Lucian of Samosata, De Syria dea, Austin Morris Harmon (Translator), 6

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[6] But I saughe in Byblos a gret temple of Venus of Byblos, wherin thei perfourmen cerimonyes in mynde of Adoon; and I lernede tho cerimonyes.¹ Thei seyn that the dede that was don to Adoon be the bore befell in here londe, and for memorie of that myschaunce everyche yeer thei beten here brestes and sorwen and perfourmen tho cerimonyes, makynge gret doel thorgh that contree. And whan mournthe betynge and the wepynge is atte ende, first thei maken offringes to Adoon, as though he were ded; and than, on the morwe, thei fablen that he is quick, and fecchen him forth in to the eyr, and lette air schaven here hedes as don Egyptyens whan that Apis is ded.² And alle wommen that wole not lette schaven hem, thei payen this penance, that upon o day thei profren hem for achat of here beautee; but the merkat is open to straungers alle only, and the huyr becometh an offring to Venus.³

De Syria dea. Lucian of Samosata. Austin Morris Harmon (Translator). United States. Perseus 5.0.

Funding provided by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

The Goddesse of Surrye (English) (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Περὶ τῆς Συρίης Θεοῦ Perseus (Lucian, Vol. 4. Harmon, Austin Morris, editor. London: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1925 (printing).) — 6 focus

[6] εἶδον δὲ καὶ ἐν Βύβλῳ μέγα ἱρὸν Ἀφροδίτης Βυβλίης, ἐν τῷ καὶ τὰ ὄργια ἐς Ἄδωνιν ἐπιτελέουσιν· ἐδάην δὲ καὶ τὰ ὄργια. λέγουσι γὰρ δὴ ὦν τὸ ἔργον τὸ ἐς Ἄδωνιν ὑπὸ τοῦ συὸς ἐν τῇ χώρῃ τῇ σφετέρῃ γενέσθαι, καὶ μνήμην τοῦ πάθεος τύπτονταί τε ἑκάστου ἔτεος καὶ θρηνέουσι καὶ τὰ ὄργια ἐπιτελέουσι καὶ σφίσι μεγάλα πένθεα ἀνὰ τὴν χώρην ἵσταται. ἐπεὰν δὲ ἀποτύψωνταί τε καὶ ἀποκλαύσωνται, πρῶτα μὲν καταγίζουσι τῷ Ἀδώνιδι ὅκως ἐόντι νέκυι, μετὰ δὲ τῇ ἑτέρῃ ἡμέρῃ ζώειν τέ μιν μυθολογέουσι καὶ ἐς τὸν ἠέρα πέμπουσι καὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ξύρονται ὅκως Αἰγύπτιοι ἀποθανόντος Ἄπιος. γυναικῶν δὲ ὁκόσαι οὐκ ἐθέλουσι ξύρεσθαι, τοιήνδε ζημίην ἐκτελέουσιν· ἐν μιῇ ἡμέρῃ ἐπὶ πρήσει τῆς ὥρης ἵστανται· ἡ δὲ ἀγορὴ μούνοισι ξείνοισι παρακέαται, καὶ ὁ μισθὸς ἐς τὴν Ἀφροδίτην θυσίη γίγνεται.

Notes on the current edition

The Goddesse of Surrye

To natives of Byblos their goddess was just Baalat (Mistress), and to other Semites Baalat Gebal (Mistress of Byblos); in Syriac and Greek Baltis or Beltis is used as if it were her name. So too Adonis to them was simply Adon (Lord); an early name, or perhaps epithet, was Kliun (Philo of Byblos; cf. Baudissin, p. 76, Meyer, Gesch., p. 395). It was only late, if at all, that fe was there identified with Tammuz, upon whom, as fourth king of Erech, see Clay, pp. 44 sgg. The temple, which contained a baetylic stone, is represented on coins (Babelon, Perses Achéménides, p. 200, and pl. xxvii, 1] and 12),

Lucian abridges his account of the rites because they were familiar. I see no reason to suppose that they differed essentially from the Alexandrian rites as described by Theocritus (15 end). From him we learn that Adonis comes to life for but a day, during which he is couched with the goddess in the temple. Next morning the women carry him to the sea-shore, and (cf. scholion) commit him to the waves. Lucian’s phrase és tty hépa xéumovet, which has been curiously interpreted, is to my mind equivalent to #£w oloedues in Theocritus, and the usual éxxoulCovar.

See Frazer i, 36 sqg., and the comment of How and Wells on Herodotus 1, 199. Note also the apocryphal Epistle of Jeremiah, 42; and on the “hire,” Deuteronomy 23, 18.

Lucian of Samosata De Syria dea 6

Austin Morris Harmon (Translator)

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