Aristarche is a Greek mythological figure said by Strabo (60 BC – 20 AD) to have been an Ephesian woman of rank who went with the Phocaean colonists to Massalia, where she became a priestess of Artemis in the newly built temple.
Legend
editBefore sailing to Gaul, the Phocaean colonists were told by an oracle to take a guide from Artemis of Ephesus, and thus they stopped in Ephesus.[1] There, the goddess appeared in a dream to Aristarche, one of the most esteemed women in the region, and instructed her to go with the Phocaeans taking a statue from the temple with her, in order to establish a new cult in Massalia.[2][3] Thus she presented herself to the Phocaean colonists and embarked with them to Gaul, carrying religious objects in order to found a temple dedicated to Artemis.[2]
On arriving at Massalia, the Phocaeans erected the temple to Artemis of Ephesus and honored Aristarche by making her the priestess.[3]
This explains the mention of an Ephesion (a temple dedicated to Artemis of Ephesus)[4] dedicated to the goddess at Marseilles in Strabo's version.[5][6][7][8][9] For according to Strabo, in Massilia is a replica of Ephesion.[4]
References
edit- ^ "L'Éphésienne hors d'Éphèse". www.cndp.fr. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ a b A.J. Graham (2017). Collected Papers on Greek Colonization. Brill. p. 337. ISBN 9789004351066. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Massi'lia". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854). Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b Belayche,, Nicole (2015-09-01). "Religions de Rome et du monde romain. Conférences de l'année 2013-2014". Annuaire de l'École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Section des sciences religieuses. Résumé des conférences et travaux (in French) (122). ISSN 0183-7478. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ "L'Éphésienne hors d'Éphèse". www.cndp.fr. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ^ Corinne Bonnet (2015). "Des chapelles d'or pour apaiser les dieux. Au sujet des aphidrymata carthaginois offerts à la métropole tyrienne en 310 av. J.-C". MYTHOS • NUMERO 9 (in French): 71–86.
- ^ Nic Ulmi (16 October 2016). "La vie nomade des dieux antiques". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 2018-07-04.
- ^ François de, Polignac (2013-06-24). Les Panthéons des cités : Des origines à la Périégèse de Pausanias. Presses universitaires de Liège. ISBN 9782821828964. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
- ^ "Aristarchè, vers 600 av. J.C. - AFV". afv-marseille.org (in French). Retrieved 2018-07-04.
Category:Ancient Massaliotes Category:Ancient Ephesians Category:Greek mythological priestesses Category:4th-century writers Category:4th-century deaths