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I've got an Greek question. As you might expect, I have rather a large number of Roman texts, but possess the sum total of one on Greece, as it doesn't usually pertain to me. I've looked all over the net, and can't find an answer to my query.
An easy answer, that is. Does anyone know if the ancient Greeks celebrated either a mid winter festival or a festival to mark the winter solstice? (In other words, a sort of Greek Saturnalia, as the Romans had.) Many thanks for any info or the names of any texts in which I might find the answer.
Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Eagles of Rome, Spartacus and Hannibal novels.
Eagles in the Storm released in UK on March 23, 2017.
Aguilas en la tormenta saldra en 2017.
www.benkane.net
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Ok I clicked on the second site, hardly "useful", Its so...nonsense. I'm guessing it's one of those Hellenic neo-pagan crapfests. I'm clicking on the page for the "Larentalia" for example, since its an area with an increasing amount of work and finding the following:
Acca is an obscure Latin word: in Greek akkô means a "ridiculous woman" or "bogey"; in Sanskrit akka means "mother." Therefore Acca Larentia seems to be the Mater Larum.
How do you respond but with laugher? it manages to be historically, philologically AND logically specious all at once.
OP, a few warnings. There is no singular Greek Religion, there are only a few shared tendencies. Even within a city sacral calenders can change heavily via area e.g Athens and its demes. We actually have a good portion of a demotic calender and can compare. I don't know how that influences what you're after.
I would recommend the following entryway texts: Parke's "Festivals of the Athenians" and Erika Simone's "Festivals of Attica". Yes, both are Athenian focused but are solid introductions without much knowledge beforehand.
I can help you more thoroughly after the 30th of September . The West is particularly troubling, though there has been some recent work its all in article form minus, I think, Lomas' stuff. You'll want to concentrate on Demetra and Kore in this area though the Tyrants were quite keen to wholesale take elements of Athenian culture, hence my recommendation of Athens as a base...
By all means use the sites Athena Areias helpfully recommended, just with extreme caution of the later...the first one in general seems more reliable.
If you're doing you're own research focus on sacred space and time for best results here.
Jass