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A
Study of Greek Life: The Anthesteria
Eydie Hill
There are many
facets of the Anthesteria, a three-day festival in Athens.
The first is the opening of the wine casks, an honor
paid to Dionysus, the god of wine. The second facet
is that it is the first coming of age festival in the
life of an Athenian. The third is that it is the one-day
the dead walk among the living. It was but one of many
festivals occurring annually in the Greek year, but
it contained one of the most unusual customs in a Greek
festival. For each unique facet of this festival, there
is a corresponding day: Pithoigia, the Feast of Choes,
and Chytrai (Bucknell 1).
The Anthesteria come from the
flowers blooming at the time of the festival, late winter
(Parke 1). The first day (the Pithoigia) consists of
the wine casks being dug up, brought to the temple,
mixed, and tasted (Hellenic 1). The appropriate prayers
and libations to Dionysus were performed, and the day
concluded with drinking (Bucknell 1). This is also the
time for cutting back the grapevines in preparation
for the growing season (UTK 2).
There is much debate over
the arrival of Dionysus. He is believed to have arrived
either on the first or the second day. All the sources
agree that he rode in on a boat-shaped chariot from
the sea into Athens (UTK 2). The wife of the King Archon,
or the Basilinna, was to consummate her marriage with
the god, who was probably portrayed by her husband (Choes
1). The feast commemorated the wedding of Dionysus (UTK
2). One source suggests that all the women of Athens
were eligible to unite with the God that night and could
have been called to him by his messengers, the satyrs
(UTK 8). The satyrs were men who belonged to an order
that worshiped Dionysus and spread his fertility that
night (UTK 8).
The second day, the Feast
of Choes, saw the three-year-olds of Athens enrolled
in their clans (UTK 4). They were given presents of
toys and pets (UTK 4) and each child was given a choes
of wine, a smaller version of the 3.2 liter wine jugs
carried by adults; they were also adorned with garlands
of flowers (Bucknell 1). The choes had a trefoil lip
(UTK 3) and had pictures of boys participating in the
various activities of the festival (Choes 1). Years
later, it became the custom to pay Athenian teachers
on this day (Parke 1). According to legend, the day
must be spent in silence and everyone must eat alone,
because the spirit of impurity that entered the city
with Orestes after he killed his mother was still present
on this day (Choes 2). The king of Athens gave him sanctuary,
but no one could eat with him because of his crime (
Bucknell 1). For recreation, they hung swings in the
trees near homes, and placed masks and figures in the
trees for decoration (UTK 6). In the temple, the Basilinna
performed many sacred rites along with the fourteen
Gererai who took oaths that day and assisted in making
sacrifices. One special sacrifice was the he-goat whose
skin was made into a wine skin (Choes 1 and UTK 6).
At the end of the day, the garlands and wine jugs were
given to the priestesses as an offering to the god to
further prevent the impurity of Orestes from spreading
(Choes 2).
The third day, Chytrai, honored
the dead, who were believed to return to earth that
day (Bucknell 2). A vegetable or fruit stew was offered
to the dead, and it was believed that no one should
eat from this sacrifice ( Hellenic 1). Libations were
also offered to those who perished in the great flood
(UTK 9), possibly the same flood of The Epic of Gilgamesh
and the Old Testament. The ritual ends as all shout
to the dead "Get out Keres, the Anthesteria is over!"
(Bucknell 2). This day seems similar to the feast of
All Hallow's Eve and All Souls Day, allowing the dead,
both good and evil, to walk on All Hallow's Eve and
honoring the ancestors and saints on All Souls Day.
Some speculate that the Anthesteria may have been two
festivals merged into one (Hellenic 1) while others
contend that the Chytrai has more to do with the great
flood and the death of Dionysus (UTK 9). Its mystery
remains intriguing, and it is interesting to note its
parallels with our modern Halloween.
The three days of Anthesteria
marked an important time in the everyday lives of the
Greeks. Wine was very important in every aspect of their
lives, and the coming of age of a child was also cause
for celebration. Admittedly, allowing children over
the age of three to participate in the drinking of the
festival is rather shocking in today's context. However,
it should be noted that Greeks mixed their wine with
water according to the instructions of Dionysus (Bucknell
1). It is amazing to see the parallels between Halloween
and Chytrai, and the Feast of Choes and the modern St.
Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's day, unfortunately, contains
the revelry expected with much drinking, which contrasts
the silence observed by Athenians during the Feast of
Choes. Such similarities between this ancient festival
and the holidays of today are rather unexpected. The
Anthesteria marked one of the many important dates in
the calendar of the Greeks. Each of their festivals
marked important seasons in the year or particular planting
or harvest times. Because this festival marked a preparation
time for the grape season, an enjoyment of the fruits
of the last harvest, a festival of the dead, and a coming-of-age
celebration, it was the most unique and multi-faceted
festival of the Greek calendar year.
Works
Cited
Students of Bucknell University.
Anthesteria. Available:
http://www.students.bucknell.edu/pr.../clas231/calendars/Anthesteria.html
The Anthesteria: 11th-13th
of Anthesterion. Available:
http://www.students.bucknell.edu/co...ry/Festivals/Anthesteria/index.html
Hellenic Polytheist Notebook.
(December). Anthesteria. Available:
wysiwyg://75/http://www.pagan.drak.net/duttond/pagan/Anthesteria.html
(1999, February). Dionysian
Meditations: The Anthesteria. Available:
http://www.cs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/JO-Anth.html
The Feast of Choes: The
second day of the Anthesteria. Available:
http://www.students.bucknell.edu/collins/Library/Festivals/day2/index.html
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