had fallen asleep. When their parents re…

Ὁ ὄφις/ ho óphis, as early as Hom. Il. 12,208; Latin anguis or, from its creeping way of moving, serpens; sometimes also generally ὁ δράκων/ ho drákōn (v.i. B. 3.; = óphis in Hom. Il. 12,202; Hes. Theog. 322 and 825), ἡ ἔχιδνα/ hē échidna (Hdt. 3,108; also as the snake-like monster Echidna and in a metaphorical sense for 'traitor/traitress', e.g. Aesch. Cho.  249), ἡ χέρσυδρος/ hē chérsydros (e.g. Nic. Ther. 359); Latin vipera (first at Cic. Har. resp. 50), coluber, colubra (from Plautus to Petronius only poetic). I. Zoology [German version] A. General The absence of snakes on certain i…

[German version] (θαργήλια/ Thargḗlia, also Targelia). The main festival connected with Apollo on the 6th and 7th days (resp. birthday of Artemis and Apollo) of the Attic/Ionian month Thargēliṓn (late April to late May). The etymology is not known; in Antiquity the name was linked with a stew, thárgēlos (e.g. Phot. ψ 22), made from first fruits offered up to the god. The importance of the festival is also shown in its onomastic productivity, cf. e.g. the Milesian courtesan T. (Hippias FGrH 6 F 3); indeed the festival was generally of great si…

[German version] I. Introduction The term P. has found its way as a loanword from the Greek translation of the Bible into numerous languages. The Septuagint regularly uses prophḗtēs to translate the Hebrew substantive nābī, which is etymologically connected with Akkadian nabû(m) = 'one who is called'. Since then a very much wider use has emerged. For a more precise demarcation of the concept, it is useful to adopt Cicero's distinction between inductive and intuitive divination ( genus artificiosum, genus naturale: Cic. Div. 1,11,34; 2,26 f.) and to describe as prophets onl…

[German version] (Μόψος/ Mópsos). Famous mythological seer (or seers?), who already participates in the expedition of the Argonauts in archaic Greek epic (POxy. 53,3698) and Pindar (Pyth. 189-192). He is the son of Ampyx and grandson of Ares (Hes. Sc. 181), comes from Titaresus (i.e. Dodona) and dies on the journey, after being bitten by a serpent in Libya (Apoll. Rhod. 4,1502ff.). Originally, he may well have been the heros eponymos of the Thessalian Mopsium (Str. 9,5,22). The exact relationship between this M. and the famous seer from Asia Minor, who is the son …