In Ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Enodia, also spelled Ennodia and Einodia (; ) is a distinctly Ancient Thessaly, Thessalian goddess, identified in certain areas or by certain ancient writers with Artemis, Hecate or Persephone. She was paired with Zeus in cult and sometimes shared sanctuaries with him.Morgan, Catherine. ''Early Greek States Beyond the Polis.'' Enodia was primarily worshipped in Ancient ThessalyC.D. Graninger, « Apollo, Ennodia, and fourth-century Thessaly », Kernos, 22 , 2009, 109-124. and was well known in Hellenistic period, Hellenistic Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia. Enodia is a goddess of roads, protection (Apotropaic magic, apotropaic), ghosts, purification, the city, and cemeteries. She was included in the local Twelve Olympians, dodekotheon. The goddesses of this dodekotheon were Hestia, Demeter, Enodia, Aphrodite, Athena and Themis. The name ‘''Enodia’'' suggests that she watched over entrances and that she stood on the main road into a city, keeping an eye on those who entered, and in the road in front of private homes, protecting the inhabitants that dwelled within. Divinities with this Apotropaic magic, Apotropaic function were expected to keep away dangers such as Burglary, burglars, malicious Ghost, spirits, and even pestilence such as Mouse, mice. Other notable divinites with this function are Hecate, Hermes, and Apollo. Enodia’s main cult location, especially before the 5th century, was the city of Pherae, Pherai. Pherai was an important city to Ancient Thessaly, due to the location of the settlement. There are only two attested priests of Enodia. Timarete of Corinth, who died in Pella, Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia, in the late 5th century BC and Chrysame of Thessaly, Chrysame. According to Polyaenus, Cnopus of Codridae was fighting with the Ionians at Erythrai after the recent Ionian colonisation of Anatolia, Asia Minor. Cnopus received an oracle that stated: “''to take as general from the Thessalians, the priestess of Ennodia” (στρατηγὸν παρὰ Θεσσαλῶν λαβεῖν τὴν ἱέρειαν τῆς Ἐνοδίας).'' Chrysame, the priestess mentioned arrived and through her mastery of herbs, poisoned the Erythraians. Due to this, Cnopus led his army to victory. Thessaly was stereotyped as being full of witches that could even draw down the Selene, moon, so the association of Chrysame with herbs makes sense.

Iconography

Enodia was sometimes depicted upon coins in Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly. She is shown as a young woman, typically riding a horse and carrying torches.Kalliopi Chatzinikolaou, « Locating Sanctuaries in Upper Macedonia According to Archaeological Data », Kernos, 23 , 2010, 193-222. A stele dated between the 1st and 2nd century depicts Enodia wearing a ''Chiton (costume), chiton poderes'', which is cross-girdled under the chest. This stele also depicts her on horseback and accompanied by a dog.

Origins and civic expansion of Enodia's cult

Pherai - 302-286 BC - silver hemidrachm - the head of Ennodia - Hypereia at fountain - Berlin MK AM

Before the 5th Century, Enodia's worship was mostly confined to the city of Pherae, Pherai. Though her Epigraphy, epigraphical evidence is first found within the city of Larissa, Larisa. Pherai was an important city in Ancient Thessaly from the Iron Age, which allowed Enodia to become a Pan-Thessalian goddess.Georganas, Ioannis. (2008) BETWEEN ADMETUS AND JASON: PHERAI IN THE EARLY IRON AGE During the 5th century Enodia's cult rapidly expanded through Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly, Southern Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia, and even expanded into Thrace. According to Polyaenus’ ''Strategemata'', Enodia was supposedly a national deity during the Ionian Islands, Ionian migration. The expansion of Enodia's cult is linked to the push for a Thessaly, Thessalian civil identity. The Cults of Pythian Apollo and Enodia were expanded and pushed throughout Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly. Yet, there was a fundamental difference between regionalizing the panhellenic Apollo and parochialising a local, regional goddess such as Enodia. She came to be worshipped throughout Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly and Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia, especially in the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic and Roman Empire, Roman eras. The usage of Enodia for the new Thessalian civil identity failed, as she was unsuitable divinity for the new Thessalian identity would be constructed when Titus Quinctius Flamininus, Flamininus refounded the league in 196. She is completely absent from Thessalian coins from the post-Flamininan era. Decrees of the new League were not published in a sanctuary of Enodia; whether at Pherae, Pherai or elsewhere in Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly. There is no evidence of possible investment in any of her sanctuaries and no month of the Ancient Greek calendars, Thessalian calendar in use after 196 appears to recognise and honour the goddess.

Mythology

One myth of Enodia further connects her with the city of Pherae, Pherai. As a baby, the goddess Enodia was brought to Pherae, Pherai at the time of Pheres (mythology), Pheres; which was when the city was in its infancy. She had been found by Pheres (mythology), Pheres’ shepherds. In a way, she had grown up with the city. No other Thessalian city had claimed such a close connection to a single divinity like Pherae, Pherai did, in a way making Enodia the city’s patron or special divinity.

Ancient worship

Enodia was worshipped throughout Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly, Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia, and parts of Thrace. She shared sanctuaries with Zeus and was paired with him in cult. In their shared cult, Zeus was often given the epithet ''Thaulios''. Enodia is possibly the most distinct and best understood of the deities worshipped in Ancient Thessaly, Thessaly and her cult was spread from the late fifth and fourth centuries onwards into surrounding regions; Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia in particular. In the fourth century, she was a part of the local Twelve Olympians, dodekotheon. The goddesses of this local Twelve Olympians, dodekotheon were Hestia, Demeter, Enodia, Aphrodite, Athena and Themis.Miller, S. (1974). The Altar of the Six Goddesses in Thessalian Pherai. California Studies in Classical Antiquity,7, 231-256. Enodia is also a kourotrophos (i.e. a protector and nurturer of children). An iron key was found inside of a drilled hole of a small base that bares an inscription asking Enodia for help with a child. It suggests that the base was originally placed near something that the key was able to lock and unlock, either literally or symbolically. Another inscription found on a similar base in Larissa, Larisa asks Enodia for help with a child. These are similar to the Hecate, hekatia that were placed at entrances. It is unknown if Enodia had this trait originally, or if this arose due to identification with Hecate. Enodia's chthonic aspects are strongest with her dominion over Cemetery, cemeteries. Her worship often took place or near at cemeteries, such as the sanctuary of Zeus and Enodia in Pherae, Pherai. Pieces possibly displaced from local tombs were dedicated later to Enodia in the eighth or seventh centuries. Votive offering, Votives consisted mainly of small bronze and iron objects such as jewellery of all kinds but mainly Fibula (brooch), fibulae, bird and animal figurines. The animal figurines feature a wide range of species such as dogs, horses, and possibly bulls and snakes. Fragments from the Archaic Greece, Archaic sculptural record includes a Bull, bull's head. These are sacred to Enodia as and to underworld deities, notably Hecate. There is also the addition of mostly female terracottas from the seventh century onwards. Fibula (brooch), Fibulae were popular votive offerings to the Goddess (which form nearly half of the existent votive records) with their ritual use to fix Funeral, funerary clothing in Thessalian graves. Fibulae and Ancient Brooches, Fibulae were generally preferred to pins throughout Ancient Thessaly. The popularity of Fibulae and Ancient Brooches, fibulae votives at the shrine of Enodia suggests that mortuary imagery may have been relevant to the cult. Though the chthonic aspects of the cult should not be overemphasised, as Enodia was also worshipped in a distinctly non-chthonic way; as an Olympian. She is also a civic goddess. One of Enodia's shrines was placed against the edge of a city, suggesting that she has an interest in civic life. She was also grouped within the Patrooi Theoi, a group of gods in Thessaly of kinship and groups. The other gods in this group with Zeus Thaulios were Enodia, Athena, the Moirai, and Poseidon. Despite her identification with Hecate or Artemis, Enodia stood on her own as a separate, popular goddess throughout the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic and Roman Empire, Roman eras. In Theocritus’ Idyll II, Hermes Enodia (Hermes with the Epithet Enodia) is mentioned.Theo. Id. II It refers to a statue of the god at the entrance to an estate (land), estate. Epithets of Enodia * Alexeatis (Greek: ''Ἀλέξεατις'') an Apotropaic magic, Apotropaic epithet, meaning ‘Averter of Evil’. It is mentioned in a 5th c. inscription to Enodia Alexeatis in the city of Larissa, Larisa. * Astike (Greek: ''Αστική'') ‘of the City’ in Larissa, Larisa *Koroutarra (Greek: ''Κορουταρρα'') ‘which makes one grow’ an unclear epithet that demonstrates a connection with the ancient feminine world''[the what?]'' or as a provider of food and growth.Bruno Helly, « Consécration d’un enclos funéraire à Ennodia Ilias à Larisa (Thessalie) », ''Kernos'', 23 , 2010, 53-65. Bruno Helly, « *Korillos (Greek: ''Κοριλλος'') another unclear epithet that demonstrates a connection with the ancient feminine world ''[the what?]''. *Osia (Greek: ''Οσια'') is a peculiar epithet of Enodia found within Macedonia that may have a connection to purifications. *Patroa (Greek: ''Πατρωα'') An epithet meaning ‘ancestral’ or ‘paternal’ attested in a classical votive stone stele beneath Demetrias. Enodia belonged to the group of Patrooi Theoi, a group of gods in Thessaly of kinship and groups. * Pheraia (Greek: ''Φεραίᾳ'') ‘Of / belonging to / associated with Pherae, Pherai’. This epithet arose due to Enodia's close connection to the city of Pherae, Pherai. *Strogike (Greek: ''Στρογικά'') “of lightning", in the sense of a bringer of light. The epithet is invoked with her other epithet patroa at Larisa. *Stathmia (Greek: ''Σταθμια'') an epithet that may be connected to the animal realm due to one of the word ''stathmos'' many meanings being stable. * Wastika (Greek: ''Ϝαστικᾶι'') an epithet possibly referring to an urban aspect of Enodia, or Enodia of the community of Larisa.

Identification with Hecate

Due to the similarities between the two goddesses, such as protecting roads, shared animals, averting evil, etc., it is no surprise that Enodia was Syncretism, identified with Hecate. Due to this, Lucian describes the rites of Hecate at Aegina, Aigina as being the ‘rites of Enodia’. Pausanias (geographer), Pausanias in the ''Description of Greece, Description Of Greece'' describes Hecate-Enodia receiving a sacrifice of a black puppy at night by the Spartans. This is a typical offering for Hecate, as black dogs are sacred to her. The identification between Hecate and Enodia dates back to at least the fifth century. By the time of the fourth century, Hecate-Enodia is closely tied with ghosts in ''On the Sacred Disease,'' a text that seeks to shame magicians.Ogden, D. (2009). Magic, witchcraft, and ghosts in the Greek and Roman worlds: A sourcebook. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.Hippocrates. ''On the Sacred Disease'', Library of Alexandria, 2007. The text describes multiple ‘Sacred Diseases’ that are said to be caused by the gods, according to the magicians. Hecate Enodia refers to Hecate, Hecate's role at crossroads as ''Trioditis'' and as Trivia (Roman mythology), ''Trivia'' (who is another goddess identified with Hecate) in the Roman Era.Johnston, Sarah Iles. ''Hekate Soteira''. Scholars Press, 1990.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Greek goddesses Religion in ancient Macedonia Religion in ancient Thessaly Epithets of Artemis Epithets of Hecate Epithets of Persephone Liminal goddesses Crossroads mythology Tutelary goddesses Underworld goddesses Chthonic beings Childhood goddesses Kourotrophoi Greek underworld