Karneia

The Karneia (in Greek old τὰ Καρνεῖα ) are celebrated religious festivities with Sparte in the honor of Apollon Karneios , “guard of the cattle”.

They are celebrated at the time of full moon of the month of karneion , that is to say generally in the month of August, and last ten days. They are the most important festivals Spartans. They stop all the other activities; thus, they are Karneia which delays the arrival of the Spartans with Marathon, like that of the reinforcements to the Thermopyles.

It is a military festival of nature, a little like the Bœdromia of Thèbes. Last nine tents are drawn up in the city. In each tent, nine people, pertaining to three Phratrie S, eat and sleep under the command of a herald. A raft carrying the statue of Apollo Karnien and decorated garlands is carried in all the city, in remembering the boat on which the Héraclides passed from Naupacte to the Peloponnese, by the gulf of Corinthe.

There is also an agrarian aspect, which is translated in the ritual of the race-continuation where a carrier of strips must be caught up with by five Karnéates ( Καρνεᾶται ), carrying bunches of grapes. These Karnéates are also charged to assist the priest leading the sacrifices during Karneia, called Ἀγητής / Agêtês , from where the name sometimes used of “Agétories” to indicate the festivities. Karnéates are drawn with the fate among the single people from less than 30 years, and for this period, they are not authorized to marry.

Lastly, Karneia are the theater of dances of young people, and musical contests. According to the tradition, it is Terpandre which gains the first contest of music, and its pupils thereafter are distinguished there particularly.

The sources which we have on Karneia are mainly the grammairiens Hésychios of Alexandria and Athénée.

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