Apellai (), was a three-day family-festival of the Northwest

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

similar with the Ionic Apaturia, which was dedicated to

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

( Doric form: ).Walter Burkert (1985) ''Greek Religion''. Harvard University Press. p. 255 The fest was spread in Greece by the

Dorians The Dorians (; , , singular , ) were one of the four major ethnic groups into which the Greeks, Hellenes (or Greeks) of Classical Greece divided themselves (along with the Aeolians, Achaeans (tribe), Achaeans, and Ionians). They are almost alw ...

as it is proved by the use of the month ''Apellaios'' ( or in Ionic Tenos), in various Dorian states.

Etymology and related words

The word is derived from the Ancient Macedonian word ''pélla'' (), "stone", ( Heshychius) which appears in some toponyms in Greece like

Pella Pella () is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It served as the capital of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. Currently, it is located 1 km outside the modern town of Pella ...

(), Pellene () Robert Beekes suggests that the word has probably Pre-Greek origin. The Doric word ''apella'' () originally meant wall, enclosure of stones, and later assembly of people within the limits of the square . The word usually appears in plural. Robert Beekes derives the word from the verb , ("shut off from or out from") therefore ''apella'' is the "enclosed space, meeting space". When a pubescent was received into the body of grown men, as a grown ''Kouros'' (male youth) he became (''apellax'', "sharer in secret rites") and he could enter the ''apellai''. The apellaia were the offerings made at the initiation of the young men at a meeting of a family group. Apellaion is the offering of a part of the hair to the god, and corresponds to the ''Koureion'' of the Apaturia. ''Apellaios'' is the month of these rites, and Apellon is the "megistos kouros" (the great Kouros).

Ancient practice

There is evidence for this festival in Epidauros, Olous, Kalchedon, "Heracleia" at Siris, Tauromenion, Chaleion, Lamia, Oeta ( (''Oetē'')), Tolophon,

Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...

and also in Ancient Macedonia. The phratry (‘brotherhood’) controlled the access to civic rights. The three-day family-festival included initiation ceremonies, not concerning the state: * A father introduced his young child * A father presented his son again, later, as grown youth ( kouros) * A husband presented his wife after the marriage The corresponding names for the offerings made were ''paideia'' (child), '' apellaia'' ( kouros) and ''gamela'' (marriage, Greek: γάμος ''gamos''). It is almost sure that the fest belonged originally to

, because his name is used in the oaths only near Poseidon Phratrios and Zeus Patroοs. In

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

a common epithet of Apollo as family-god is "Apollo Patroos".Temple of Apollo Patroos
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Νotes

{{Reflist Festivals of Apollo Ancient Greek festivals by region Lunisolar calendars

Etymology and related words

Ancient practice

See also

Νotes