Laphria (festival)

For the species, see Laphria (species). For the deity see Laphria (goddess).

Laphria (Ancient Greek: τὰ Λάφρια) was an ancient Greek religious festival which ended once a year in Patras in honour of the goddess Laphria, the Laphrian Artemis. Pausanias wrote messages on that festival. During his visit, the temple of Laphrian Artemis was brought there by Calydon, a belief, as Laphria was also named Aitole (Αἰτωλή) or Aetolis (Αἰτωλίς). The temple moved to Patras before the arrival of the religious statue.

Laphria lasted for two days. During the first day of the festival, the priestess that incarnated the deity, came with a pomp above the chariot that brought olives. The prolongation of the chariot race with the priestess survived with the currency during the time of Marcus Aurelius. The second day became the sacrifice: Eccentric around the altar in a circle, wooden flora and over that sacrificed wild animals, even the wolves and small bears. It had above the altar fruits from the wild trees. As the light lightened, the animals tried to leave though it is brought back from the beginning.

The festival characterized Laphria as a beautiful from the older Potnian gate, meaning the master of wild animals, in which worshipped from the much older years in all of Greece and a lot later that fated with Artemis.

Sources

• Emmy Patsi-Garin: Pocket Dictionary of Greek Mythology, Chari Patsi, Athens 1969.