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Chapter Nine chapter nine SUMMARY An overview of all the evidence gathered, now gives us the opportunity, briefly to summarize the meanings of ργια and its cognates and to review the development of the meaning. In contrast to most of the Lexica, which place the meaning ‘secret cus- tom’, ‘secret rite’ in the forefront, I believe we can follow the represen- tation given by Prof. H. Bolkestein, that ργια is, in fact, a synonym of τελετ and that the development of the meanings of both terms runs par- allel. Consequently, we envisage the development of the meaning of the word ργια as follows: . The oldest meaning is the most general one: religious ceremonies, e.g. πλεως ργια (Aeschylus), religious acts in general (Aelian). Sometimes also, occupying a special position alongside the religion of the polis (in a ‘Law of Solon’ and in Aristotle). Ceremonies in honour of specific gods: a. Rites in the cult of Dionysus (Eur., Diod., Paus., Cornutus, Plut., Lucian, Philostr., ps. Oppian). In Theoc., ργια appear to be cult implements and Lucian also mentions an ργιν in this sense. b. Rites in the cult of Cybele (Eur., Dion. Hal., Paus., Lucian). c. Rites in the cult of Demeter (Hdt., Callim., Paus., Plut.). d. Rites in the cult of Hecate (Ap. Rhod.). e. Rites in the cult of Isis and Osiris (Plut., Lucian, Mesomedes). f. Rites in the cult of the Theban Cabiri (Paus.). g. Rites in the cult of Palaemon-Melicertes (Philostr.). h. Rites in the cult of Adonis (Lucian, Philostr.). i. Rites in the cult of Bona Dea (Plut.) and cult implements (id.). Purification ceremonies, e.g. the Plynteria (Plut.). Ceremonies in mystery cults: a. Rites in the Orphic-Bacchic mystery cult (Hdt., Paus.). b. Rites in the Eleusinian mystery cult (Hymn. Dem., Eur., Ar., Lucian, Hippoc.). c. Rites in the Samothracian mystery cult (Hdt., Ap. Rhod.). chapter nine d. Rites in the mysteries of Andania (Paus.). e. Rites in the Mithraic mystery cult (Porph.). f. Rites in mystery cults in general (Plut.) and in the false mys- teries of Alexander of Abonouteichos (Lucian). The word is also repeatedly used in a metaphorical sense, e.g. ργια Μυσ6ν (Ar., Aristid.), τ3ς RΑ@ρδτης ργια (Ar., Ach. Tatius), ργια πιστ μης (Hippoc.), ργια τ3ς ρετ3ς (M. Aur.), τ. RΕπι- κρυ ργια (Plut.), τ3ς <δν3ς ργια (Dio Chrys.), and said of attacks of gout (Lucian). k ργιν in the singular is found in Lucian (Syr. D. ), where it refers to a cult implement in the sanctuary at Hierapolis, and in Hymn. Orph. , whereitisusedasanepithetofDionysus. The verb ;ργα1ειν in the general sense of ‘performing cult acts’ is used all the time (Isoc., Plat., Dion. Hal., Plut.). Furthermore, for performing rites in the cult of: - Dionysus (Eur., Ap. Rhod., Diod., Plut., Philostr.), - Cybele (Diod., Dion. Hal., Strab., Hdn.), - Isis (Appian, Plut.), - Bona Dea (Plut.), - the Trojan Palladium (Plut.), - a sacred fire (Philostr.). Also in the Orphic-Bacchic mystery cult (Strab., Plut.), and in the Eleu- sinian and Samothracian mystery cults (Dion. Hal.). R ργιασμ are found in non-Greek cults in general (Dion. Hal., Plut., Porph.), in mystery cults (Plut.) and also, in particular, in the cult of Cybele (Dion. Hal., Strab.), of Dionysus (Diod., Plut.), Orphic cult (Strab.), the Cretan cult of Zeus (Strab.) and the cult of Palaemon- Melicertes (Aristid.). R ργιαστ ς is found in the cult of Isis (Appian), in mystery cults in gen- eral (Plut.), and is used in metaphorical sense of followers of a philosoph- ical school (Plut.). The Roman augurs are probably called μυστηρων ;ργιαστα by Plu- tarch (Cor. ). Finally, we mention three special usages. The verb κατργι"1ειν occurs in Plutarch in the sense of: to perform purification ceremonies, initiate into mysteries, and (used figuratively).
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