The death of
Hyacinthus
''Hyacinthus'' is a small genus of bulbous, spring-blooming perennials. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and are commonly called hyacinths (). The genus is native to the area of the eastern M ...
was celebrated at
Amyclae by the second most important of Spartan festivals, the Hyacinthia (Ancient Greek / ''Hyakínthia'')
in the Spartan month Hyacinthius in early summer.
Proceedings of Hyacinthia
The Hyacinthia lasted three days. Their details have been passed down to us through the descriptions in
Athenaeus and
Didymus. The first day was given over to mourning for the death of the
hero: sacrifices were offered to the dead, banquets were stark and without pomp or decoration, the sacrificial breads were very plain.
The second day was one of celebration for his rebirth. The young people played the
cithara
The kithara (or Latinized cithara) ( el, κιθάρα, translit=kithāra, lat, cithara) was an ancient Greek musical instrument in the yoke lutes family. In modern Greek the word ''kithara'' has come to mean "guitar", a word which etymologic ...
and the
aulos
An ''aulos'' ( grc, αὐλός, plural , ''auloi'') or ''tibia'' (Latin) was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology.
Though ''aulos'' is often translated as "flute" or "double flute", it was usu ...
, and sang of the glory of Apollo. Others participated in horse races. Numerous choirs competed in town, singing country songs and dancing. Amyclae was also the location of parades of carts decorated by the girls and women of Sparta. Numerous sacrifices were offered, exclusively goats, with the occasion of the κοπίς, kopis, banquets where the citizens invited their friends and relatives. The
helots had the right to participate in the celebrations, as did any foreigners: "they treat not only their countrymen, but any foreigners who happen by" (Athenaeus, IV, 138F). The kopis took place under special tents known as (''skēnaí''), a characteristic trait of ancient country festivals.
The third day is not described in detail, it is possible that it was more
solemn, or that mysteries were held. It is also known that for this holiday, the Spartan women wove a
chiton
Chitons () are marine molluscs of varying size in the class Polyplacophora (), formerly known as Amphineura. About 940 extant and 430 fossil species are recognized.
They are also sometimes known as gumboots or sea cradles or coat-of-mail s ...
( / ''chitōn'', or "tunic") which is then offered to the god—a tradition similar to the peplos offered to
Athena at
Athens upon the occasion of the
Panathenaic Games
The Panathenaic Games ( grc, Παναθήναια) were held every four years in Athens in Ancient Greece from 566 BC to the 3rd century AD. These Games incorporated religious festival, ceremony (including prize-giving), athletic competitions, a ...
.
The Hyacinthia was a major Spartan holiday.
Xenophon, in the ''Hellenics'' IV, 5, 11, reports that the Spartans interrupted their campaigns in order to be able to return to
Laconia
Laconia or Lakonia ( el, Λακωνία, , ) is a historical and administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparta. The word ''laconic''—to speak in a blunt, c ...
so as to participate.
Pausanias writes that they even negotiated a truce especially for this purpose. According to
Thucydides, upon the peace of
Nicias, Athens, in order to prove its good will towards Sparta, promised to assist at the celebrations.
See also
*
Carneia
*
Gymnopaediae
Bibliography
*
Louis Gernet, « Frairies antiques », ''Anthropologie de la Grèce antique'', Flammarion, coll. « Champs », 1999 () ;
* Edmond Lévy, ''Sparte : histoire politique et sociale jusqu’à la conquête romaine'', Seuil, coll. « Points Histoire », Paris, 2003 () ;
* Michael Pettersson, ''Cults of Apollo at Sparta: The Hyakinthia, the Gymnopaidiai, and the Karneia'', Paul Åströms Forlag, Stockholm, 1992 () ;
* William Wayte et G.E. Marindin, ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', éditions William Smith, 1890.
References
{{Reflist
Festivals in ancient Sparta
Observances on non-Gregorian calendars