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The description of the Pan-Ionic gathering in the Homeric Hymn is still the mos
vivid picture of Delos in festival time. "With Delos, Phoebus, art thou most delighted at heart, where the long-robed Ionians gather in thine honor, with childre
and shame-fast wives. Mindful of thee they delight thee with boxing, and dances
and minstrelsy in their games. Whoso then encountered them at the gathering of
the Ionians, would say that they are exempt from eld and death, beholding them s
gracious, and would be glad at heart, looking on the men and fair-girdled women,
and their much wealth, and their swift galleys. Moreover, there is this grea
marvel of renown imperishable, the Delian damsels, hand-maidens of the Far
darter. They, when first they have hymned Apollo, and next Leto and Artemis th
Archer, then sing in memory of the men and women of old time, enchanting the
tribes of mortals."2 The picture is one of Ionic softness and charm, but we feel
that the interest was centered in the grace and beauty of the setting rather than i
any show of athletic or gymnastic skill. Was this the dominant note in all Delian
festivals? Was Delos ever interested primarily in athletic accomplishment or did
the &-yv~Es from first to last retain the coloring of the Homeric picture?
Lucian4 leaves no doubt about the customs in his time: ~v A1i'X a6 yE oi~ i atOvLa
aVEv bpxIjEWCS. So too with the vases and coinage-the dance motif is a favorite on
with the vase-painters and the lyre is the familiar type on many Delian coins.
The inscriptions, which have been the principal source for this discussion, reveal
in the main the same type of festival. The record of the agonistic inscriptions is
more detailed than the literary references, but with few exceptions the program i
still essentially a choral performance. In later times the gymnastic program is
elaborated by a torch race5 and various kinds of foot races, but most innovation
1 Part I: Non-Attic Mainland, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 19927. "Euboea," A.J.A., XXXIII, 1929, pp.
2 Hymn to Delian Apollo, 11. 146-162-Lang's translation.
3 Call. IV, 302-306-Mair's translation.
4 De Salt., 16.
385 ff.
5 The torch race is the principal feature also of the boys' games held in the gymnasium, and recorded
in inscriptions of the late second century. The names of some of these gymnasium festivals are men452
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FESTIVALS
OF
DELOS
453
the
most
famous
of
their
ayJvEs
why
in
it
the
should
Delian
not
be
dated
Calendar,
for
and
all
the
mo
Delian
history.
annually
in
But
that
if
we
month,
conce
or
only
"how
splendid
tioned-Hermaia
and
(B.C.H.
worthy
XV,
pp.
of
284
ff
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AX0Xov 7rXfE(w."
irirobpoplas.
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FESTIVALS
OF
DELOS
455
contended
for
prizes
in
singin
New
Comedy.
The
lists
record
Dirrbach,
For
Inscr.
meaning
of
de
Del.,
jpvy6s,
cf.
316,
1.75.
Livy,
XXVII,
is
no
definite
connection
of
the
fest
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(Oavyarrorotbs),
a player
of the lyre
witho
the
prosodion, and
a dithyrambic
poet.4
The summer months were devoted to cer
desses.5 Of these the festivals of Artemis
most important. The Artemisia proper too
the days intervening between the festival
SDeip. X, 424 F.
4 I.G. X12, 105-190.
5Artemis, Leto, Aphrodite, Hera, Demeter.
6 I.G. X12, 145, 1. 34, and 442, 1. 186. Cf. Artemisi
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FESTIVALS
OF
DELOS
457
ropes
and
torches
are
fair
indicat
thology
the
desolation
which
ca
maintained
throughout
dance festival.
in
the
their
development
history
retain
mu
Cf. discussions of Tarn and Kolbe, J.H.S. XLIV, pp. 141 ff., ibid., L, 1930, pp. 90 ff. In opposition
to Kolbe, who supports the neutrality of Delos, Tarn claims that Delos became a member of the Island
League, and that the varying history of this League is reflected in the establishment of festivals in turn
by the Ptolemies, the Seleucids, Antigonids, etc.
I Athen. Deip. IV, 173A.
2 Athen. ibid., 173C.
3 Anth. Gr. IX, 421.
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N. 3.)
8. Metageitnion-(Heraia), Thesmophoria, Ptolemaia
9. Bouphorion10. Apatourion-(Apatouria)
11. Aresion-Nuktophylaia, Chersonesia (DUrr. ibid., 328 1. 10)
192. Posideion-Eilithyia, Posideia
* The festivals in italics are the ones for which we have most evidence. The games with references
VASSAR COLLEGE
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