''Hetaeridia'' or ''Hetairidia'' () was a name of a festival among Macedonians and Magnesians (

Athenaeus Athenaeus of Naucratis (, or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; ) was an ancient Greek rhetorician and Grammarian (Greco-Roman), grammarian, flourishing about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century ...

XIII. 572, quoting Hegesander). The origin of the Thessalian ''Hetaeridia'' is said to be related to

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...

, who sacrificed to

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

''Hetaereius'', "Zeus of the Companions" (the

Argonauts The Argonauts ( ; ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', named after it ...

) and called the festival by this name. Athenaeus continues "and the Macedonian kings also celebrated the ''Hetairidia'' ()". Scholars consider the Macedonian ''Hetaeridia'' an archaic festival and related to the ''Hetairoi'' (the name of the noble aristocracy and later

Companion cavalry The Companions (, , ''hetairoi'') were the elite heavy cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of King Philip II of Macedon, achieving their greatest prestige under Alexander the Great, and regarded as the first or among the first shock ca ...

).Alexander the Great in his world By Carol G. Thomas Page 181 (2007)

References

{{reflist Religion in ancient Thessaly Festivals in ancient Macedonia Festivals of Zeus

See also

References