The Delia () were festivals and games celebrated in

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

at the great celebratory gathering (''

panegyris A panegyris ( "gathering"), is an Ancient Greek general, national or religious assembly. Each was dedicated to the worship of a particular god. It is also associated with saint days and holy festivals. Panegyris is used in three ways: A meeting of ...

'') on the island of

Delos Delos (; ; ''Dêlos'', ''Dâlos''), is a small Greek island near Mykonos, close to the centre of the Cyclades archipelago. Though only in area, it is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. ...

History

This gathering was apparently originally related to the meetings of the

Delian League The Delian League was a confederacy of Polis, Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, founded in 478 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Classical Athens, Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Achaemenid Empire, Persian ...

, a religious alliance ('' amphictyony'') to which the

Cyclades The CYCLADES computer network () was a French research network created in the early 1970s. It was one of the pioneering networks experimenting with the concept of packet switching and, unlike the ARPANET, was explicitly designed to facilitate i ...

and the neighboring

Ionians The Ionians (; , ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the traditional four major tribes of Ancient Greece, alongside the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaeans. The Ionian dialect was one of the three major linguistic divisions of the ...

on the coasts belonged. This amphictyony seems originally to have been instituted simply for the purpose of religious worship in the common sanctuary of ''

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 ...

Delios'', the patron god (, ''theos patroos'') of the Ionians, who was believed to have been born at Delos. The Delia, as appears from the Homeric Hymn to Apollo (147), had existed from very early times, and were celebrated every fourth year, possibly in the Athenian month of Hieros, or in Thargelion, to apply to Delos the Athenian calendar. Arnold, Irene Ringwood (1933).
Local Festivals at Delos
. ''American Journal of Archaeology''. 37(3). July 1933. pp. 452-458. The members of the amphictyony assembled on these occasions () in Delos, in long garments, with their wives and children, to worship the god with gymnastic and musical contests, choruses, and dances. That the

Athenians 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 ...

took part in these solemnities at a very early period, is evident from the ''Deliastoi'' (afterwards called ''

Theoroi The theoroi ( or ) in ancient Greece were sacred ambassadors, messengers sent out by the state which was about to organize a Panhellenic game or festival. Theoroi were both received and hosted by the '' theorodokoi''. In the classical Greek world, ...

'', ') mentioned in the laws of

Solon Solon (; ; BC) was an Archaic Greece#Athens, archaic History of Athens, Athenian statesman, lawmaker, political philosopher, and poet. He is one of the Seven Sages of Greece and credited with laying the foundations for Athenian democracy. ...

; the sacred vessel (), moreover, which they sent to Delos every year, was said to be the same which

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

had sent after his return from

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

. The Delians, during the celebration of these solemnities, performed the office of cooks for those who visited their island, whence they were called '. In the course of time, the celebration of this ancient ''panegyris'' in Delos ceased, and it was not revived until the sixth year of the

Peloponnesian War The Second Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC), often called simply the Peloponnesian War (), was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek war fought between Classical Athens, Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Ancien ...

, in

Olympiad An olympiad (, ''Olympiás'') is a period of four years, particularly those associated with the Ancient Olympic Games, ancient and Olympic Games, modern Olympic Games. Although the ancient Olympics were established during Archaic Greece, Greece ...

88 year 3 (426 BC), after the Athenians had expiated the Island of Delos, removing all the contents of their graves there to

Rheneia Rineia, or Rhenea (Ρήνεια), is a Greek island in the Cyclades. It lies just west of the island of Delos and further southwest of the island of Mykonos, of which it and Delos are administratively a part. Its area is . It had a small popula ...

, and ordaining that henceforth nobody should either be born or die on the island. The Athenians restored the ancient solemnities, and added horse-races, which had never before taken place at the Delia. After this restoration, Athens being at the head of the Ionian confederacy took the most prominent part in the celebration of the Delia; and though the islanders, in common with Athens, provided the choruses and victims, the leader (), who conducted the whole solemnity, was an Athenian (

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'', ...

''Nic.'' 3; Wolf. ''Introd. ad Demosth. Lept.'' p. xc.), and the Athenians had the superintendence of the common sanctuary (see Amphictyons).

The Lesser Delia

From these solemnities, belonging to the great Delian ''panegyris'', we must distinguish the Lesser Delia, called by the Delians Apollonia, which were celebrated every year, probably on the 6th of Thargelion. The Athenians on this occasion sent the sacred vessel (), which the priest of Apollo adorned with laurel branches, to Delos. The embassy was called ', and those who sailed to the island, '; and before they set sail, a solemn sacrifice was offered in the Delion, at

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

, in order to obtain a happy voyage. (

Karl Otfried Müller Karl Otfried Müller (; 28 August 1797 – 1 August 1840) was a German professor, scholar of classical Greek studies and philodorian. Biography He was born at Brieg (modern Brzeg) in Silesia, then in the Kingdom of Prussia. His father was a c ...

''Dor.'' ii. 2. § 14.) During the absence of the vessel, which on one occasion lasted thirty days, the city of Athens was purified, and no criminal was allowed to be executed. The lesser Delia were said to have been instituted by Theseus after slaying the

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...

, though in some legends they are mentioned at a much earlier period, and

(''Life of Theseus'' 23) relates that the ancient ship used by the founder himself, though often repaired, was preserved and used by the Athenians down to the time of

Demetrius Phalereus Demetrius of Phalerum (also Demetrius of Phaleron or Demetrius Phalereus; ; c. 350 – c. 280 BC) was an Athenian orator originally from Phalerum, an ancient port of Athens. A student of Theophrastus, and perhaps of Aristotle, he was one of the ...

.Böckh, ''Publ. Econ. of Ath.'' p. 214, &c. 2d edit.; Thirlwall, ''Hist. of Greece'', vol. iii. p. 217.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Delia, Festival Ancient Delos Festivals in ancient Greece Festivals of Apollo