The ''Basilinna'' ( grc-gre, Βασιλίννα) or ''Basilissa'' (), both titles meaning "queen", was a ceremonial position in the

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

ancient Athens Athens is one of the oldest named cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for perhaps 5,000 years. Situated in southern Europe, Athens became the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC, and its cultural achieve ...

, held by the wife of the ''

archon basileus ''Archon basileus'' ( grc, ἄρχων βασιλεύς ') was a Greek title, meaning "king magistrate": the term is derived from the words ''archon'' "magistrate" and '' basileus'' "king" or " sovereign". Most modern scholars claim that in Classic ...

''. The role dated to the time when Athens was ruled by kings, and their wives acted as priestesses (

Hiereiai Hiereiai (singular: ''hiereia'') was the title of the female priesthood or priestesses in ancient Greek religion, being the equivalent of the male title '' Hierei''. Ancient Greece had a number of different offices in charge of worship of gods a ...

). The duties of the basilinna are described in the pseudo-Demosthenic speech ''

Against Neaira "Against Neaera" was a prosecution speech delivered by Apollodoros of Acharnae against the freedwoman Neaera. It was preserved as part of the Demosthenic corpus, though it is widely considered to be pseudo-Demosthenic, possibly written by Apol ...

'', which is the main source of evidence about the position. The laws which set out the qualifications for a basilinna were inscribed on a stele which stood in the sanctuary of

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

at Limnai. She was expected to be of Athenian birth and not previously married, though Noel Robertson argues that these requirements may have been ignored as inconvenient. The most important duty of the basilinna appears to have been taking part in a sacred ritual marriage to the god Dionysus as part of the

Anthesteria The Anthesteria (; grc, Ἀνθεστήρια ) was one of the four Athenian festivals in honor of Dionysus. It was held each year from the 11th to the 13th of the month of Anthesterion, around the time of the January or February full moon. The ...

. This ceremony seems to have taken place at the Boukoleion, near the

Prytaneion A ''prytaneion'' ( grc, Πρυτανεῖον, la, prytanēum) was seat of the ''prytaneis'' (Executive (government), executive), and so the seat of government in ancient Greece. The term is used to describe any of a range of ancient structures ...

. Most scholars consider that this would have happened on the second day of the festival ("Choes"). However, Robertson suggests that it in fact happened on the first day of the festival ("Pithoigia"). Ludwig Deubner has proposed a full reconstruction of the ceremony, in which Dionysus was taken in a procession to the sanctuary at Limnai and married to the basilinna; both the basilinna and Dionysus were then taken in a wedding procession to the Boukoleion, where the marriage was consummated, with the archon basileus playing the part of Dionysus. The basilinna was also responsible for administering an oath to the

gerarai ''Gerarai'' ( grc-gre, Γεραραί), also known by the latinized form ''Gerarae'', were priestesses (Hiereiai) of Dionysus in ancient Greek religion. They presided over sacrifices and participated in the festivals of Theoinia and Iobaccheia ...

, women priests apparently appointed by the archon basileus. This took place on the second day of the Anthesteria, and Robertson argues that it must have taken place after the wedding.

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