Bouphonies

The Bouphonies ( Βουφόνια ) were a ceremony of the ancient Greece. They were known at the time of Aristophane (O C) and were still held with that of Pausanias (2nd century. Bouphonies were part of the Athenian Fêtes dipoliennes and were held the 14 of the month of Scirophorion (be).

The independent source of information on Bouphonies is a work of the Greek philosopher of the IV E) Théophraste. This work is lost but we let us know of them many extracts thanks to Porphyre.
In the version of Théophraste/Porphyre it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between what could be the primitive form of the rite and the uses into force at the time of Théophraste. The information brought by divergent Pausanias in certain points of those of Th. /P., which could indicate an evolution of the rite to the wire of the centuries.

The Myth

Pausanias says to us that at the time of Erechthée, an ox was killed on the furnace bridge of Zeus Polieus; the murderer left in exile by giving up his axe on the spot, the aforementioned axe was committal for trial then acquitée during a lawsuit. Bouphonies reproduirent this lawsuit thereafter.

As for Porphyry, its text comprises two versions for the origin of the rite. According to one, at the time of a festival dipolienne an ox ate a kind of crowned cake. Diomos, a priest of Zeus, helped of other people present killed then égorgea the ox.
Selon the other version, the first ox was killed, not by a priest but by an individual of lower row of the name of Sopatros. This one had prepared offerings to offer it to the gods whom an ox plowman devoured and trampled while returning from the fields. In anger, Sopatros seizes a hâche that one was sharpening and struck the animal. The dead and buried ox, Sopatros became aware of its act and regarding itself as irreligious person exiled itself. Thereafter a dryness struck the Attique and an oracle declared that Sopatros would put a term at this situation, that it was necessary to give on dead foot it after having killed it and having eaten and that the murderer was to be punished. Sopatros then required to be allowed citizen and proposed to kill ox at the time of the sacrifice which the city organized, provided that the other citizens take part in it.
Le sacrifice was held as follows: young girls were initially designated and brought water to sharpen an axe and a knife then somebody gave the axe to that which struck the ox and which another égorgea (to empty it of its blood). The dead ox then was prepared and consumed by everyone at the time of a banquet. One reconstituted then the animal with its skin and of the straw, the ox ressuscity was then put under the yoke for to give with work. A lawsuit was then organized where all the protagonists were marked in turn and by indicating one guiltier than they were cleared; the carrying ones water showed the sharpener which showed that which seizes axe and so on until the sticker denounced the knife which had been useful to him. The knife, without answer, endorsed the responsibility for the crime and was thrown to the sea.

The Ritual

According to Théophraste/Porphyry, for this time the sacrifice of ox of the festivals dipoliennes had proceeded by pointing out this event. Cakes were deposited on the furnace bridge of Zeus and one made turn of oxen around. As one of oxen approached the furnace bridge and devoured the offerings, it immediately was cut down and cut the throat of and finally cut up to be eaten at the time of a banquet. Three sacerdotal families were in charge of the various stages of the rite: the boutypoï ( βουτύποι /les strikers of oxen) which would go down from Sopatros; the centriades ( κεντριάδαι /les leaders of oxen) which would go down from that which led oxen around the furnace bridge; the daitroï ( δαιτρους /les guests) which would go down from that which cut the throat of ox.

The rite according to Pausanias (or at its time) appears more modest and seems to stress fault what does not seem the case at Théophraste/Porphyre. The sacrificed ox was chosen beforehand and one made it eat barley and corn deposited on the furnace bridge. The ox was carried out by a priest (the bouphonos/ βουφόνος ) which was to be exiled and its axe was judged with the Academy.

One wanted to see in the rite of Bouphonies the expression of a feeling of guilt of the Greeks compared to the sacrifices of animals at the time of their rites; the taduction of a repulsion growing vis-a-vis a barbarian act considered as antiquated and/or it wasting lifeblood necessary to the agricultural work.

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