Tuesday, February 16, 2010

 

Arboreal Epithets of Greek Gods

W. Kendrick Pritchett, Pausanias Periegetes, [vol. 1] (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1998), discusses tree cults on pp. 300-309, with mention on p. 305 of epitheta deorum as possible evidence for early tree worship, citing L.R. Farnell, The Cults of the Greek States.

Not cited by Pritchett is a useful table, giving city or region, epithet, god, and ancient sources, in M.W. de Wisser, Die nicht menschengestaltigen Götter der Griechen (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1903), pp. 155-156, § 214 = Auf Bäume bezügliche Beinamen der Götter.

The divine figures with these arboreal epithets are Apollō, Artemis, Asklēpios, Athēna, Dionysos, Helenē, and Zeus. The epithets are Agnitas (Asklēpios), Askraios (Zeus), Daphnaia (Artemis), Daphnaios (Apollō), Daphnaphorios (Apollō), Daphnēphoros (Apollō), Daphnia (Artemis), Daphnitēs (Apollō), Dendritēs (Dionysos), Dendritis (Helenē), Endendros (Dionysos, Zeus), Eustaphylos (Dionysos), Ixios (Apollō), Karyatis (Artemis), Kedreatis (Artemis), Kissaia (Athēna), Kisseus (Apollō), Kissios (Apollō), Kissos (Dionysos), Kranaia (?, Athēna), Kyparissia (Artemis, Athēna), Kyparissos (Asklēpios?), Lygodesma (Artemis), Morios (Zeus), Myrikaios (Apollō), Myrtōos (Apollō), Platanistios (Apollō), Staphylitēs (Dionysos), Sykasios (Zeus), Sykeatēs (Dionysos), Sykitēs (Dionysos), Phakelitis (Artemis), and Phēgōnaios (Zeus).

Notes to myself: 1) look up the ancient sources, 2) search inscriptions and texts discovered after the date of de Visser's book, and 3) look for Roman examples.



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