- Cynosarges
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Cynosarges (Κυνόσαργες) was a public gymnasium located just outside the walls of Ancient Athens on the southern bank of the Ilissos river.
Its name derives from Cynos-argos and means white or swift dog. The legend goes that on one occasion when Didymos, an Athenian, was performing a lavish sacrifice, a white (or swift) dog appeared and snatched the offering; Didymos was alarmed, but received an oracular message saying that he should establish a temple to Heracles in the place where the dog dropped the offering.[1]
Herodotus mentions a shrine there in 490/89 BC,[2] and it became a famous sanctuary of Heracles which was also associated with his mother Alcmena, his wife Hebe and his helper Iolaus.[3] A renowned gymnasium was built there;[4] it was meant especially for nothoi, illegitimate children.[5] The Cynosarges was also where the Cynic Antisthenes was said to have lectured, a fact which was offered as one explanation as to how the sect got the name of Cynics.[6]
References
- ^ Suda, κ2721, ε3160. In another account, (Suda, ει290) a white dog was being sacrificed, and an eagle stole and dropped the offering.
- ^ Herodotus, 6.116
- ^ Pausanias, 1.19.3.
- ^ Plutarch, Themistocles, 1; Diogenes Laërtius, vi.13; Steph. Byz., 393, 24
- ^ Demosthenes 23.213; Athenaeus, Deipnosophists, 6.234E; Plutarch, Themistocles, 12
- ^ Diogenes Laërtius, vi.13
External links
- Cynosarges entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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