- Apaturia
:"For the orchid genus, see its synonym
Pachystoma ."Apaturia (Απατουρια) were Ancient Greek
festival s held annually by all theIonia n towns exceptEphesus andColophon (Herodotus i. 147). AtAthens it took place from October to November, and lasted three days, on which occasion the variousphratries , or clans, ofAttica met to discuss their affairs. The name is a slightly modified form ofαπατορια = ἁμαπατορια, ὁμοπατορια, the festival of "common relationship." The ancient etymology associated it with απατη (deceit), a legend existing that the festival originated in1100 B.C. as a commemoration of a single combat between a certain Melan, representingKing Thymoetes of Attica, andKing Xanthus Boeotia , in which Melanthus successfully threw his adversary off his guard by crying that a man in a black goat's skin (identified withDionysus ) was helping him (Schol. Aristophanes, "Acharnians", 146). On the first day of the festival, called Dorpia or Dorpeia, banquets were held towards evening at the meeting-place of the phratries or in the private houses of members. On the second,Anarrhysis (from αναρρυειν, to draw back the victim's head), a sacrifice ofoxen was offered at the public cost toZeus Phratrius andAthena . On the third day, Kureōtis(κουρεωτις), children born since the last festival were presented by their fathers or guardians to the assembled phratores, and, after an oath had been taken as to their legitimacy and the sacrifice of a goat or a sheep, their names were inscribed in the register. The name κουρεωτις is derived either from κουρος, that is, the day of the young, or less probably from κειρω, because on this occasion young people cut their hair and offered it to the gods. The victim was called μειον. On this day also it was the custom for boys still at school to declaim pieces of poetry, and to receive prizes (Plato, "Timaeus", 21 B). According to Hesychius these three days of the festival were followed by a fourth, called επιβδα, but this is merely a general term for the day after any festival.References
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