"Bendida" redirects here. For the exoplanet, see WASP-21.
Bendis (Ancient Greek: Βένδις) was a Thracian goddess associated with hunting and the moon. Worship of the goddess seems to have been introduced into Attica around 430 BC.[1] In Athens, Bendis was identified with the goddess Artemis, but she had a separate temple at Piraeus, near the temple of Artemis, and was a distinct goddess.[1] She was a huntress, like Artemis, but was often accompanied by dancing satyrs and maenads, as represented on a fifth-century red-figure stemless cup at Verona.
Artemis Bendis, moulded terracotta figurine, perhaps from Tanagra, c. 350 BC (Louvre)
The Greeks wrote of Bendis as one of the seven daughters of Zeus who were turned into swans who would later reappear in human forms driving a golden carriage and teaching crowds.
The deity's name, Bendis, is thought to derive from a Proto-Indo-European stem *bʰendʰ-, meaning 'to bind,[2][3] unite, combine'.[4]
Worshipedit
By a decree of the Oracle of Dodona, which required the Athenians to grant land for a shrine or temple, her cult was introduced into Attica by immigrant Thracian residents,[5] and, though Thracian and Athenian processions remained separate, both cult and festival became so popular that in Plato's time (c. 429–413 BC) its festivities were naturalized as an official ceremonial of the city-state, called the Bendideia (Βενδίδεια).[6] Among the events were night-time torch-races on horseback, mentioned in Plato's Republic, 328:
"You haven't heard that there is to be a torchlight race this evening on horseback in honour of the Goddess?" "On horseback?" said I. "That is a new idea. Will they carry torches and pass them along to one another as they race with the horses, or how do you mean?" "That's the way of it," said Polemarchus, "and, besides, there is to be a night festival which will be worth seeing."
In Piraeus there was a temple of the goddess which was called the Bendidia / Bendideion (Βενδίδειον).[1]
A red-figure skyphos, now at Tübingen University, of c. 440–430, seems to commemorate the arrival of the newly authorized cult: it shows Themis (representing traditional Athenian customs) and a booted and cloaked Bendis, who wears a Thracian fox-skin cap.
Votive stele (British Museum). The goddess is shown on a larger scale than her mortal worshippers.
A small marble votive stele of Bendis, c. 400–375 BC, found at Piraeus, (pictured left) shows the goddess and her worshippers in bas-relief. The image shows that the Thracian goddess has been strongly influenced by Athenian conceptions of Artemis: Bendis wears a short chiton like Artemis, but with an Asiatic snug-sleeved undergarment. She is wrapped in an animal skin like Artemis and has a spear, but has a hooded Thracian mantle, fastened with a brooch. She wears high boots. In the fourth century BC terracotta figurine (pictured right) she is similarly attired and once carried a (wooden?) spear.
Bendis in her Thracian cap approaches a seated Apollo. Red-figure bell-shaped krater by the Bendis Painter, c. 380–370 BC
Elsewhere in Greece, the cult of Bendis did not catch on.[citation needed]
Just as in all other respects the Athenians continue to be hospitable to things foreign, so also in their worship of the gods; for they welcomed so many of the foreign rites that they were ridiculed for it by comic writers; and among these were the Thracian and Phrygian rites. (Strabo, Geography (1st century AD), 10.3.18)
The "Phrygian rites" Strabo mentioned referred to the cult of Cybele that was also welcomed to Athens in the 5th century.
Related deitiesedit
The Athenians may have blended the cult of Bendis with the equally Dionysiac Thracian revels of Kotys, mentioned by Aeschylus and other ancient writers. Archaic female cult figures unearthed in Thrace (modern-day Bulgaria) have also been identified with Bendis.[citation needed]
^ abcA Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), BENDIDEIA
^Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1156. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-015
^Georgiev, Vladimir I.. "Thrakisch und Dakisch". Band 29/2. Teilband Sprache und Literatur (Sprachen und Schriften [Forts.]), edited by Wolfgang Haase, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 1983. p. 1206. doi:10.1515/9783110847031-016
^Extensive discussion of whether the date is 429 or 413 BC was reviewed and newly analyzed in Christopher Planeaux, "The Date of Bendis' Entry into Attica" The Classical Journal96.2 (December 2000:165-192. Planeaux offers a reconstruction of the inscription mentioning the first introduction, p
^Fifth-century fragmentary inscriptions that record formal descrees regarding formal aspects of the Bendis cult, are reproduced in Planeaux 2000:170f
"Bendis (Thracian goddess)", The Editors. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 1998. Accessed 24 January 2022.
Further readingedit
Auffarth, Christoph (Tübingen). “Bendis”. In: Brill’s New Pauly. Antiquity volumes edited by: Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, English Edition by: Christine F. Salazar, Classical Tradition volumes edited by: Manfred Landfester, English Edition by: Francis G. Gentry. Consulted online on 2 July 2022 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e215260>. First published online: 2006; First print edition: 9789004122598, 20110510
Beschi, Luigi. "Bendis, the Great Goddess of the Thracians, in Athens". In: ORPHEUS - Journal of Indo-European and Thracian Studies. Институт за балканистика с Център по тракология - Българска академия на науките, 1990. pp. 29–36.
Cerkezov, Valentin. "Iconography of the Thracian Goddess Bendis in the Tombstones with a "Funeral Feast" from Southern Thrace". In: Eirene: studia graeca et latina Nº 33, 1997, pp. 53–66. ISSN 0046-1628. https://www.degruyter.com/database/HBOL/entry/hb.10712435/html
Janouchová, Petra. "The cult of Bendis in Athens and Thrace". In Graeco-Latina Brunensia. 2013, vol. 18, iss. 1, pp. 95–106. ISSN 2336-4424.
Planeaux, Christopher. “The Date of Bendis’ Entry into Attica”. In: The Classical Journal 96, no. 2 (2000): 165–92. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3298122.
External linksedit
"BENDIS - Thracian Goddess of the Moon & Hunting", Theoi Project, 2017. Accessed 24 January 2022.
January 01, 1970
bendis, genus, moth, moth, comic, book, author, brian, michael, bendida, redirects, here, exoplanet, wasp, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, materia. For the genus of moth see Bendis moth For the comic book author see Brian Michael Bendis Bendida redirects here For the exoplanet see WASP 21 This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Bendis news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message Bendis Ancient Greek Bendis was a Thracian goddess associated with hunting and the moon Worship of the goddess seems to have been introduced into Attica around 430 BC 1 In Athens Bendis was identified with the goddess Artemis but she had a separate temple at Piraeus near the temple of Artemis and was a distinct goddess 1 She was a huntress like Artemis but was often accompanied by dancing satyrs and maenads as represented on a fifth century red figure stemless cup at Verona Artemis Bendis moulded terracotta figurine perhaps from Tanagra c 350 BC Louvre The Greeks wrote of Bendis as one of the seven daughters of Zeus who were turned into swans who would later reappear in human forms driving a golden carriage and teaching crowds Contents 1 Etymology 2 Worship 3 Related deities 4 References 5 Sources 6 Further reading 7 External linksEtymology editThe deity s name Bendis is thought to derive from a Proto Indo European stem bʰendʰ meaning to bind 2 3 unite combine 4 Worship editBy a decree of the Oracle of Dodona which required the Athenians to grant land for a shrine or temple her cult was introduced into Attica by immigrant Thracian residents 5 and though Thracian and Athenian processions remained separate both cult and festival became so popular that in Plato s time c 429 413 BC its festivities were naturalized as an official ceremonial of the city state called the Bendideia Bendideia 6 Among the events were night time torch races on horseback mentioned in Plato s Republic 328 You haven t heard that there is to be a torchlight race this evening on horseback in honour of the Goddess On horseback said I That is a new idea Will they carry torches and pass them along to one another as they race with the horses or how do you mean That s the way of it said Polemarchus and besides there is to be a night festival which will be worth seeing In Piraeus there was a temple of the goddess which was called the Bendidia Bendideion Bendideion 1 A red figure skyphos now at Tubingen University of c 440 430 seems to commemorate the arrival of the newly authorized cult it shows Themis representing traditional Athenian customs and a booted and cloaked Bendis who wears a Thracian fox skin cap nbsp Votive stele British Museum The goddess is shown on a larger scale than her mortal worshippers A small marble votive stele of Bendis c 400 375 BC found at Piraeus pictured left shows the goddess and her worshippers in bas relief The image shows that the Thracian goddess has been strongly influenced by Athenian conceptions of Artemis Bendis wears a short chiton like Artemis but with an Asiatic snug sleeved undergarment She is wrapped in an animal skin like Artemis and has a spear but has a hooded Thracian mantle fastened with a brooch She wears high boots In the fourth century BC terracotta figurine pictured right she is similarly attired and once carried a wooden spear nbsp Bendis in her Thracian cap approaches a seated Apollo Red figure bell shaped krater by the Bendis Painter c 380 370 BC Elsewhere in Greece the cult of Bendis did not catch on citation needed Just as in all other respects the Athenians continue to be hospitable to things foreign so also in their worship of the gods for they welcomed so many of the foreign rites that they were ridiculed for it by comic writers and among these were the Thracian and Phrygian rites Strabo Geography 1st century AD 10 3 18 The Phrygian rites Strabo mentioned referred to the cult of Cybele that was also welcomed to Athens in the 5th century Related deities editThe Athenians may have blended the cult of Bendis with the equally Dionysiac Thracian revels of Kotys mentioned by Aeschylus and other ancient writers Archaic female cult figures unearthed in Thrace modern day Bulgaria have also been identified with Bendis citation needed Bendida Peak on Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica is named after the goddess 7 References edit a b c A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities 1890 BENDIDEIA Georgiev Vladimir I Thrakisch und Dakisch Band 29 2 Teilband Sprache und Literatur Sprachen und Schriften Forts edited by Wolfgang Haase Berlin Boston De Gruyter 1983 p 1156 doi 10 1515 9783110847031 015 Georgiev Vladimir I Thrakisch und Dakisch Band 29 2 Teilband Sprache und Literatur Sprachen und Schriften Forts edited by Wolfgang Haase Berlin Boston De Gruyter 1983 p 1206 doi 10 1515 9783110847031 016 Fol Alexander Marazov Ivan 1977 Thrace amp the Thracians New York City St Martin s Press p 21 ISBN 978 0 304 29880 8 Extensive discussion of whether the date is 429 or 413 BC was reviewed and newly analyzed in Christopher Planeaux The Date of Bendis Entry into Attica The Classical Journal 96 2 December 2000 165 192 Planeaux offers a reconstruction of the inscription mentioning the first introduction p Fifth century fragmentary inscriptions that record formal descrees regarding formal aspects of the Bendis cult are reproduced in Planeaux 2000 170f SCAR Composite Gazetteer of AntarcticaSources edit Bendis William Smith ed Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology 1 Boston Little Brown amp Co 1867 Bendis Thracian goddess The Editors Encyclopedia Britannica 20 Jul 1998 Accessed 24 January 2022 Further reading editAuffarth Christoph Tubingen Bendis In Brill s New Pauly Antiquity volumes edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider English Edition by Christine F Salazar Classical Tradition volumes edited by Manfred Landfester English Edition by Francis G Gentry Consulted online on 2 July 2022 lt http dx doi org 10 1163 1574 9347 bnp e215260 gt First published online 2006 First print edition 9789004122598 20110510 Beschi Luigi Bendis the Great Goddess of the Thracians in Athens In ORPHEUS Journal of Indo European and Thracian Studies Institut za balkanistika s Centr po trakologiya Blgarska akademiya na naukite 1990 pp 29 36 Cerkezov Valentin Iconography of the Thracian Goddess Bendis in the Tombstones with a Funeral Feast from Southern Thrace In Eirene studia graeca et latina Nº 33 1997 pp 53 66 ISSN 0046 1628 https www degruyter com database HBOL entry hb 10712435 html Janouchova Petra The cult of Bendis in Athens and Thrace In Graeco Latina Brunensia 2013 vol 18 iss 1 pp 95 106 ISSN 2336 4424 Planeaux Christopher The Date of Bendis Entry into Attica In The Classical Journal 96 no 2 2000 165 92 http www jstor org stable 3298122 External links edit BENDIS Thracian Goddess of the Moon amp Hunting Theoi Project 2017 Accessed 24 January 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bendis amp oldid 1217789151, 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