#theban region

[nowoolallowed]

Couple Statue - Louvre Collection

Inventory Number: E 27161 New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, -1425 / -1400 (Amenhotep II) Location Information: West Thebes (Thebes->Theban region = region of Thebes->Upper Egypt) (?)

Description:

man (seated, friezed wig, award necklace); woman (dress, necklace, enveloping wig, forehead protector, lotus, seated); the top part Names and Titles: Senynefer (wab-priest of Amon of the 1st phylé, director of the king's store in the southern city); Nenounhermenetes (?, mother?); Amon ; Ptah-Sokar; Anubis; Hathor; Osiris

[whencyclopedia]

Xois

Xois (as the Greeks called it) was a vast ancient city located on a marshy island in the center of the Nile Delta of Egypt, modern-day Sakha. It was founded c. 3414-3100 BCE and was continuously inhabited until the rise of Christianity c. 390 CE. By the time of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (2498-2345 BCE), Xois was already regarded as an ancient city. It served as the capital of Egypt during the reign of the Hyksos in Egypt and was the site of the pivotal battle between Ramesses III (1186-1155 BCE) and the Sea Peoples with their Libyan allies in 1178 BCE.

Religious Center

It was a center of worship of the god Amon-Ra and was well known for the production of fine wine and luxury items. Known as Khasut or Khaset to the Egyptians, the island city is sometimes identified with No-Amon (traditionally a name ascribed to Thebes) mentioned in the biblical Book of Nahum where the Prophet Nahum warns the city of Nineveh of her pride and her coming destruction: “Art thou better than populous No, that was situated among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea" (Nahum 3:8). That a famous city such as Nineveh should be compared to Xois testifies to the importance of the Egyptian city and the fame she enjoyed but, it should be noted, the Nahum passage has also been interpreted as referring to Thebes.

Amon was a god closely associated with Thebes who rose in prominence when the Theban prince Mentuhotep II (2061-2010 BCE) defeated his rivals and established Thebes as the capital of Egypt. Amon had existed previously, however, and Xois was one of the sites sacred to his worship. In the Delta region of Xois Amon was a fertility god and Ptah the creator god but this situation would change with the rise of Thebes as capital when Amon came to be seen as the supreme creator and giver of life, represented by the sun. Amon's wife, Mut, was the sun's rays and their son, Khons, the god of healing. Although these three deities are known as the Theban Triad, directly associated with Thebes, their veneration was spread through trade from Upper Egyptian cities like Thebes to those of Lower Egypt such as Xois.

Continue reading...

[egypt-museum]

A woman from Nubia with children

Tomb of Huy, the Viceroy of Kush, “King’s Son of Kush, Overseer of the Southern Countries”. The tomb of Huy, is located in the Theban Necropolis and is also known as tomb TT40, or sometimes Tomb of Amenhotep/Huy, as Amenhotep was Huy’s formal name, yet he goes by Huy.

A Viceroy is “the governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of a king or sovereign”. He rules over the foreign territories, for the sake of the crown, who has conquered and colonised the regions the Viceroy will control for the sake of the king. Huy, worked under the rule of king Tutankhamun.

Read more

[demeteraltar]

Learning Epithets 1 - Demeter Achaea

When beginning Hellenism, I was told to look and pray to epithets. I didn’t really understand and I feel like I still don’t, so I am here now to try and learn along with you guys about what each epithet means and how to pray to it. So, for our first installment, I have here the first epithet listed on Theoi.com: Demeter Achaea.

As listed on Theoi.com, Demeter Achaea is describe as the following:

a surname of Demeter by which she was worshipped at Athens by the Gephyraeans who had emigrated thither front Boeotia

I did not really understand any of those words, so I did some digging. I knew Athens, obviously, and the Gephyraeans had to be a group of people, but how was it all connected?

I will say this: I did some research and got a LOT of answers, mostly for things I didn’t ask for. It was all pretty interesting though, and I think Lady Demeter wouldn’t mind so long as I was learning something. First, though, I will warn you that my rambling is pretty entertaining, but if you just want the epithet and how to pray / what to use the epithet for, feel free to scroll to the bottom.

The Research:

So first I wanted to know what Achaea meant. I found out it is a region. I look up the region, and it is located in north Peloponnese, Greece’s southern peninsula. It is a mountainous region with major cities of Patras and Dyme. Patras itself is huge in Greek history, and one of the most important cities behind Athens (seriously, I could write a whole paper on the history of Patras itself). Dyme had Oebotas, the first Achaean to win the Olympic Games, but no one in Achaea celebrated him, so he cursed them to never have another winner. This curse remained until Sostratus of Pellene won, after Achaea built a statue to honor Oebotas in Olympia. It is also a region referenced in the Old Testament.

This is all very interesting, but it really did not answer any of my questions, mostly because it had nothing to do with Boetia, Athens, or Gephyraeans. This led me to research the Gephyraeans, and there is barely anything of note except that they are from Boetia.

Boetia is, of course, another region in Greece, styled as Boeotia. This is the region where Thebes was located. Boeotia is another region where a whole paper could be written about it, as it is the location of many myths and legends, such as the Theban Cycle, the Muses, Dionysus and Semele, and more. However, there is still not a lot on the Gephyraeans.

One thing I could find on Gephyraeans were Harmodius and Aristogeiton, who were lovers and assassins of the tyrant Hipparchus and are known as heroes for Athenian democracy (of course, there are lots of political drama but that is also it’s own page because the story is VERY very interesting). Herodotus mentions that they are Gephyraeans, which are Boetians of Syrian or Phoenician descent. However, Plutarch argues they are otherwise.

So, now we have some answers to our question. About Gephyraeans heading into Athens, I found this quote from Herodotus:

“It was in the reign of this Laodamas, the son of Eteocles, that the Cadmeians were driven by the Argives out of their country, and found a shelter with the Encheleans. The Gephyraeans were left behind, but were later compelled by the Boeotians to withdraw to Athens; and they have certain set forms of worship at Athens, wherein the rest of the Athenians have no part; these, in especial the rites and mysteries of Achaean Demeter, are different from the other worships.” Herod. v. 61

So it seems that the Gephyraeans, descendents of Syrians or Phoenicians, went to Athens and had a unique way of worshipping Lady Demeter. The Athenians had no part in this worship. However, why did they worship Demeter specificially? At first glance, it appears She has no hand in Achaea, but according to one of the myths, she does.

Triptolemus, an Eleusinian prince, was instructed by Demeter to spread agriculture and allowed him the use of her serpent-drawn chariot. This myth is incredibly interesting! For our purposes, Triptolemus went to Patras in Achaea. There He taught Eumelus how to cultivate corn. Eumelus’ son, Antheias, took the dragon chariot and fell to his death. Eumelus named a city, Antheias, after him.

So we have a geographic region, the group of people that used this epithet, and some myths connected to Demeter surrounding it. But as I was researching, I kept thinking, ‘I should probably look up what the word achaea means’. Not the region, just the etymology.

It took a bit of digging, rewriting, and stumbling onto questionable websites. I found a lot of sources for Bible naming websites, saying the origin was Hebrew and one even said African? I think I am safe in saying that these are inaccurate.

Finally, I found a Quora post, and though I would question secondary information, it was the best lead I could find. And in this I found the answer.

The Epithet:

Actually, no one is certain what achaea actually means. It is spelled Αχαΐα and is derived from Αχαιοί (Achaeans), the Ancient Greek tribe that settled in the region. Achaea is used specifically for this and this only. But what does it mean?

According to some, it is derived from the word αχος (achos) which means pain or distress. They were named after Achaeus, the founder of Achaea, who was born in a time of great suffering. Also, as written by Hesichius, Demeter was called Αχαία (achaea) because of her grief of losing Persephone.

In other circles, it is derived from the word αχαιαι (achaiai), which means “surf” and refers to the rocky coastline.

It is also worth noting that when Homer refers to the Greeks, he mostly uses the word “Achaeans”. The word is also older than ΕΛΛΑΣ (hellas), meaning Greece.

According to HellenicGods.org, the epithet Akhaia is used for Demeter’s grief for her daughter, but makes no mention of the Gephyraeans.

Long story short is, who knows? It is more likely the location and is something sacred to the Gephyraeans, but ancient etymology is hard to research since it is lost to time - it is, however, very interesting to look into these things. It’s sort of like connecting a puzzle.

What we do know is that there was worship and even sanctuaries dedicated to Demeter and Persephone in Achaea. All of this comes from Pausanias. He describes a sanctuary in Aegium dedicated to Persephone, and a connection from Zeus Homagyrios to Demeter Panakhaia. Also in Bura, there was a temple and drapery dedicated to Demeter. Additionally, there is a place near Pellene, but I thought it would be best for you to read it from Pausanias himself:

"About sixty stades distant from Pellene is the Mysaion, a sanctuary of Demeter Mysia. It is said that it was founded by Mysios, a man of Argos, who according to Argive tradition gave Demeter a welcome in his home. There is a grove in the Mysaion, containing trees of every kind, and in it rises a copious supply of water from springs. Here they also celebrate a seven days' festival in honor of Demeter. On the third day of the festival the men withdraw from the sanctuary, and the women are left to perform on that night the ritual that custom demands. Not only men are excluded, but even male dogs. On the following day the men come to the sanctuary, and the men and the women laugh and jeer at one another in turn.” Pausanias, Description of Greece 7. 27. 9

It is interesting to note that this last one held the Mysia festival, dedicated to Demeter Mysia!

How To Worship:

As it appears that this epithet is specific to a location, there’s probably not much you can do with this specific epithet unless you were:

In this region

Wanting to pay homage to the region/myths

Any other reason because I don’t control your worship, you do

That’s not to say anything bad about this epithet. It’s so interesting to learn about the culture, geography, and history of Ancient Greece. At the very least, I know a lot more now than I did at the beginning of this. Also, now I know more about Lady Demeter and Her connection to locations. Plus, isn’t learning more about Her the whole point?

We could take inspiration from this and make our own epithet about the region we all personally live in. For example (and not to dox myself or anything), I live in the Appalachia region. Appalachia is beautiful and has a long history. We are known for our spooky forests, cryptids, and religion, but I think the presence of mountains, forests, nature, animals, and more is a perfect place for Demeter worship. I think honoring her by connecting with nature and cleaning up the environment is a great place to start.

For you, maybe you live in a city or a desert. Is it not still Earth? You can honor Demeter with the environment around you. Grow a cactus, buy a fake plant, clean up trash, or pour your leftover water on grass or plants. Maybe you will pray to Demeter Achaea, or any other epithet, or one unique to you!

Thanks for reading, and if I got something wrong, feel free to correct me. I’d love to hear what you all have to say!

SOURCES:

Demeter Cults

Demeter Titles and Epithets

HellenicGods.org

Mysia Festival

Triptolemus

Wikipedia: Achaea

Wikipedia: Boeotia

Wikipedia: Gephyrean

Wikipedia: Harmodius and Aristogeiton

Quora Articles

[blueiscoool]

Ancient Gaziantep Castle Used by Romans and Byzantines Destroyed in Turkey Earthquake

An ancient castle in Turkey was one of the historic monuments damaged when major earthquakes hit the country and neighboring Syria, killing more than 2,000 people on Monday. Images show parts of the Gaziantep Castle, which was first built in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, during the Roman Empire, crumbling after the earthquake.

The 2,000-year-old castle is located in the Gaziantep region, about 80 miles south of the epicenter of one of the quakes in Kahramanmaras Province.

The castle, an archeological site, sits near the Gaziantep Archeology Museum, which includes works of the Late Hittite and Roman Periods during which the castle was built.  

While there is no definitive information about when the castle was fist built, it was founded on top of an earthen mound that dates back some 6,000 years, to when an ancient city called Theban occupied the space.

It is believed to have been constructed as a watchtower during the Roman period between, the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. However, it was built up even more during the 5th century AD during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinianus, who was known as the "Architect of Castles."

The Ottomans repaired the castle over time, but it got a second full overhaul by Egyptian Sultan Qaitbay in 1481. There are 12 towers on the castle and the two towers near the main gate were rebuilt in 1557 by Suleiman the Magnificent during the Ottoman Empire.

By Caitlin O'Kane.

[moneeb0930]

THE GREAT WA-SETIANS & KINGS TOMBS OF WASET (Theban Tombs)

The Wasetians, Known to the Greeks, and modern Egyptians as Thebans (not to be confused with Greek Thebans) originated in the southernmost regions of Kemet, known as Ta-Shemau "the Land of Reeds”. Waset was the main city of the fourth Upper Kemetic nome and was the capital of Kemet for long periods during the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom eras.

In antiquity Waset was known as a prominent city and royal house whose residents were dedicated to the worship of Amun. He was chief of the Wa-Setian Triad of deities whose other members were Mut and Khonsu. Amun’s primordial birthplace is located in Nubia at the holy mountain of Gebel Barkal. Waset served as a testimony not only to Kemetic life but also to the pinnacle of Hapi (Nile) Valley civilization. The Greeks would refer to the city as Diospolis Magna ('The Great City of the Gods'). The Greek Poet Homer once wrote about the majesty of Waset, labeling it a place where “heaps of precious ingots gleam.”

Over the centuries the Wa-Setian Kings from the south battled for control over Lower Kemet with invading forces from the near east. The reunification of the nation under Mentuhotep II ushered in a new sense of security throughout the country and established Kemet’s Middle Kingdom, an era that was to become a golden age for artistic and literary creation and a truly revolutionary period in regard to religion and royal ideology.

But during the reign of Amenemhat IV, a local ruler in Lower Kemet of foreign origin became more and more powerful. It is during this reign that the frequent expeditions into the Sinai came to a stop, probably because the expeditions had to go via the Delta. Towards the end of the reign of Nefrusobek, this foreign ruler was able to found his own dynasty, the 14th, which, ruling from the city of Avaris, controlled the eastern Delta, and perhaps all of Lower Kemet.

For a time Waset was a wealthy city under the rule of the Kemetic Empire but was later sacked by Assyrians, Persians, Romans, and later by the Arabs. Their destruction is illustrated in the Wa-Setian (Theban) Tombs list, as most of the statues and steles of these Southern Kings and Queens have been erased from history. It’s hard to believe that anything could survive several generations of destruction, but Waset has. The Wasetian Tombs known today as the Theban tombs were for the most part destroyed and over the years have been overshadowed by the Valley of the Kings. Remanence of the temples and tombs still remain as well as the Temple of Amun at Waset (Karnak), the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and mortuary temples of Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut.

"King of Upper Kemet…Beautiful is the Ka-Soul of Ra who appears in Waset"

"I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deeds." ~35th & 36th Principals of Ma'at

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 9.18

Holidays

Aging Awareness Day

Astronomy Day (Armenia)

Big Brothers Big Sisters Day (Canada)

Celebrate Your Name Day

Celebration of Talent (French Republic)

Chiropractic Founders Day

Clemente Day

Day of National Music (Azerbaijan)

Deceased Motorcyclists Remembrance Day (Ukraine)

Dieciocho (Chile)

Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 8: Human Rights

European Heritage Days (EU)

Feast Day of the Walloon Region (Belgium)

Festival of Inner Worlds

Festival of Labour (French Republic)

Fiesta Patrias (Chile)

First Love Day

Global Company Culture Day

Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day

International Equal Pay Day (UN)

International Pitt Hopkins Awareness Day

International Read an eBook Day

Island Language Day (Okinawa, Japan)

Jeannie in a Bottle Day

Jitiya Parwa (Only Women Employees; Nepal)

Jonny Quest Day

Long Playing Record Day

Mickey Mantle Day (New York)

Mid-Autumn Festival Holiday (Taiwan)

Mountain Meadows Massacre Anniversary Day (by Mormon Church Members; Utah)

Mukden Incident Anniversary Day

National Cannabis Day (Germany)

National Ceiling Fan Day

National Colton Day

National Day of Civic Hacking

National Fitness Day (UK)

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

National Museum Day [also 5.18]

National Music Day (Azerbaijan)

National Play-Dough Day

National Rehabilitation Day

National Report Kickback Fraud Day

National Respect! Day

National Science Reading Day

National Tree Day (Canada)

Navy Day (Croatia)

New York Times Day

918 Day (Oklahoma)

Persian Literature and Pony Day (Iran)

PCOS Awareness Day

Scouring of the White Horse (Wantage, Berkshire, UK)

Shima-kutuba Day (Japan; Okinawa)

Top Ten List Day

U.S. Air Force Day

Victory of Uprona (Burgundy)

Vulver Awareness Day

World Bamboo Day

World Knot Tying Day

World Medical Ethics Day

World Water Monitoring Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Brett Day

National Cheeseburger Day

National Chocolate Day

Rice Krispies Treats Day

Independence & Related Days

Buddie Union (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Chile (a.k.a. Dieciocho, 1st Gov't Junta, 1818)

Free Republic of Silbervia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in September

Banned Websites Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

Ember Day (Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches) [Wednesday after 9.14]

Human Resource Manager Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

Mouth Cancer Awareness Day (Ireland) [3rd Wednesday]

National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Rehabilitation Day [3rd Wednesday]

National School Backpack Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

Quarter Tense (Ireland) [Wednesday after 9.14]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 18 (3rd Full Week of September)

Wear Cotton Week (thru 9.25)

Festivals Beginning September 18, 2024

Eurofurence (Hamburg, Germany) [thru 9.21]

Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire (Paris, France) [thru 9.20]

Lost Lands (Thornville, Ohio) [thru 9.22]

National Cattle Congress (Waterloo, Iowa) [thru 9.22]

Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield, Kansas) [thru 9.22]

Feast Days

Amoeba Assimilation Day (Pastafarian)

Anton Mauve (Artology)

Arcadius, Bishop of Novgorod (Christian; Saint)

Ariadne of Phrygia (Christian; Martyr)

Bidzin, Elizbar, and Shalva, Princes of Georgia (Christian; Martyrs)

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (Artology)

Castor of Alexandria (Christian; Martyr)

Constantius (Theban Legion)

Ear Wig Fitting Day (Shamanism)

Edward Bouverie Pusey (Episcopal Church)

Eleusinian Mysteries begin (Ancient Rome; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Eugene’s, Bishop of Gortyna (Christian; Saint)

Eustorgius I (Christian; Saint)

Ferreol (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Ceres (Roman Goddess of Agriculture & Grain Crops)

Festival of Labour (French Republic)

Foundation Day (Unification Church)

Hilarion of Optima (Christian; Saint)

Joe Kubert (Artology)

John Harvey Kellogg Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

José de Rivera (Artology)

Joseph of Cupertino (Christian; Martyr)

Juan Macias (Christian; Saint)

Konstantin Kakanias (Artology)

Leonardo da Crunchy (Muppetism)

Lord Berners (Artology)

Lynn Abbey (Writerism)

Mark di Suvero (Artology)

Methodius of Olympus (Christian; Saint)

Plataia (Ancient Greece)

Richardis (Christian; Saint)

Rosmerta (Celtic Book of Days)

Samuel Johnson (Writerism)

Scouring the White Horse begins (Everyday Wicca)

Sophia and Irene of Egypt (Christian; Martyrs)

Third Nostril of Christ Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Thomas of Villanova (Christian; Saint)

Tzom Gedaliah (Fast of Gedalia; Judaism)

Vanaheim Day (Pagan)

Vondel (Positivist; Saint)

Zay Day (Sus God Zay) [Wear red or purple hoodies]

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chong Chao (Macau)

Chusok (South Korea)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [38 of 53]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [31 of 37]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [24 of 30]

Unlucky 18th (Philippines) [3 of 3]

Premieres

Abacab, by Genesis (Album; 1981)

Abou Ben Boogie (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1944)

The Addams Family (TV Series; 1964)

Birthday, recorded by The Beatles (Song; 1967)

A Bully Frog (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1936)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Film; 1958)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Animated Film; 2009)

Continental Divide (Film; 1981)

Crazytown (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1959)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Film; 1951)

Dog Daze (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Enough Said (Film; 2013)

The Farm of Tomorrow (MGM Cartoon; 1954)

Fatal Attraction (Film; 1987)

Five and Dime (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1933)

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Film; 1981)

Funny Girl (Film; 1968)

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss (Albums; 1978)

Get Smart (TV Series; 1965)

Goldfinger premiered in UK (1964) [James Bond #3]

Goo Goo Goliath (WB MM Cartoon; 1954)

The Gullible Canary (Phantasies Cartoon; 1942)

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1959)

Heartache Tonight, by The Eagles (Song; 1979)

I Likes Babies and Infanks (Fleischer Cartoon Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak (Children’s Book; 1970)

The Japoteurs (Fleischer Cartoon; 1942) [#10]

Jennifer’s Body (Film; 2009)

Jonny Quest (Animated TV Series; 1964)

Making Money, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 2007) [Discworld #36]

Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin (Song; 1899)

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Film; 2015)

The Moffatt Translation of the Bible (Bible; 1922)

More Than a Feeling,, by Boston (Song; 1976)

New York Times (Daily Newspaper; 1851)

Old Rockin’ Chair Tom (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1948)

Pain Strikes Underdog, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S2, Eps. 1 & 2 1965)

Pink in the Clink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1968)

The Road to Ruin or Mine Over Matter (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 55; 1960)

Rockin’ with Judy Jetson (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1988)

Rush Hour (Film; 1998)

School Daze (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner (Novel; 2010) [Maze Runner #2]

Serve It Forth (Art of Eating), by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Essays; 1937)

Severed Relations or How to Get a Head (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 161; 1962)

Sicario (Film; 2015)

Singles (Film; 1992)

Smiley Smile, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1967)

Strange Little Girl, by Tori Amos (Album; 2001)

A Streetcar Named Desire (Film; 1951)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (TV Series; 2006)

Superman: Doomsday (WB Animated Film; 2007)

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles or Me and My Chateau (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 162; 1962)

Tired and Feathered (WB LT Cartoon; 1965)

Two Flying Ghosts or High Spirits (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 56; 1960)

Wagon Train (TV Series; 1957)

War Pigs, by Black Sabbath (Song; 1970)

Where’s Wally, by Martin Hanford (Puzzle Book; 1987)

WKRP in Cincinnati (TV Series; 1978)

Today’s Name Days

Herlinda, Josef, Lambert, Rica (Austria)

Alfonz, Irena, Jonatan, Josip, Sonja (Croatia)

Kryštof, Oskar (Czech Republic)

Titus (Denmark)

Tiido, Tiidrik, Tiidu, Tiit (Estonia)

Tytti, Tyyne, Tyyni (Finland)

Nadège, Véra (France)

Alfons, Herlinde, Lambert, Rica (Germany)

Ariadne, Ariadni, Evmenis, Kastor, Romylos (Greece)

Diána (Hungary)

Eumenio, Giuseppe, Maria, Sofia (Italy)

Alinta, Elita, Gizela, Liesma (Latvia)

Galmantė, Mingailas, Stefa, Stefanija (Lithuania)

Henriette, Henry (Norway)

Dobrowit, Irena, Irma, Józef, Ryszarda, Stefania, Tytus, Zachariasz (Poland)

Eumenie (Romania)

Elizaveta, Raisa (Russia)

Eugénia (Slovakia)

José, Sofía, Sonia (Spain)

Orvar (Sweden)

Irene (Ukraine)

Clint, Clinton, Corbin, Corwin, Corwyn, Korbin, Korvin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 262 of 2024; 104 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 38 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 16 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 15 Elul 5784

Islamic: 14 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 22 Gold; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 5 September 2024

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Racine]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 91 of 94)

Week: 3rd Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 28 of 32)

[madamlaydebug]

"The Sycamore in Ancient Egypt"

The Egyptians identified him as Nehet;

The sycamore is a fig tree belonging to the species Ficus sycomorus.

Because of its incorruptible wood, the Egyptians associated it with death and resurrection; therefore, they were planted next to graves, and wherever possible, coffins were built from soft, light wood.

It was the quintessential celestial tree associated with protection and the goddess Hathor—above all, Hathor of Memphis, Lady of the Southern Plane Trees—nut, Isis, Iusaas, and Ra, all sun gods.

Perhaps because of its durability and its association with the goddess Hathor, it was used to build sarcophagi, as the deceased was thus placed in a microcosm consisting of the lid (Nut), the box (Gueb). Additionally, the entire set was made from wood associated with the goddess Hathor, who welcomed her as a loving mother.

This fact no doubt impressed the Egyptians, and they began to make amulets from the sycamore tree, believing it to have magical powers, and no better fiber than sycamore could be used to make certain cords on which the amulets were hung. ., later on the mummy.

Small polychrome funerary stelae were made from sycamore wood in the Theban region and in the Third Intermediate Period as well. Each is decorated with solar motifs and usually features Ra and Atum.

They also understood that the branches at the top of the tree were the arms of this goddess (Dio) who covered the sky and from which the stars hung.

The gods sat in his cup.

Another function of the sycamore is that in which it appears with its counterpart: "two turquoise sycamores" and it was placed on the eastern horizon, from which Ra emerged day after day completely rejuvenated.

🇪🇬💓🇪🇬

#Vero

[deadmegumi]

I do love that the movie ends on this grand heroic note of And Then The Sacrifice Was Worth It Because The United Western Greek World Destroyed The Evil Eastern Persian Invaders which like, yeah that sure was the battle of plataea which did end the persian conquest. It sure was. Except 50 years later the second peloponnesian war starts which will only be won by the spartans with the help of... you'll never guess... persians under xerxes' grandson! and so sparta took hegemony over the greek world except 30 years after THAT the spartans were slaughtered by the thebans at leuctra never to regain the same prominence or power in the region. So yes leonidas and his men died for something and the war was won except soon the tables will turn and your grandsons will make friends of your enemies and they will break the same men you fought beside on this lovely tv screen and then their sons. Their sons will lose everything. But yeah! I guess they did win this one battle!

[brookston]

Holidays 9.18

Holidays

Aging Awareness Day

Astronomy Day (Armenia)

Big Brothers Big Sisters Day (Canada)

Celebrate Your Name Day

Celebration of Talent (French Republic)

Chiropractic Founders Day

Clemente Day

Day of National Music (Azerbaijan)

Deceased Motorcyclists Remembrance Day (Ukraine)

Dieciocho (Chile)

Eleven Days of Global Unity, Day 8: Human Rights

European Heritage Days (EU)

Feast Day of the Walloon Region (Belgium)

Festival of Inner Worlds

Festival of Labour (French Republic)

Fiesta Patrias (Chile)

First Love Day

Global Company Culture Day

Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day

International Equal Pay Day (UN)

International Pitt Hopkins Awareness Day

International Read an eBook Day

Island Language Day (Okinawa, Japan)

Jeannie in a Bottle Day

Jitiya Parwa (Only Women Employees; Nepal)

Jonny Quest Day

Long Playing Record Day

Mickey Mantle Day (New York)

Mid-Autumn Festival Holiday (Taiwan)

Mountain Meadows Massacre Anniversary Day (by Mormon Church Members; Utah)

Mukden Incident Anniversary Day

National Cannabis Day (Germany)

National Ceiling Fan Day

National Colton Day

National Day of Civic Hacking

National Fitness Day (UK)

National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day

National Museum Day [also 5.18]

National Music Day (Azerbaijan)

National Play-Dough Day

National Rehabilitation Day

National Report Kickback Fraud Day

National Respect! Day

National Science Reading Day

National Tree Day (Canada)

Navy Day (Croatia)

New York Times Day

918 Day (Oklahoma)

Persian Literature and Pony Day (Iran)

PCOS Awareness Day

Scouring of the White Horse (Wantage, Berkshire, UK)

Shima-kutuba Day (Japan; Okinawa)

Top Ten List Day

U.S. Air Force Day

Victory of Uprona (Burgundy)

Vulver Awareness Day

World Bamboo Day

World Knot Tying Day

World Medical Ethics Day

World Water Monitoring Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Brett Day

National Cheeseburger Day

National Chocolate Day

Rice Krispies Treats Day

Independence & Related Days

Buddie Union (Declared; 2015) [unrecognized]

Chile (a.k.a. Dieciocho, 1st Gov't Junta, 1818)

Free Republic of Silbervia (Declared; 2020) [unrecognized]

3rd Wednesday in September

Banned Websites Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

Ember Day (Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches) [Wednesday after 9.14]

Human Resource Manager Day [3rd Wednesday]

Hump Day [Every Wednesday]

Mouth Cancer Awareness Day (Ireland) [3rd Wednesday]

National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

National Rehabilitation Day [3rd Wednesday]

National School Backpack Awareness Day [3rd Wednesday]

Quarter Tense (Ireland) [Wednesday after 9.14]

Wacky Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wandering Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Website Wednesday [Every Wednesday]

Wiener Wednesday [3rd Wednesday of Each Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning September 18 (3rd Full Week of September)

Wear Cotton Week (thru 9.25)

Festivals Beginning September 18, 2024

Eurofurence (Hamburg, Germany) [thru 9.21]

Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire (Paris, France) [thru 9.20]

Lost Lands (Thornville, Ohio) [thru 9.22]

National Cattle Congress (Waterloo, Iowa) [thru 9.22]

Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield, Kansas) [thru 9.22]

Feast Days

Amoeba Assimilation Day (Pastafarian)

Anton Mauve (Artology)

Arcadius, Bishop of Novgorod (Christian; Saint)

Ariadne of Phrygia (Christian; Martyr)

Bidzin, Elizbar, and Shalva, Princes of Georgia (Christian; Martyrs)

Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (Artology)

Castor of Alexandria (Christian; Martyr)

Constantius (Theban Legion)

Ear Wig Fitting Day (Shamanism)

Edward Bouverie Pusey (Episcopal Church)

Eleusinian Mysteries begin (Ancient Rome; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Eugene’s, Bishop of Gortyna (Christian; Saint)

Eustorgius I (Christian; Saint)

Ferreol (Christian; Saint)

Feast of Ceres (Roman Goddess of Agriculture & Grain Crops)

Festival of Labour (French Republic)

Foundation Day (Unification Church)

Hilarion of Optima (Christian; Saint)

Joe Kubert (Artology)

John Harvey Kellogg Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

José de Rivera (Artology)

Joseph of Cupertino (Christian; Martyr)

Juan Macias (Christian; Saint)

Konstantin Kakanias (Artology)

Leonardo da Crunchy (Muppetism)

Lord Berners (Artology)

Lynn Abbey (Writerism)

Mark di Suvero (Artology)

Methodius of Olympus (Christian; Saint)

Plataia (Ancient Greece)

Richardis (Christian; Saint)

Rosmerta (Celtic Book of Days)

Samuel Johnson (Writerism)

Scouring the White Horse begins (Everyday Wicca)

Sophia and Irene of Egypt (Christian; Martyrs)

Third Nostril of Christ Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Thomas of Villanova (Christian; Saint)

Tzom Gedaliah (Fast of Gedalia; Judaism)

Vanaheim Day (Pagan)

Vondel (Positivist; Saint)

Zay Day (Sus God Zay) [Wear red or purple hoodies]

Lunar Calendar Holidays

Chong Chao (Macau)

Chusok (South Korea)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [38 of 53]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Tycho Brahe Unlucky Day (Scandinavia) [31 of 37]

Unglückstage (Unlucky Day; Pennsylvania Dutch) [24 of 30]

Unlucky 18th (Philippines) [3 of 3]

Premieres

Abacab, by Genesis (Album; 1981)

Abou Ben Boogie (Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1944)

The Addams Family (TV Series; 1964)

Birthday, recorded by The Beatles (Song; 1967)

A Bully Frog (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1936)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Film; 1958)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Animated Film; 2009)

Continental Divide (Film; 1981)

Crazytown (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1959)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (Film; 1951)

Dog Daze (WB MM Cartoon; 1937)

Enough Said (Film; 2013)

The Farm of Tomorrow (MGM Cartoon; 1954)

Fatal Attraction (Film; 1987)

Five and Dime (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1933)

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Film; 1981)

Funny Girl (Film; 1968)

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss (Albums; 1978)

Get Smart (TV Series; 1965)

Goldfinger premiered in UK (1964) [James Bond #3]

Goo Goo Goliath (WB MM Cartoon; 1954)

The Gullible Canary (Phantasies Cartoon; 1942)

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1959)

Heartache Tonight, by The Eagles (Song; 1979)

I Likes Babies and Infanks (Fleischer Cartoon Popeye Cartoon; 1937)

In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak (Children’s Book; 1970)

The Japoteurs (Fleischer Cartoon; 1942) [#10]

Jennifer’s Body (Film; 2009)

Jonny Quest (Animated TV Series; 1964)

Making Money, by Terry Pratchet (Novel; 2007) [Discworld #36]

Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin (Song; 1899)

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (Film; 2015)

The Moffatt Translation of the Bible (Bible; 1922)

More Than a Feeling,, by Boston (Song; 1976)

New York Times (Daily Newspaper; 1851)

Old Rockin’ Chair Tom (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1948)

Pain Strikes Underdog, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S2, Eps. 1 & 2 1965)

Pink in the Clink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1968)

The Road to Ruin or Mine Over Matter (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 55; 1960)

Rockin’ with Judy Jetson (Hanna-Barbera Animated TV Movie; 1988)

Rush Hour (Film; 1998)

School Daze (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner (Novel; 2010) [Maze Runner #2]

Serve It Forth (Art of Eating), by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Essays; 1937)

Severed Relations or How to Get a Head (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 161; 1962)

Sicario (Film; 2015)

Singles (Film; 1992)

Smiley Smile, by The Beach Boys (Album; 1967)

Strange Little Girl, by Tori Amos (Album; 2001)

A Streetcar Named Desire (Film; 1951)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (TV Series; 2006)

Superman: Doomsday (WB Animated Film; 2007)

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles or Me and My Chateau (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S4, Ep. 162; 1962)

Tired and Feathered (WB LT Cartoon; 1965)

Two Flying Ghosts or High Spirits (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S2, Ep. 56; 1960)

Wagon Train (TV Series; 1957)

War Pigs, by Black Sabbath (Song; 1970)

Where’s Wally, by Martin Hanford (Puzzle Book; 1987)

WKRP in Cincinnati (TV Series; 1978)

Today’s Name Days

Herlinda, Josef, Lambert, Rica (Austria)

Alfonz, Irena, Jonatan, Josip, Sonja (Croatia)

Kryštof, Oskar (Czech Republic)

Titus (Denmark)

Tiido, Tiidrik, Tiidu, Tiit (Estonia)

Tytti, Tyyne, Tyyni (Finland)

Nadège, Véra (France)

Alfons, Herlinde, Lambert, Rica (Germany)

Ariadne, Ariadni, Evmenis, Kastor, Romylos (Greece)

Diána (Hungary)

Eumenio, Giuseppe, Maria, Sofia (Italy)

Alinta, Elita, Gizela, Liesma (Latvia)

Galmantė, Mingailas, Stefa, Stefanija (Lithuania)

Henriette, Henry (Norway)

Dobrowit, Irena, Irma, Józef, Ryszarda, Stefania, Tytus, Zachariasz (Poland)

Eumenie (Romania)

Elizaveta, Raisa (Russia)

Eugénia (Slovakia)

José, Sofía, Sonia (Spain)

Orvar (Sweden)

Irene (Ukraine)

Clint, Clinton, Corbin, Corwin, Corwyn, Korbin, Korvin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 262 of 2024; 104 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of Week 38 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Muin (Vine) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 8 (Guy-You), Day 16 (Yi-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 15 Elul 5784

Islamic: 14 Rabi I 1446

J Cal: 22 Gold; Oneday [22 of 30]

Julian: 5 September 2024

Moon: 99%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 10 Shakespeare (10th Month) [Racine]

Runic Half Month: Ken (Illumination) [Day 12 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 91 of 94)

Week: 3rd Full Week of September

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 28 of 32)

[nowoolallowed]

Couple Statue - Louvre Collection

Inventory Number: E 27161 New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, -1425 / -1400 (Amenhotep II) Location Information: West Thebes (Thebes->Theban region = region of Thebes->Upper Egypt) (?)

Description:

man (seated, friezed wig, award necklace); woman (dress, necklace, enveloping wig, forehead protector, lotus, seated); the top part Names and Titles: Senynefer (wab-priest of Amon of the 1st phylé, director of the king's store in the southern city); Nenounhermenetes (?, mother?); Amon ; Ptah-Sokar; Anubis; Hathor; Osiris

[juliansummerhayes]

Canto I BY EZRA POUND And then went down to the ship, Set keel to breakers, forth on the godly sea, and We set up mast and sail on that swart ship, Bore sheep aboard her, and our bodies also Heavy with weeping, and winds from sternward Bore us out onward with bellying canvas, Circe’s this craft, the trim-coifed goddess. Then sat we amidships, wind jamming the tiller, Thus with stretched sail, we went over sea till day’s end. Sun to his slumber, shadows o’er all the ocean, Came we then to the bounds of deepest water, To the Kimmerian lands, and peopled cities Covered with close-webbed mist, unpierced ever With glitter of sun-rays Nor with stars stretched, nor looking back from heaven Swartest night stretched over wretched men there. The ocean flowing backward, came we then to the place Aforesaid by Circe. Here did they rites, Perimedes and Eurylochus, And drawing sword from my hip I dug the ell-square pitkin; Poured we libations unto each the dead, First mead and then sweet wine, water mixed with white flour. Then prayed I many a prayer to the sickly death’s-heads; As set in Ithaca, sterile bulls of the best For sacrifice, heaping the pyre with goods, A sheep to Tiresias only, black and a bell-sheep. Dark blood flowed in the fosse, Souls out of Erebus, cadaverous dead, of brides Of youths and of the old who had borne much; Souls stained with recent tears, girls tender, Men many, mauled with bronze lance heads, Battle spoil, bearing yet dreory arms, These many crowded about me; with shouting, Pallor upon me, cried to my men for more beasts; Slaughtered the herds, sheep slain of bronze; Poured ointment, cried to the gods, To Pluto the strong, and praised Proserpine; Unsheathed the narrow sword, I sat to keep off the impetuous impotent dead, Till I should hear Tiresias. But first Elpenor came, our friend Elpenor, Unburied, cast on the wide earth, Limbs that we left in the house of Circe, Unwept, unwrapped in sepulchre, since toils urged other. Pitiful spirit. And I cried in hurried speech: “Elpenor, how art thou come to this dark coast? “Cam’st thou afoot, outstripping seamen?” And he in heavy speech: “Ill fate and abundant wine. I slept in Circe’s ingle. “Going down the long ladder unguarded, “I fell against the buttress, “Shattered the nape-nerve, the soul sought Avernus. “But thou, O King, I bid remember me, unwept, unburied, “Heap up mine arms, be tomb by sea-bord, and inscribed: “A man of no fortune, and with a name to come. “And set my oar up, that I swung mid fellows.” And Anticlea came, whom I beat off, and then Tiresias Theban, Holding his golden wand, knew me, and spoke first: “A second time? why? man of ill star, “Facing the sunless dead and this joyless region? “Stand from the fosse, leave me my bloody bever “For soothsay.” And I stepped back, And he strong with the blood, said then: “Odysseus “Shalt return through spiteful Neptune, over dark seas, “Lose all companions.” And then Anticlea came. Lie quiet Divus. I mean, that is Andreas Divus, In officina Wecheli, 1538, out of Homer. And he sailed, by Sirens and thence outward and away And unto Circe. Venerandam, In the Cretan’s phrase, with the golden crown, Aphrodite, Cypri munimenta sortita est, mirthful, orichalchi, with golden Girdles and breast bands, thou with dark eyelids Bearing the golden bough of Argicida. So that: Ezra Pound, "Canto I" from The Cantos of Ezra Pound. Copyright © 1993 by Ezra Pound. Reprinted by permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation.

[egypt-museum]

Cult Statue of Amenhotep I

New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, c. 1292-1189 B.C. From Deir el-Medina, Thebes. Now in the Egyptian Museum of Turin. Cat. 1372

After a century or so after their deaths, both Amenhotep I and his mother Ahmose Nefertari became deified and were the subjects of a cult of recognition and worship within the Deir el-Medina and Theban region for approximately 400 years. Their image therefore appears in numerous stelae and tombs, despite not being the rulers of the period in which such likenesses were made.

Read more

[demeteraltar]

Learning Epithets 2 - Demeter Amphictyonis

Hello all! I’m back again with another epithet. This time, we are learning Demeter Amphictyonis. As always, feel free to skip the first part and go straight to the epithet meaning if you don’t want to read how I studied and found the answers!

As listed on Theoi.com, Demeter Amphictyonis is described as:

derived from Anthela, where she was worshipped under this name, because it was the place of meeting for the amphictyons of Thermopylae, and because sacrifices were offered to her at the opening of every meeting

The Research:

As usual, I did not know any of the names, so I did some digging. I knew Thermopylae and Anthela were places, so I started there.

Anthela was a city state located in Thessaly (Thessalia). Thessaly is a region of Greece, located below Macedonia, next to Epirus, and above Central Greece, with the Aegean Sea to the east. Mount Olympus is actually located in Thessaly! The hero Jason is also from Thessaly, and him and the Argonauts started their search for the Golden Fleece by leaving off the Magnesia Peninsula. And if you know any history, you’ll know the Persians invaded Greece, and they invaded Thessaly in 480 BC.

Thermopylae is another city that is very important to history. This is, of course, where the Battle of Thermopylae took place between the Greeks (namely Spartans, Thebans, and Thesbians) and the Persians. Thermopylae is also known for their hot springs, of which it was named, and the hot gates are considered an entrance into Hades.

Okay, so we familiarized ourselves with some of the places, but what are amphictyons? An amphictyony is a group of tribes that formed a religious, cultural, and political center. There were several leagues, but the one we will be discussing is the Great Amphictyonic League or the Delphic Amphictyony.

The Delphic Amphictyony were made up of the��Aenianes/Oetaeans, the Boeotians, the Dolopes, the Dorians, the Ionians, the Phthian Achaeans, the Locrians, the Magnesians, the Malians, the Perrhaebians, the Phocians, the Pythians of Delphi, and the Thessalians. Formed after the Trojan war by Amphictyon, the League was tasked with protecting the Temple of Apollo in Delphi and the Temple of Demeter in Anthela. This league was the military defender of the cult of Delphi.

The league became super politically important. They had the power to protect its temples through punishment, including fines and even banishment, to actually starting wars. There were a set of rules about war, including not cutting off water or completely abolishing any member. Fighting over dominance of the temples was allowed though. They also organized religious festivals and the Pythian Games, celebrated in honor of Apollo at Delphi.

The league participated in a series of wars called the Sacred Wars. The First Sacred War last from 595 to 585, and was fought between the Amphictyonic League and the city of Kirrha. Kirrha was the harbor of Delphi that had been mistreating people going to and coming from Delphi. The city was defeated by the Amphictyonic League and the plains were dedicated to Apollo, Leto, and Artemis. This also marked the start of the first Pythian Games.

The Second Sacred War was between the Spartans and Athenian-backed Phocians around 440 BC. The Spartans defeated the Phocians and restored self-government at Delphi.

The Third Sacred War started in 356 BC, when the Phocians seized the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. In 346 BC, the Phocians lost the war and were cast out of the League, their votes being given to Macedonia, and resulting in the domination of Macedonia over Greece after the Fourth Sacred War.

Myth proclaims the founder of the league to be Amphictyon, who was King of Thermopylae and later ruled over Athens. He is stated to be the brother or son of Hellen, the common ancestor of all Greeks.

Well-known members include Plutarch, who worked as a manager and oversaw the Pythian Games from 107 to 127 and also served as a priest for Apollo at the Temple of Delphi. Another is Aeschines, which I encourage you all to research because his story is INSANE, but he served as an Athenian deputy.

Though the league has no official end date, it is considered over around the 2nd century, under Roman rule. It was replaced by the Panhellenion, a religious league of city states set up by Emperor Hadrian to recreate Ancient Greece when it was fighting the Persians. Hadrian was a philhellene, which meant he was fond of Greek culture and history.

The Epithet:

The Temple of Demeter Amphictyonis was an extra-urban (located far away from big city populations) sanctuary in Anthela, Thessaly and served as the center for the Amphictynoic League, where they met each spring. As Herodotus says:

“Further to the south, another river, called the Phoenix, which has no great body of water, flows from the same hills, and falls into the Asopus. Here is the narrowest place of all; for in this part there is only a causeway wide enough for a single carriage. From the river Phoenix to Thermopylae is a distance of fifteen furlongs; and in this space is situate the village called Anthela, which the river Asopus passes ere it reaches the sea. The space about Anthela is of some width, and contains a temple of Amphictyonian Demeter, as well as the seats of the Amphictyonic deputies, and a temple of Amphictyon himself.” Herodotus, Histories 7. 200

As we can see, this was an extremely important cult center to the Greeks! The Amphictyonic League had a lot of political and religious power. The league made sacrifices to Lady Demeter at the start of meetings, although I have not yet been able to find what kind (even trying to research on the databases allowed to me through college has not found any sources). If anybody could point me in the direction of more information, I will be so glad to update this and credit you!

That being said, what we do know is that Demeter Amphictyonis is a goddess of wine and friendship between nations. She had her likeness printed on a silver stater with a veil and wreath of grain, and Apollo was depicted on the reverse side, inscribed with the word AMΦΙΚΤΥΩΝΩΝ (of the Amphictyons).

Unfortunately, the temple has since been destroyed. It is believed to have no longer been in use around 4th century AD because of the persecution of pagans by Christians. What remains is being studied by archaeologists.

How to Worship:

How you can worship this epithet is similar to the first one in this series - if you’re in the region, want to pay homage to the region/history, or however you want to use the epithet in your practice. Personally, seeing as it is a very important epithet relating to a very politically powerful temple, I think it is an epithet that isn’t to be used lightly. On the other hand, Demeter Amphictyonis is a goddess of wine and merriment, so if you’re having an important event or really need to rock a dinner interview, you could ask her for help.

I think a great take away from this epithet lesson is that there is so much we just don’t really know about ancient history. So much information here is not available either because a) it is not available for free or b) it’s just not researched enough. I would make assumptions, but it is dangerous to do that when I’m not a qualified historian, and I don’t want to spread misinformation like that, so I only reported on what I do know from multiple sources.

Another take away is that there is so much to learn about Ancient Greece. Even just researching this, I learned so much more about history that I want to continue to explore! The betrayal of the Phocians? The Battle of Thermopylae? Even just researching this epithet has really shown me how little I actually know and how much is still waiting for me to see and understand.

If you guys would like me to do a series on Greek history, let me know! There is a TON of related history of the amphictyonic league, so I am more than happy to explore that with you! For now, please look forward to the next epithet for Lady Demeter!

SOURCES

The Histories - Herodotus

The Phocian Betrayal at Thermopylae

Wikipedia: Aeschines

Wikipedia: Amphictyonic league

Wikipedia: Amphictyonis

Wikipedia: Ancient Thessaly

Wikipedia: Anthela (Thessaly)

Wikipedia: Mount Olympus

Wikipedia: Plutarch

Wikipedia: Temple of Demeter Amphictyonis

Wikipedia: Thessaly

Wikipedia: Thermopylae

Wikipedia: Third Sacred War

[fuzzysparrow]

In Ancient Greece, what was the chief city of Boeotia that was destroyed by Alexander the Great?

Thebes, the chief city of Boeotia, once a powerful and influential city-state, was ultimately destroyed by Alexander the Great. Located in central Greece, Thebes was once a dominant force in the region during the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.

Thebe's golden age came during the Theban hegemony, a period when the city exerted its influence over other city-states in Boeotia, a region of central Greece. However, Thebes' power was short-lived. In 338 BCE, the city faced its greatest challenge when it clashed with the formidable Macedonian army led by Alexander the Great. The Battle of Chaeronea proved to be a turning point in Greek history, as Alexander's forces decisively defeated the combined armies of Thebes and Athens. Thebes was left vulnerable and at the mercy of the young conqueror.

Alexander sought to make an example of Thebes to deter any future resistance. Thebes was subjected to a brutal sack, with its buildings destroyed, its treasures looted, and its inhabitants enslaved or killed. The once-mighty city was reduced to ruins, serving as a stark reminder of Alexander's power and the consequences of defying him.

The destruction of Thebes had far-reaching consequences. It shattered any hopes of Thebes regaining its former glory. The city's demise also marked the decline of Boeotia as a significant political and cultural force in Greece. The region would never again play a prominent role in the affairs of the Greek city-states.