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Herodotus · Histories §2.59.1-2.59.3

The Six Major Egyptian Festivals and Their Cities

Passage 275 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The author describes the multiple major festivals held by the Egyptians throughout the year, the cities where they are celebrated, and the deities in whose honor they are held, including their Greek equivalents.

§2.59.1πανηγυρίζουσι δὲ Αἰγύπτιοι οὐκ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, πανηγύρις δὲ συχνάς, μάλιστα μὲν καὶ προθυμότατα ἐς Βούβαστιν πόλιν τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι, δεύτερα δὲ ἐς Βούσιριν πόλιν τῇ Ἴσι·
The Egyptians celebrate solemn assemblies not once a year, but many times; most of all and with the greatest zeal at the city of Bubastis in honor of Artemis, and secondly at the city of Busiris in honor of Isis.
§2.59.2ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ δὴ τῇ πόλι ἐστὶ μέγιστον Ἴσιος ἱρόν, ἵδρυται δὲ ἡ πόλις αὕτη τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν μέσῳ τῷ Δέλτα· Ἶσις δὲ ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν Ἑλλήνων γλῶσσαν Δημήτηρ.
For indeed, in this city is the greatest temple of Isis, and this city is situated in the middle of the Egyptian Delta; and Isis is, in the tongue of the Greeks, Demeter.
§2.59.3τρίτα δὲ ἐς Σάιν πόλιν τῇ Ἀθηναίῃ πανηγυρίζουσι, τέταρτα δὲ ἐς Ἡλίου πόλιν τῷ Ἡλίω, πέμπτα δὲ ἐς Βουτοῦν πόλιν τῇ Λητοῖ, ἕκτα δὲ ἐς Πάπρημιν πόλιν τῷ Ἄρεϊ.
Thirdly they celebrate them at the city of Sais in honor of Athena, fourthly at Heliopolis in honor of Helios, fifthly at the city of Buto in honor of Leto, and sixthly at the city of Papremis in honor of Ares.

Notes

  1. §2.59.1πανηγύρις δὲ συχνάς — πανηγύρις is the feminine accusative plural in the Ionic dialect, corresponding to the Attic πανηγύρεις. It functions as a cognate accusative or adverbial apposition to the verb πανηγυρίζουσι.
  2. §2.59.1τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ — Genitive of time within which, meaning 'within the year', defining the frequency (οὐκ ἅπαξ 'not once').
  3. §2.59.1τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι — Dative of advantage, meaning 'for' or 'in honor of' Artemis. The subsequent datives associated with the names of deities (τῇ Ἴσι, τῇ Ἀθηναίῃ, τῷ Ἡλίῳ, τῇ Λητοῖ, τῷ Ἄρεϊ) all follow this same construction.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §2.59.1-2.59.3. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:2.59.1-2.59.3

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