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[German version] (Προηροσία/ Proērosía or Προηρόσια/ Proērósia, also Πρηρόσια/ Prērósia and Πληροσία/ Plērosía sc. θυσία/ thysía). 'Sacrifice before ploughing', an agrarian sacrificial rite, possibly a festival, performed before ploughing and sowing, for a good increase of the crop (Suda s. v. Π.; Hsch. s. v. Π.; cf. Lycurg. 14, fr. 4 Conomis; Hyp. fr. 75). The 'sacrifice before ploughing' was one of several rites or festivals in the Attic demes running through the agricultural year in Attica. The nature and timing of the sacrifice varied by deme. The proērosía pertained to Demete…

[German version] (τὰ ξένια/ xénia neutr. pl., also θεοξένια/ theoxénia, feminine singular: 'hospitality (to the gods)'). A Greek rite of central importance in which, as an alternative to a customary sacrifice, gods and heroes of all kinds were invited to a public or private sacrificial meal. Literature, archaeology and inscriptions offer abundant evidence for 'tables of offering' ( hierà trápeza) set with food and klinai with blankets for the entertainment of the divine guests. Smaller sacrificial offerings (such as fruit and cakes) were put on the 'tables o…

[German version] (Προ(σ)χαριστήρια/ Pro(s)charistḗria). Possibly identfiable with Pro(s)chairētḗria (cf. Suda s. v. Προσχαιρητήρια). Attic festival of the first blossom of fruits of the field, to which οἳ ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ πάντες ( hoi en têi archêi pántes, 'all officials' or 'all within the Delian League') presented a traditional sacrifice (Suda s. v. Προχαριστήρια; Anecd. Bekk. 1,295,3). In the early tradition, the sacrifice was for Kore (Persephone) to mark the occasion of her ascent out of the Underworld, imagined as happening every …

[German version] (Ὀρθ(ε)ία/ Orth(e)ía, also Ὀρθωσία/ Orthōsía, ορθασία/ Worthasía, Βωρθεία/ Bōrtheía and other names). Greek, especially Peloponnesian goddess. She was, probably from the earliest times on, identified with Artemis, if she was ever separate from her. The meaning and etymology of the name were unclear even in antiquity. O.'s most prominent cult was in Sparta (Limnae), where she was worshipped from the 10th/9th cent. BC until late antiquity [1; 2]. O. played a central role there during initiation and in the agōgḗ [3]. The best known part of h…

(Μέλισσα/ Mélissa, ‘bee’). Epithet of priestesses, name of nymphs and proper name, sometimes in aetiological myths. [German version] [1] Priestesses of Demeter Mélissai are the priestesses of Demeter (Pind. Fr. 158; Callim. H. 2,110; [1. no. 91]; Apollod. FGrH 244 F 89, on Paros), and in schol. Theoc. 15,94 of Persephone as well. The name probably derives from the association of bees and their behaviour, which was thought of as especially pure (Aristot. Hist. an. 4,535a 2 f.; schol. Pind. P. 4,106a), with idealised f…