The Aeginetan Commemoration () was an Ancient Greek ritual held by the people of

Aegina Aegina (; ; ) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina (mythology), Aegina, the mother of the mythological hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and became its king. ...

in honor of

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

, in his work " Greek Questions" , notes that many Aeginetans who participated in the

Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...

were killed in battle, and even more were lost during their return due to storms. Only a few managed to return to Aegina. However, in the midst of widespread mourning, neither the survivors nor their relatives who received them felt it was appropriate to celebrate or offer public religious

sacrifices Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks ...

. Thus, they secretly celebrated their return within their homes, without even the presence of servants. In memory of this event, the Aeginetans celebrated a sacrifice to Poseidon, called the Thiasi, during which they would dine in silence, each family apart by itself, for the space of sixteen days, without the presence of slaves, and no outsiders were invited. After these sixteen days, they offered sacrifices to

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

, thereby concluding this feast. Plut. Quaes. Gr. 44 Due to this ritual, in ancient Greece, the inhabitants of other cities referred to the Aeginetans as ''Monophagi'' (those who eat alone). This term has survived in the modern Greek expression ''monofagas'', which is commonly used to describe greedy individuals or those who do not allow others to participate in activities with economic benefits.

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Bibliography

* * Festivals in ancient Greece Ancient Aegina Festivals of Poseidon Proverbs {{AncientGreece-bio-stub