Carneia: Difference between revisions

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==Wikipedia EN==
==Wikipedia EN==
[[Carneia]] (Ancient Greek: [[Κάρνεια]], or Ancient Greek: [[Καρνεῖα]] Karneia, or Ancient Greek: [[Κάρνεα]] Karnea) was the name of one of the tribal traditional festivals of [[Sparta]], the Peloponnese and Doric cities in Magna Grecia, held in honor of Apollo Karneios. Whether [[Carneus]] (or [[Carnus]]) was originally an old Peloponnesian divinity subsequently identified with [[Apollo]], or merely an "[[emanation]]" from him, is uncertain; but there seems no reason to doubt that Carneus means "the god of flocks and herds" (Hesychius, s.v. Κάρνος), in a wider sense, of the [[harvest]] and the [[vintage]]. The chief centre of his worship was Sparta, where the Carneia took place every year from the 7th to the 15th of the month Carneus (i.e. Metageitnion, August). During this period all military operations were suspended.
[[Carneia]] (Ancient Greek: [[Κάρνεια]], or Ancient Greek: [[Καρνεῖα]] Karneia, or Ancient Greek: [[Κάρνεα]] Karnea) was the name of one of the tribal traditional festivals of [[Sparta]], the Peloponnese and Doric cities in Magna Grecia, held in honor of Apollo Karneios. Whether [[Carneus]] (or [[Carnus]]) was originally an old Peloponnesian divinity subsequently identified with [[Apollo]], or merely an "[[emanation]]" from him, is uncertain; but there seems no reason to doubt that Carneus means "the god of flocks and herds" (Hesychius, s.v. [[Κάρνος]]), in a wider sense, of the [[harvest]] and the [[vintage]]. The chief centre of his worship was [[Sparta]], where the Carneia took place every year from the 7th to the 15th of the month [[Carneus]] (i.e. [[Metageitnion]], [[August]]). During this period all military operations were suspended.


Five unmarried youths (Ancient Greek: [[Καρνεᾶται]]) were chosen by lot from each [tribe] for four years, to superintend the proceedings, the officiating priest being called Ancient Greek: [[ἀγητής]] ("leader"). A man decked with garlands (possibly the priest himself) started running, pursued by a band of young men called Ancient Greek: [[σταφυλοδρόμοι]] ("running with bunches of grapes in their hands"); if he was caught, it was a guarantee of good fortune to the city; if not, the reverse.
Five unmarried youths (Ancient Greek: [[Καρνεᾶται]]) were chosen by lot from each [tribe] for four years, to superintend the proceedings, the officiating priest being called Ancient Greek: [[ἀγητής]] ("leader"). A man decked with garlands (possibly the priest himself) started running, pursued by a band of young men called Ancient Greek: [[σταφυλοδρόμοι]] ("running with bunches of grapes in their hands"); if he was caught, it was a guarantee of good fortune to the city; if not, the reverse.

Revision as of 09:56, 18 September 2021

Wikipedia EN

Carneia (Ancient Greek: Κάρνεια, or Ancient Greek: Καρνεῖα Karneia, or Ancient Greek: Κάρνεα Karnea) was the name of one of the tribal traditional festivals of Sparta, the Peloponnese and Doric cities in Magna Grecia, held in honor of Apollo Karneios. Whether Carneus (or Carnus) was originally an old Peloponnesian divinity subsequently identified with Apollo, or merely an "emanation" from him, is uncertain; but there seems no reason to doubt that Carneus means "the god of flocks and herds" (Hesychius, s.v. Κάρνος), in a wider sense, of the harvest and the vintage. The chief centre of his worship was Sparta, where the Carneia took place every year from the 7th to the 15th of the month Carneus (i.e. Metageitnion, August). During this period all military operations were suspended.

Five unmarried youths (Ancient Greek: Καρνεᾶται) were chosen by lot from each [tribe] for four years, to superintend the proceedings, the officiating priest being called Ancient Greek: ἀγητής ("leader"). A man decked with garlands (possibly the priest himself) started running, pursued by a band of young men called Ancient Greek: σταφυλοδρόμοι ("running with bunches of grapes in their hands"); if he was caught, it was a guarantee of good fortune to the city; if not, the reverse.

In the second part of the festival nine tents were set up in the country, in each of which nine citizens, representing the phratries (or obae), feasted together in honour of the god (for huts or booths extemporized as shelters; see W. Warde Fowler in Classical Review, March 1908, on the country festival in Tibullus ii. I). According to Demetrius of Scepsis (in Athenaeus iv. 141), the Carneia was an imitation of life in camp, and everything was done in accordance with the command of a herald. In regard to the sacrifice, which doubtless formed part of the ceremonial, all that is known is that a ram was sacrificed at Thurii. Other indications point to the festival having assumed a military character at an early date, as might have been expected among the warlike Dorians, although some scholars deny this. The general meaning of the agrarian ceremony is clear, and has numerous parallels in north European harvest-customs, in which an animal (or man disguised as an animal) was pursued by the reapers, the animal if caught being usually killed; in any case, both the man and the animal represent the vegetation spirit. E. H. Binney in Classical Review (March 1905) suggests that the story of Alcestis was performed at the Carneia (to which it may have become attached with the name of Apollo) as a vegetation drama, and "embodied a Death and Resurrection ceremony."

Wikipedia EL

Τα Κάρνεια ήταν μια θρησκευτική γιορτή που λάμβανε χώρα στην Αρχαία Σπάρτη, καθώς και στις πόλεις του Άργους, του Τάραντας, της Θήρας, της Κω, της Κυρήνης, των Συρακουσών και άλλων δωρικών πόλεων. Κατά τη διάρκεια των εορτασμών, η πόλη της Σπάρτης δεν είχε δικαίωμα να εμπλακεί σε εχθροπραξίες.

Παρ' ολ' αυτά, η παράδοση της εορτής ξεκινά πριν την κάθοδο των Δωριέων στην Πελοπόννησο. Η γιορτή γινόταν για να τιμήσει τον θεό Κάρνειο (ή αλλιώς Κάρνειο Οικέτα - ο τίτλος «Οικέτας» δόθηκε στον θεό γιατί η γιορτή προς τιμήν του γινόταν στο σπίτι του μάντη Κρίου), ενώ μετά την κάθοδο των Δωριέων, ο θεός Κάρνειος ταυτίστηκε με τον Απόλλωνα.

Σύμφωνα με την παράδοση, τα Κάρνεια λάμβαναν χώρα στα τέλη Αυγούστου ή αρχές Σεπτεμβρίου, ανάλογα με την πανσέληνο, ενώ διαρκούσαν εννέα μέρες. Οι Σπαρτιάτες έστηναν πρόχειρα στρατόπεδα, με εννέα σκηνές των εννέα ατόμων, οι οποίοι προέρχονταν από τρείς διαφορετικές φατριές. Κάθε τέσσερα χρόνια, οι Σπαρτιάτες επέλεγαν πέντε ανύπαντρους νέους από κάθε φυλή και τους ανέθεταν την επιμελητεία των γιορτών και τους έδιναν τον τίτλο των Καρνεατών. Τέλος, οι Σπαρτιάτες οργάνωναν τους σταφυλόδρομους: ένας Καρνεάτης έτρεχε με μια ταινία στο κεφάλι στους δρόμους της πόλης ευχόμενος όλα τα καλύτερα και τον κυνηγούσαν οι υπόλοιποι με μεγάλα τσαμπιά σταφύλια - η αιχμαλωσία του νεαρού Καρνεάτη θεωρούταν καλός οιωνός, ενώ αν οι κυνηγοί δεν μπορούσαν να πιάσουν τον νεαρό, τότε αυτό εκλαμβανόταν ως κακός οιωνός.

Η γιορτή των Καρνέων επήρεασε αρκετά ιστορικά γεγονότα, με τα πιο σημαντικά να είναι η μάχη του Μαραθώνα και η μάχη των Θερμοπυλών που έλαβαν χώρα κατά τη διάρκεια των Περσικών Πολέμων. Κατά τη διάρκεια της προετοιμασίας τους για τη μάχη στον Μαραθώνα, οι Αθηναίοι ζήτησαν ενισχύσεις από τους Σπαρτιάτες, όταν οι τελευταίοι βρίσκονταν στον μήνα Κάρνειο. Οι Σπαρτιάτες δήλωσαν πως θα στείλουν στράτευμα αμέσως μόλις ολοκληρωθεί η πανσέληνος. Οι Αθηναίοι, ωστόσο, αναγκάστηκαν να αντιμετωπίσουν τους Πέρσες με μικρή βοήθεια των Πλαταιέων, αλλά κατάφεραν να νικήσουν τους εισβολείς. Κατά τη διάρκεια της δεύτερης εισβολής των Περσών στην Ελλάδα, οι σύμμαχοι συμφώνησαν να αντιμετωπίσουν τους Πέρσες στις Θερμοπύλες με κύρια δύναμη τον σπαρτιατικό στρατό. Ωστόσο, οι Σπαρτιάτες γιόρταζαν τα Κάρνεια και ίσχυε η απαγόρευση για εμπλοκή σε εχθροπραξίες. Παρ' ολ' αυτά, ο βασιλιάς Λεωνίδας αποφάσισε να αντιμετωπίσει τους Πέρσες, έχοντας μαζί του μονάχα μια φρουρά από 300 Σπαρτιάτες.