Heroes of Attica (Bulletin Supplement)

THE HEROES OF ATTICA

EM ILY KEARNS

BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT 57 1989 Uni\'ersitY of London

Institute of Classical Studies

tuda' s \\

1 U OP'

BJOY KOINQNQI

CONTENTS Ackno~ Jedgen1ent

Abbreviations

I. Prelin11naries 2. The I1ero and the Individual: some Forms of Relationship

3. The Hero and the City: the Saviour-hero 4. The Hero and the Sn1aller Group: Gene and Orgeones 5. Th Hero and the Smaller Group: Tribes and Den1es 6. Heroic !vfythology

7.

Per')p~ctives

Appendix J: Catalogue of Attic Heroes Appendix 2: the Tomb of Oedipus Appendix 3: the Tribal Priesthood of Erechtheus List of Plates

ACKNOWLEDG EMENTS My thanlo..s arc d ue li rst or a ll to Nicho la ... RiciHll d\011, who p:!tJCntly ~uperviO dangerous to the unwary. My examiners had many he lpful suggestions for improvement 1 am sorry that it is no longer possible to tha nk Lilian Jeffery in person, but I hope that Robcrt Parker will accept my gratitude fo r many stimulating djscussions both at the time of examination and afterwards. For lo..ind U'>Si'>tance with points too various ro menti on I am indebted to David Bain. Judith Binder. John Boardman. Andrew Green, Alan Griffi ths, Nichola'> Purcell. Jeffrey Rusten. Alhert Schachter, John Wilki ns and Nigel Wilson. Others who helped with ~pecific points are. 1 hope. aclo.. nowledged in the text. Man) in..,titutions gave practical help. For financial support while research ~as in progres') I thanlo. the Craven Committee of the University of Oxford and to St Hilda ·.,College in the ame unive r ity. During the same period I was also much helped by the facilities offered b) the British School at Athens. T he transformation from thesis to boolo.. occurred on the ~ord­ processor of the De partments of Greek and Latin, University College London. and I am extremely grate fu l to the members and secretari es of these department for their unstiming help. espec iall y in allowing me to continue to use the machine after 1 had ceased to be employed in the college. Technical alterations were made at the Institute of Cla sical Studies, where my debts arc many: to John Barron, who agreed to publish the boolo. and gave conrinuing support and practical help during its preparation; to Alicia Totolos. who lilo. ewise gave practical he lp of mO!>t varied kinds; to Jennifer March, who minimised the effect or m) incompetence with com pute r~ and who prepared the final st age~ of the manuscript: and to Pat Connolly. "ho endured with good humour my repeated invasion~ of her office. Finall). Richard Rutherford helped with the burden of proof-reading. For permi'l\ion to publi h Mu..,cum. I ~hould aho IJJ...e to than!... Profe~sor J. Mc K. Camp for pcrm bsion to quote ~omc \\Ord., from the unpubli,hcd in ...cription Agora I 7396. But above all 1 should lilo. e to thank my friend~ and family. \\ ho during the \>\hole period of the book's prepara tion made life worth living.

BBRL\ I

\\or"' cited in ahhre' iutl'd t.•rm \H\

J. D BeatiC),

ltlc Hla

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J. D. BeaTIC). llJfi.~ I

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figure\ a'C P mtel'> 0\ford 19'6

Rc.-d hgurc \ ase Pamter-, 2nd edn (Oxford

The th.. \gom· Re,ull" of l' a\atJon' Conducted b~ the -\men.. at \d1 ol ol Cla,,Jt:al Studtes m \then'. (Pnn.. eton 145~-

..-\then, Cnmc' ul \gc: I film )ullln to \.1 ,,tnll'-. paper' ol a '>) mpo,tum 'Ptlll,n Unt\l'f'11). (cd. \\ . \. P. ChJid,) 1 Pnnccton II.J~ 1 Rcchcr~.hc'

'ur 1, '1ature du ~eno' (LJI!e 19- 6)

Bourriot

F. Bourriot.

Brclu.:h

A Brelich. Gh cwt gre..t Rome 19:" )

Brommcr~. Br'

F. Brommer. \ .henh,h:n tur gric ht,\.h n HC"!Jen;;;age. ' Aufl. ( \larburg I q~J l

Bmmmer. Gouer,agen

F. Brommer. Goucr,agcn m \ ..,en

Brommer. Th \ul\

F. Brommer. The,cu, 1D;trrn,taJt 14 2

Burl,en. GR

\\'. Burt..en. Gnechhche Reltg 1.'11 Jcr ar.. h.. ,._llen und t..la''lchen Ep01.·hc 1 tullg•lrl ctl ll/-- = Grce" Re, fl\'" Archaic anJ Cla"-ll'al Pt>mxh. tr. .I R.111.-n (0\ll~rd 10 5 (Section number' arc tdl'nltl',tl m G~.·mun anJ Enfl,,h

'It n

\ larburg 'q, ,

edition~)

Burt..en. H,\

\\ '. Burt..cn. llomt' \ e ..·an'-. the \nthn,I. \Pf

Dcubncr Dtm . PnttJI/t'i' F.trncll /(ir/1

I( i

L. Deubner. \IINhl-' r·e,te tBerltn l'n2l S. o,,,,. Pr' t,\11\.'1' .1 !\IUth t'l the ln,.-llpllllll' ll,uwring lhC' \thenr.tn Cmuwill \\ . Judctch. Topographtc 'on Athen. :! Autl . (1\luntch IIJ ~I 1 , K '-··1 Epinrammata g.racca C\ l~tptdthu-. collcua ( Bcrlm ( J. ..Ill"" • e IH7Xl L . Kron. Die 1 chn atti-.chcn Ph) lcnhcrocn. \M -.upp. 5 t Berlin

ll176l f-. Kuhch.

Allt..,chc Heilg.iJHcr und Hctlheroen (Rchgionsge~chichthchc Vcr-.uchc und Vorarbeiten, 2 Bd. 3 Hcft) to Auic 8/ac/..-fi~ure \ 1111' Pailllers and to Auic Red-figure \ a.\ e Painters (2nd ednJ {0\ford 1971) H. W. Parke. Festivab of the Athenian!-. (London 1977) D. L. Page. ed: Poetac Mclici Gracci (0\ford 1962)

Poulllou\. Fortt'n'.I \C'

J. Pouilloux. La fo nere,se de Rhamnonte: topographic et d'hi!>toirc ( Pari~ 195-0

etude

de

Prdler-Roben

L. Prcller. Griechi~c:hc Mythologic. -1. Aufl. bearb. von C. Rnbcn (Berlin 1894- 1926)

PW

11. W. Parke and D. E. W. Wonm:ll. The Delphic Gracle '>0\1 a')

Rtchan.l...on. 111111/1

N. J. Richard.,on. cd, The l lomeric I I) mn to Dcmetcr (0\ford lll7-1 )

dcr da ...si-.chen Altcrtum'" i!.\en-.chaft

11. Ro,cher. Au... luhrlkhe... Le\icnn der g ried w.chen und rumNhcn ~1 )thologic ll.etpllg. IXI-\4 - 1937)

\\1

SEG

Supplcmentum cpig 1,1phic:um !,!racntm

Solder\

• t''·' · 11CII Kulte und die [:.uugung S liuldcr' • Die ·•1u....., n:-. .lull\t' \Htk.l'> t1 und lll31l Supplementum I I. 1 lo}d June-; illld P Par-;on , edd l ll'll~nlosllcum (Bcrlm und Nt\\ y k I Jl\:\)

'iiiJ>p ltellel/1\l.

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J ~ . 1 r.ull. llw Jloi111C.d Or •.um.!lum of \lltclllt''

D. Whilcht·ad. lh· lkmc' ol Alltta 'iOXn·ca 2."i0 BC. a Politica l and Soc1.ti.Silld\- (Jlnnrt'lon 19X61

\\ oodhnd. Cult,, of 1/crade.\

S. Woodford. Cull' nf lk~chc hleilung (Athcnl,l'hc 1\ 1111cilungcnl Anlilo.c Kun'-l Archiiologl'che /eu,duill Bulletin de C'OIIl.''Jlgt.:~chich l e

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.. 1 ·,·1 ,,,., ••·tv·,tilahlc in ~t·vera l ed ilion-., arc ci1et1 hy name lllo'l n I " 11• 1 · ~ (i . Daux. ' l .a grantle tlcnum:hie: un nouvcau calcndricr ....u:tdictcl ti'AIIIqut.: (En:hia)', BC/I X7 ( 1963) 603-34; pl'thap' more ea~ily con'>u lled in S. l)ow. 'The greater dcma rJ..hia of Erkhia'. /JCI I X9 ( 1965) I X0-2 13

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W. S. l·ergu ...on. ll au mu,CI:: J . Paul Gctt) ', /'ant. 1 la\.\ . 52 ( 19X3) 150 74 (-.upcr-,eding G. Dun'lt, /PE ~5 119771243-M .) Rell'tellll''> to ' atrdtt'l'' pcdonned 'at En:hia '. 'a t ThoriJ..o,.', l!tc. -;hould be taJ..cn to refer to the rcln:uH t.lkndar' unk' ' the con1rary i'> indi cated. Since the cakndar' were de,igned to be r.:ad llnm thL· month tuhttL. the l111e number '' quoted on ly where it particularly facilitate' teadmg. /\11 date' at e BC unll'" o1 het wi-,c '> I \\Ilk Jlld llu1d. ~.:nnlal lll ll!! a t·o llcu ion of ve1y d ivcr)ooe charac ln,. \n Jirl'l ll.JII\C .tpprct.tC.: h \ 1ew-. rill' hero a-, lllllfU il' lemt tlf .1 '-l'IIC\ \\'!1.11 god. \\hat hl'IO. 11 h.11 man·' l'ht,l\l'' of th i' \lll l -.~c m to have IX't"llllll' t·omrnon plan· h\ llll' lull' llftlt ccntul'). \\ hl·n \\.\.' lmd \Uch \ lcrcot) pcd l.' \prc''" lll" "' u\Jtl' 1\ruu., u\111' llP••xt.; tl\H. lt\ 1lpu11tl1\J.; fll I Ill 1.111 lltlll 111111/ I HI lt} lit

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1 1 , Jl.,'11.1••1., .:1111 I•) p·t ''" ''I I'·'IJdllll ,, Plll'l ·"11 \ ltllt'll,l 1 lP" tt' P""''' ''''"' ''.l.''l •''11 Ill td ,l.'\ltll .IIJI Ill '11'111 III.IJIII.ld,ll llll ' I'IJ 11 t.liJI·''I \\ 111 IJl,ll\ldlll•' '·'I' \,Ill'( I' •!I •'1tnJ..ing of the'c d1ll1~ ulllo~' \\Ill, I hope. hccome apparelll during the cour'e ol th" 'tUd). "" '' c e\amme the 'anou' I) JlC' .md roJ.:, ol the A till' he roe..,- for it ...ccm-. to he the ca ...c that Attica "one of the .tre." le.t't lllted to 'ud1 a 'ic". Other theoric' linJ.. the hero 1\llh more general ...ocial c.:hange. 1 hu' hew l ult ma) appear a' a re'>pon\e to the di,po"'e''>ion of p.:a'>mll'.. from longllc.:L'Upied l.tnd . 01 ;~ltc.:rnatl \1.' 1 } 11 ma) reprc ...ent an attempt by hclcagucred ari, tocrat' to tran.,fer tht'lr old PI I\ tlc!!c' to another plane. Any or all of thc~c thcorie' 111H) contain important truth,. hut all an. 111 111.:cd ol one 11laJor qualificati on: clement-. of hero-cult \Ct'm 10 he in e:...i~tcnce hclorc till ughtlt ccntur} . Thcorie' 111u..,t aho be con.,itkr.:d in thl' li );!ht olthc ,pcc.:llic. detailed CvldcnLL prmulcd h) thL' lunuion of 'ariou ... hc10C' in \OC.:ll'l). ami l'inall) \\1.' tnll't '"J.. our,dH·" ''hl·11te1 \\.hat \\l' arc tr) mg tn explam "'reall) a '1ngk phcnonlL'nnn. \\hat lollo\\ !oo "J rL'g tonal '-llld). ' I he rea,on' lor th1' lutllt,llmn .IlL' nut '"npl\ llt'f!.l 111e buU, l)l lllll l'\ l.'l'lll"l' lllllll'' 1111111 th.:- filth .uui C~)1C\.:IJ JI) lh~: lhC: )lllllth U.'llllll\ ,I dl.lll!!l' lK'l'lll'\, C.lt~ '0fiC:\ rC:ll'IH tx· !!''d'. llltllll.ll) .md trndl,tin~ur,hc:d p..·oplr Ill' hcroco, I hou •h th 1•ld ~:ult of hc:roc~ 11c,cr ~..·,,mplctl'l\ p.;,au ....• ''"'' m· \lltli;(IIUVIIII jHIMI(lt'.,. hll'\\l'dt>tll'' Ulll kr lh•• l'Jith 1 I 111 tlul lh•· IH'I 1!11'111' Jrc ,tl''' dt.".t•l IX'IIl)!' "h•• h:lh' UIIJIII\'d J ,1,1111' lllll'IIIICtfl,tll' h..'llll'Cil lllllrtJI' •llld lJI,lllll )'ll" ' 11 \\H' .1r "tll, lttl\'rllll'l•l tt•ll tl-.tlt ' llllll' lh•th ••I th.·-.· llll1\'l' (ll '.l.llllllol'llll~' lhlllli!h lhl') ,uc. 't:'>. to a lev. an,tncr;ttltl'lllk'. fo 1hc ordrn;ar: \\(H,hipper.the pr on him. or '' ho ''ere re'>pon-..ible for th~.· terwr' ul the night \\ho C:\ c:r ucm c:u comlort lmm a hc:lid in gho'''· Imagining hr-, own '''Ill.' a' he haunted hi' lom1c:r hou,c'? B) and large. thl.' h-:ro '' )· e\ i\tence bore onl) an nhlr4Ul' rdalron to lhc offering or ...acriricc. The important th ing Wi'> marked the ~pread of idea' P~' 1ou ... 1~ ~onlmcd to c\du ... ive. ari~tocratic circle-, and how far it had independent root lie' be~ ond the '~ope of th1' '>tud~. But "e ma) note another feature connected \\ ith the ne\\ heroe...: tt "a... pre ...umabl~ more than ordinarily useful to have a member of your famil). \\ ith ~{lllr mtere'" at hean. 111 a po"erful po'>ition. able to act through more than human channel': 'li.Uth

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"Be '·" nur.1blc and grant me healing for m) 'id. ne'>'>. a') ou did before .... ince nO\\ ) ou

h not po.,...ible. howc\cr. to eliminate all e\ idcnce from the later period: nota hi). Pau ....mia'> '' a knih:: and u'>cful 'our~e of 1nfonna11on. ome or the l01:al hi,torian' ol Attica. too. Iall 'trit:tl) out,tde the Lhrotwlogi~.:al ltmll .... ) ct 11 1' lMiall) po,.,ihlc to -.cc \\hen their matcnall1 Uhjl'ct n l '-1.'\'cr.tl uHth:dic'i l\l.!e chapter 2 1• but lot thc 1111"1 p:ttt ll' ktcncc' tlli.Ollll.'d). a'> in ot.tiOI), general htstoty and 1110\l other pto...c \\Ill"'· a r~.· utl'tdcnt.tl.though -.omdimc' g t, ing u-; utti.'\ PI.'llcd llh tglu.... l tll't Upplcmcntcd h) thc ""u.tl .ut ' v,...,L pa1111ing' can give an 1dca of a hero' -. populartt ) (lot c\ampk Tlll:,cu,). and o~.·~.. t ,u mall y llllll l r l.!l h l: l c h~ intonnat 1on 011 \Oilll' or the lc'' wl'l l " 110\\' 11 hcroe\; hut thl' llllllll'dl:tll' \\lUI"l\.' ol hi.' IOi l 'l:C lll'\ on VU'>C\ 1\ at k:ht "' li"-l'l y to he L'pil' or dranw a~ direct input trom cult legend 01 p1al1 ICL'. Very d1ll ~:rent 111 purpo"e i' the other main type or vbual dcpil:ti on. the voti ve rcltet. Su c: h artdact\, by and l;ugc. 1>tic"- to l'ertain '"l'll defined and '> tercotypcd pallcrn'>: with a numoc1 of (often pu11l ingJ nception .... the) 'pea"- to u' not -.o much of ind1v 1dual cul t' a ... ot the general relatton'> hlp het\\ een god or he10 and wor'>hipper. More \Oiid 111lorrmtt1on " li'> Uall > prm ided h) an} al'compan) ing in ...~:ription. Indeed. '" ithout the conllthution made h> epigraph) m general. our "-no\\ lctlgc of the rei igim" prolile of Att ica '' ou ld be immcu ... urahl > poorer \iot onI) \oti\ c in,criptton\. but houndal') - mar"- er~. in ventori c~. \acred lav. , and ... acnltce calcndaf\. deL rec... of the cit) and of the \'ariou\ group!> within the city - all the~e have the1r part to pia). olten a 'er) important part. in building up a pictu re of heroic cult in Att1ca. lhe tn fo m1ation the) gi'e i'> norrmllly of a rather rormal kind. but even \O \\C can \Ometime-. go bc) ontl thi' and make deduction'> about a hero·., place in the communi! ) . The \a me limitatton aprhc' rather mon: 'trongl) in the ca...e of archaeological data from tho'>e rc ligiou-, "'e' '' h ~t: h ) 1cld neitha in\cnption., nor \Olive'>. though even such data can ma"-e a contributton.

lt remain' now to indicate some lines of inveMigation. The function of a hl'ro can onl) ha\C .1 mean ing in term), or the hero's relati on:-hip wi th hi' human \\Of...hippa... \\hcthcr \\llh individual or wi th group. A"' with other rcaturcs o r the religiou' '-)'tcm nl the Gree"-'· thi' double con ~ idcrati on i-. or cruc ial impo rtance. Within thl' chronologkal l11111h a ... '"-etc h~:d ahO\C, the hero·.., relation'> with the individual arc comparati'l'l) ">lral g htfon,..~rd . On the \\ hOle. the hero i-, tended with the observa nce ... or cult (regular llf Ol'h.' r: \Omctt me., the ritual of hi.., cult ha~ deve loped to the point \\hc rc h" nrigmal functton "' oh,cured and forgotten, and hi'> -,igniticance ' h1 fh from the hcndtt .., he can confer on the mdividual to the function of the ritual a' a group perfnnnam:c. In dwptct ~ - ..omc C\.ampte ....tre g.1ven ot 'uriation.., on thc~c theme~. \ hO\\ ing "ome ul the luncttlllh rcbttng to mdt\ldual concern ... "'-hlch heroe-. can fullil. Their rolc in .. u~.·h dcaltng ... 1, 'l'f) 11"-l' that or !_!(lth: thc1r human P"'' may. perhap.... render them more') mputhetll' to human pltghh. t'lut till'· I'> '"''r" d~ a ltml dl\tlnctton In"' ban:'' outline-.. tht' t)pl' o l tt an-..tcttnn \\lth god' .md hcn'IC' I' onl.' wlm.h "ea\) to apprehend ....pringmg a' it doe' lrom th1.' dell) ·, pll\\l'l Ill gt.lllt the mdl\ tdu.IJ', health. pro..,pcnty and 'o on. ha\lc w"he' But thcrl.' 1' anothc1 and perhap-, morl' ..,pectacul:11 \\':1) 111 \\.lllch ,!!Od' and hen'l.'' l.tn I'IC approached: hy the gmup. :ll'tlllg_ in COill'elt. r hi , " !ill.' h<J'I' ol the ll'\(1\.t1 e mely nnpn11.1111 ' '1 11 1.. 111 I llll" ( ot'lllt'l ' Rdt!! ton and ' 'Kie ty' 111 the anc:ienl >Acltld '' now hef! tnning 111 b..• llhllA tlh tmport.llll c\tt'f'' '''"'· ut~tll "~r) rl'l't'nll )' rclig mn (a' oppmc d to m yth alone) "' a group phliiOillcnnn h.,, lt'mkd tolx· rdatl\el) neglcc:tcd h) wrlle1o, on the (iJccl-.o,. While many Ill the I reil• h .mthrnpolo!,!lt.ll 'd1nol ha\ e temkLI to com:cnl rate on 111) th. a o., an c\pre.,.,lllll ol colkdl\e fll'lhtll) unuHto,liOU'J mcnt.dHy. tho,e 'l ho l.u' \\hoo.,c 1111ere't" lie more in the utJhtlllU' thnu~hh .md Jll.tdtte' of the Grecr..,. approached Ll'> a hi , IOriGtl ..,nc tet)'. ha\ c lor the nm 1 pIur nl " p.utiIOn. and 'u on. fhc mere c\i-.ten...e ul the hero. ht' cull or the tradttlom about him. ma) pnnc a cuhe,l\e force fnr the group or ma) hdp to danr) 11, tillage of tt\elf. What. then. \\ere the prcci ...e relallnn' ro . . . ihlc lxt\\t!en herO\!' and the 'anou' group-. of Greel.. ~ociet)? Ho" did the people ol arehJte and cla..,~1cal -\llllJ pc reel\ c the action' .md "gnilicancc of their he roe' for group and for rndt\ idual! .11

"' Ho:r