Kedreatis

Kedreatis ( ancient Greek Κεδρεάτις ) is an epiclesis of the Greek goddess Artemis , with whom she was worshiped in the Arcadian city of Orchomenos .

Artemis Kedreatis had a wooden cult image near Orchomenos, which was set up in a large cedar tree (" ἐν κέδρῳ μεγάλῃ "), from which her name is derived. Since the cedar is not native to Greece, an attempt was made to interpret the name differently, for example as a derivation of a place name. In the Greek literature, however, various trees were referred to as "cedar", so that the corresponding passage is also translated as juniper tree . The statement by Pausanias that the goddess was named after the tree is now considered certain. The worship of Artemis Kedreatis was therefore a tree cult .

The numismatists Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer and Percy Gardner wanted to identify the cult statue of Artemis Kedreatis on a coin image of Orchomenos. On the obverse , Artemis is shown kneeling in a chiton . The right hand rests on the ground, the left carries a bow from which an arrow is being shot.

literature

Ada Adler : Kedreatis. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume XI, 1, Stuttgart 1921, column 112 ( digital copy ).

Web links

Cult image of Artemis Kedreatis in the Arachne archaeological database

Remarks

↑ Pausanias 8, 13, 2 : πρὸς δὲ τῇ πόλει ξόανόν ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος: ἵδρυται δὲ ἐν κέδρῳ μεγάλῃ, κέαὶ ρτὴν τος θε the wood is ντος θεζζ ὀτντιν κἀΚε τμς the wood πτοζ = πτυ ζτο the wood is πτο the πτυζὸ ὀτντιντο the πτυζῆ πντο the wood is πτο the wood πτυζ it is set up in a large cedar tree, and the goddess is named Kedreatis after the cedar. "
↑ Pausanias, for example . Travel in Greece. Complete edition (= Library of the Old World . Greek Series). Based on the commented translation by Ernst Meyer, edited by Felix Eckstein . 3rd edition, Vol. 3, Artemis & Winkler, Zurich / Munich 1989, p. 34.
^ Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer, Percy Gardner: A numismatic commentary on Pausanias . Richard Clay and Sons, London 1885–1887, p. 96 ( digitized version ).

[1] Pausanias 8, 13, 2 : πρὸς δὲ τῇ πόλει ξόανόν ἐστιν Ἀρτέμιδος: ἵδρυται δὲ ἐν κέδρῳ μεγάλῃ, κέαὶ ρτὴν τος θε the wood is ντος θεζζ ὀτντιν κἀΚε τμς the wood πτοζ = πτυ ζτο the wood is πτο the πτυζὸ ὀτντιντο the πτυζῆ πντο the wood is πτο the wood πτυζ it is set up in a large cedar tree, and the goddess is named Kedreatis after the cedar. "

[2] Pausanias, for example . Travel in Greece. Complete edition (= Library of the Old World . Greek Series). Based on the commented translation by Ernst Meyer, edited by Felix Eckstein . 3rd edition, Vol. 3, Artemis & Winkler, Zurich / Munich 1989, p. 34.

[3] Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer, Percy Gardner: A numismatic commentary on Pausanias . Richard Clay and Sons, London 1885–1887, p. 96 ( digitized version ).