Demosthenes, Theomnestus and Apollodorus Against Neaera, Augustus Taber Murray (Translator), 78

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[78] I wish now to call before you the sacred herald who waits upon the wife of the king, when she administers the oath to the venerable priestesses as they carry their baskets¹ in front of the altar before they touch the victims, in order that you may hear the oath and the words that are pronounced, at least as far as it is permitted you to hear them; and that you may understand how august and holy and ancient the rites are.

The Oath of the Venerable Priestesses

I live a holy life and am pure and unstained by all else that pollutes and by commerce with man, and I will celebrate the feast of the wine god and the Iobacchic feast² in honor of Dionysus in accordance with custom and at the appointed times.

Theomnestus and Apollodorus Against Neaera. Demosthenes. Augustus Taber Murray (Translator). London. 1939.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by The Annenberg CPB/Project.

Current edition Perseus

Theomnestus and Apollodorus Against Neaera (English) (Demosthenes, Vol. IV: Private Orations, Vol 3. Murray, A. T., translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1939 (printing).)

Editions (1)

κατὰ Νεαίρας Perseus (Demosthenes. Orationes, Vol. III. Rennie, W., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931.) — 78 focus

[78] βούλομαι δʼ ὑμῖν καὶ τὸν ἱεροκήρυκα καλέσαι, ὃς ὑπηρετεῖ τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως γυναικί, ὅταν ἐξορκοῖ τὰς γεραρὰς τὰς ἐν κανοῖς πρὸς τῷ βωμῷ, πρὶν ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ἱερῶν, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ ὅρκου καὶ τῶν λεγομένων ἀκούσητε, ὅσα οἷόν τʼ ἐστὶν ἀκούειν, καὶ εἰδῆτε ὡς σεμνὰ καὶ ἅγια καὶ ἀρχαῖα τὰ νόμιμά ἐστιν.

ΟΡΚΟΣ ΓΕΡΑΡΩΝ.

ἁγιστεύω καὶ εἰμὶ καθαρὰ καὶ ἁγνὴ ἀπό τε τῶν ἄλλων τῶν οὐ καθαρευόντων καὶ ἀπʼ ἀνδρὸς συνουσίας, καὶ τὰ θεοίνια καὶ τὰ ἰοβάκχεια γεραρῶ τῷ Διονύσῳ κατὰ τὰ πάτρια καὶ ἐν τοῖς καθήκουσι χρόνοις.

Notes on the current edition

Theomnestus and Apollodorus Against Neaera

1. The baskets contained the salt meal which was sprinkled upon the heads of the victims.

2. These festivals derived their names from epithets applied to the God, and belonged to the ancient worship of Dionysus.

Demosthenes Theomnestus and Apollodorus Against Neaera 78

Augustus Taber Murray (Translator)

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The Oath of the Venerable Priestesses

Current edition Perseus

ΟΡΚΟΣ ΓΕΡΑΡΩΝ.

Notes on the current edition

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