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 p204  Boedromia

Article by Leonhard Schmitz, Ph.D., F.R.S.E., Rector of the High School of Edinburgh
on p204 of

William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.:
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.

BOEDRO′MIA (Βοηδρόμια), a festival celebrated at Athens on the seventh day of the month of Boëdromion, in honour of Apollo Boëdromius (Müller, Dor. II.8 §5). The name Boëdromius, by which Apollo was called in Boeotia and other parts of Greece (Paus. IX.17 §1; Callimach. Hymn Apoll. 69), seems to indicate that by this festival he was honoured as a martial god, who either by his actual presence or by his oracles afforded assistance in the dangers of war. The origin of the festival is, however, traced by different authors to different events in Grecian story. Plutarch (Thes. 27) says that Theseus, in his war against the Amazons, did not give battle till after he had offered a sacrifice to Phobos; and, that in commemoration of the successful battle which took place in the month of Boëdromion, the Athenians, down to his own time, continued to celebrate the festival of the Boëdromia. According to Suidas, the Etymol. Magn. and Euripides (Ion 59), the festival derived its name and origin from the circumstance that when, in the reign of Erechtheus, the Athenians were attacked by Eumolpus, Xuthus or (according to Philochorus in Harpocration, s.v.) his son Ion came to their assistance, and procured them the victory. Respecting the particulars of this festival nothing is known except that sacrifices were offered to Artemis. (Comp. Spanheim, ad Callim. Hymn. in Apoll. 69).

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