Heracles Kynagidas (, "The Huntsman") was the patron god of hunting in the

Macedonian Kingdom Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

, to whom hunting trophies were dedicated. The epithet was also attributed to "

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

Kynago" , in its female form.

Inscriptional attestations

Heracles Kynagidas is attested in fourteen inscriptions of various places in

Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...

from the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD; Artemis Kynago, attested twice. The oldest inscription comes from

Beroea Beroea (or Berea) was an ancient city of the Hellenistic period and Roman Empire now known as Veria (or Veroia) in Macedonia, Northern Greece. It is a small city on the eastern side of the Vermio Mountains north of Mount Olympus. The town is menti ...

(ca. 350-300 BC), where a sanctuary to Heracles Kynagidas has been discovered, as well the longest text including names of hunters and priests of the god. In a Roman-era inscription from

Styberra Stymbara ( grc, Στύμβαρα), also known as Stuberra (Στυβέρρα) or Stubera, was a town on the frontier of Macedonia, which is by some assigned to Deuriopus, and by others to Pelagonia, which in the campaign of 200 BCE was the thi ...

, it is also spelled ''Kounagidas''. A dedicatory inscription by King

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...

in Pella has also been found. Respectively, the

Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

form for huntsman is ''kynêgetês'',

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

''kynagetas'' and Mycenaean ''ku-na-ke-ta-i''.

Polybius

Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...

, who was interested in horse-riding and hunting, gives the following passage:Polybius. ''The Histories''
32.14
.

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Sources

*{{cite book, last1=Deger-Jalkotzy, first1=Sigrid , authorlink1= , authorlink=Sigrid Deger-Jalkotzy , last2=Lemos, first2=Irene S., title=Ancient Greece: From the Mycenaean Palaces to the Age of Homer, publisher=Edinburgh University Press, year=2006, isbn=0-7486-1889-9 Epithets of Heracles Religion in ancient Macedonia Hunting gods

Inscriptional attestations

Polybius

See also

References

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