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[German version] (νηφάλια/ nēphália). In Greek religion, nephalia is the cultic term for libations in which no wine was offered (Hesych. s.v. νηφάλια) or in which the use of wine is explicitly ruled out. Water, milk, honey and oil in any combination, but especially a mixture of honey with water or milk (Greek melíkraton), were used as nephalia. Nephalia occur both in combination with other sacrifices (bloody and unbloody) and as a separate offer [4. 96; 6. 70-73]. While the Homeric epics contain no evidence of nephalia, they are documented from Aeschylus to Porphyrius as well a…

[German version] (ἁμαδρυάδες/ hamadryádes, later also: ἀδρυάδες/ adryádes, ἁδρυάδες/ hadryádes), tree nymphs. In contrast to the Dryads who reside in the vicinity of trees, the H. are intimately connected to their trees (δρῦς, drys): they come into being and die at the same time (ἅμα, hama) as the tree in which they live (schol. Apoll. Rhod. 2,477; Serv. Ecl. 10,62, cf. Pind. Fr. 165). The name is first documented in Apoll. Rhod. 2,477 (and Anth. Pal. 9,823,6), but the idea appears already in H. Hom. 5,256ff. The concept of the H. might go…

[German version] (ἱκεσία, hikesía; ἱκετεία, hiketeía). With the ritual of hiketeia someone seeking protection (ἱκέτης, hikétēs) documents his status and requests help, often for acceptance in a new community. Hiketeía and hikétēs are derived from ἵκω, ἱκνέομαι, ‘arrive’ (cf. Hsch. s.v. ἱκέσθαι, ἱκετεῦσαι), and therefore the hikétēs is firstly the one who ‘arrives’. As an institution of Greek sacral law, comparable with the stranger's right to hospitality (Hom. Od. 8,546f.; Hes. Op. 327f.;  Hospitality,  Aliens, position of) and closely asso…