The death of Hyacinthus was celebrated at

Amyclae Amyclae or Amyklai ( grc, Ἀμύκλαι) was a city of ancient Laconia, situated on the right or western bank of the Eurotas, 20 stadia south of Sparta, in a district remarkable for the abundance of its trees and its fertility. Amyclae was one ...

by the second most important of Spartan festivals, the Hyacinthia (Ancient Greek / ''Hyakínthia'') in the Spartan month Hyacinthius in early summer.

Proceedings of Hyacinthia

The Hyacinthia lasted three days. Their details have been passed down to us through the descriptions in

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (; grc, Ἀθήναιος ὁ Nαυκρατίτης or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; la, Athenaeus Naucratita) was a Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourishing about the end of ...

and Didymus. The first day was given over to mourning for the death of the

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

: sacrifices were offered to the dead, banquets were stark and without pomp or decoration, the sacrificial breads were very plain. The second day was one of celebration for his rebirth. The young people played the

cithara The kithara (or Latinized cithara) ( el, κιθάρα, translit=kithāra, lat, cithara) was an ancient Greek musical instrument in the yoke lutes family. In modern Greek the word ''kithara'' has come to mean "guitar", a word which etymolog ...

and the

aulos An ''aulos'' ( grc, αὐλός, plural , ''auloi'') or ''tibia'' (Latin) was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology. Though ''aulos'' is often translated as "flute" or " double flute", it was u ...

, and sang of the glory of Apollo. Others participated in horse races. Numerous choirs competed in town, singing country songs and dancing. Amyclae was also the location of parades of carts decorated by the girls and women of Sparta. Numerous sacrifices were offered, exclusively goats, with the occasion of the κοπίς, kopis, banquets where the citizens invited their friends and relatives. The

helots The helots (; el, εἵλωτες, ''heílotes'') were a subjugated population that constituted a majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia – the territories ruled by Sparta. There has been controversy since antiquity as to their ...

had the right to participate in the celebrations, as did any foreigners: "they treat not only their countrymen, but any foreigners who happen by" (Athenaeus, IV, 138F). The kopis took place under special tents known as (''skēnaí''), a characteristic trait of ancient country festivals. The third day is not described in detail, it is possible that it was more solemn, or that mysteries were held. It is also known that for this holiday, the Spartan women wove a

chiton Chitons () are marine molluscs of varying size in the class Polyplacophora (), formerly known as Amphineura. About 940 extant and 430 fossil species are recognized. They are also sometimes known as gumboots or sea cradles or coat-of-mail she ...

( / ''chitōn'', or "tunic") which is then offered to the god—a tradition similar to the peplos offered to

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

upon the occasion of the

Panathenaic Games The Panathenaic Games ( grc, Παναθήναια) were held every four years in Athens in Ancient Greece from 566 BC to the 3rd century AD. These Games incorporated religious festival, ceremony (including prize-giving), athletic competitions, a ...

. The Hyacinthia was a major Spartan holiday.

Xenophon Xenophon of Athens (; grc, Ξενοφῶν ; – probably 355 or 354 BC) was a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian, born in Athens. At the age of 30, Xenophon was elected commander of one of the biggest Greek mercenary armies o ...

, in the ''Hellenics'' IV, 5, 11, reports that the Spartans interrupted their campaigns in order to be able to return to

Laconia Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word '' laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...

so as to participate. Pausanias writes that they even negotiated a truce especially for this purpose. According to

Thucydides Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His '' History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of " scienti ...

, upon the peace of Nicias, Athens, in order to prove its good will towards Sparta, promised to assist at the celebrations.

Bibliography

Louis Gernet Louis Gernet (28 November 1882 – 29 January 1962) was a French philologist and sociologist. Life A student at the École Normale Supérieure (class of 1902), he received a licentiate in law and agrégation in grammar. In 1917, supported by ...

, « Frairies antiques », ''Anthropologie de la Grèce antique'', Flammarion, coll. « Champs », 1999 () ; * Edmond Lévy, ''Sparte : histoire politique et sociale jusqu’à la conquête romaine'', Seuil, coll. « Points Histoire », Paris, 2003 () ; * Michael Pettersson, ''Cults of Apollo at Sparta: The Hyakinthia, the Gymnopaidiai, and the Karneia'', Paul Åströms Forlag, Stockholm, 1992 () ; * William Wayte et G.E. Marindin, ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', éditions William Smith, 1890.

References

{{Reflist Festivals in ancient Sparta Observances on non-Gregorian calendars

Proceedings of Hyacinthia

See also

Bibliography

References