Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae, ed. William W. Goodwin, 24

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[24]

Question 24.

What is that which is called ἔγκνισμα by the Argives?

Solution.

It was a custom among those that lost any of their kindred or acquaintance, presently after mourning to sacrifice to Apollo, and thirty days after to Mercury. For they are of opinion that, as the earth receives the bodies of the deceased, so Mercury receives their souls. Giving then barley to Apollo’s minister, they take the flesh of the sacrifice, and extinguishing the fire as polluted but kindling it again afresh, they boil this flesh, calling it ἔγκνισμα.

Quaestiones Graecae. Plutarch. ed. William W. Goodwin. Boston. 1874.

Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Greek Questions (English) (Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals, Vol. II. Goodwin, William W., editor; Chauncy, Isaac translator. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company; Cambridge: Press of John Wilson and Son, 1874.)

Editions (2)

Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 24 focus

[24] τί τὸ παρʼ Ἀργείοις λεγόμενον ἔγκνισμα;

τοῖς ἀποβαλοῦσί τινα συγγενῶν ἢ συνήθων ἔθος ἐστὶ μετὰ τὸ πένθος εὐθὺς τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι θύειν, ἡμέραις δʼ ὕστερον τριάκοντα τῷ Ἑρμῇ. νομίζουσι γάρ, ὥσπερ τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀποθανόντων δέχεσθαι τὴν γῆν, ὀὕτω τὰς ψυχὰς τὸν Ἑρμῆν 297a τοῦ δʼ Ἀπόλλωνος τῷ ἀμφιπόλῳ κριθὰς διδόντες λαμβάνουσι κρέας τοῦ ἱερείου, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἀποσβέσαντες ὡς μεμιασμένον παρʼ ἑτέρων δʼ ἐναυσάμενοι, τοῦτο τὸ κρέας ὀπτῶσιν ἔγκνισμα προσαγορεύοντες.

Κεφαλαίων καταγραφή Ἑλληνικά Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 24 focus

[24] τί τὸ παρʼ Ἀργείοις λεγόμενον ἔγκνισμα; τοῖς ἀποβαλοῦσί τινα συγγενῶν ἢ συνήθων ἔθος ἐστὶ μετὰ τὸ πένθος εὐθὺς τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι θύειν, ἡμέραις δʼ ὕστερον τριάκοντα τῷ Ἑρμῇ. νομίζουσι γάρ, ὥσπερ τὰ σώματα τῶν ἀποθανόντων δέχεσθαι 10 297a τὴν γῆν, οὕτω τὰς ψυχὰς τὸν Ἑρμῆν· τοῦ δʼ Ἀπόλλωνος τῷ ἀμφιπόλῳ κριθὰς διδόντες λαμβάνουσι κρέας τοῦ ἱερείου, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἀποσβέσαντες ὡς μεμιασμένον παρʼ ἑτέρων δʼ ἐναυσάμενοι, τοῦτο τὸ κρέας ὀπτῶσιν ἔγκνισμα προσαγορεύοντες 15

Translations (1)

The Greek Questions Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. IV. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1936 (printing).) — 24 focus

[24] What is that which is called an enknisma (a roast) among the Argives?¹

It is the custom for those who have lost a relative or an intimate friend to sacrifice to Apollo² immediately after the mourning, and again thirty days later to Hermes. For they believe that, just as the earth receives the bodies of the dead, even so Hermes receives their souls. They give barley to the priest of Apollo and receive some meat of the sacrificial victim; and when they have put out their fire, since they believe it to be polluted, and have relighted it from the hearth of others, they proceed to roast this flesh which they call enknisma.

Plutarch Quaestiones Graecae 24

ed. William W. Goodwin

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Question 24.

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