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Last Updated on 27 May 2019

Author: Georgios Zachos

CAPInv. 1043: Thyiades

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Central Greece
ii. Region Phokis
iii. Site Delphi

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Θυιάδες
ii. Full name (transliterated) Thyiades

III. DATE

i. Date(s) v (?) BC - iii AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

i. Name in other forms All forms are poetic
Βάκχαις, Bakchais (Aesch. Eum. 25; Eur. Ion 717; Ar. Nub. 605; Nonnus, Dion. 9.287)
Κωρύκιαι Νύμφαι, Korykiai Nymphai (Soph. Ant. 1126; cf. Aristonous, cf. Powell, Coll. Alex.1. 33-37)
Νύμφαι Βακχίδες, Nymphai Bakchides (Soph. Ant. 1127)
Δελφίσιν κόραις, Delphisin korais (Philodamus, cf. Powell, Coll. Alex. 22)
ii. Name elements
Cultic:θύω, Thyo=sacrifice, raving, fall in ecstasy (Preisendanz 1936: 684; Villanueva-Puig 1996: 45-6)
Heroic:Θυία, Thyia, the first priestess of Dionysos, daughter of the Delphian Kastalios (Paus. 10.6.4)

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227
Homolle 1896: 719, no. 2 (3rd c. AD)
F.Delphes III.6 2 (1st c. AD)
Jannoray 1946: 254-5, no. 8 (138-161 AD)
La Coste-Messelière 1925: 83-5, no. 11 (138-161 AD)
Soph. Ant. 1146-1152
Plut. Mor. 249
Plut. Mor. 293d-e
Plut. Mor. 364e
Plut. Mor. 365a
Plut. Mor. 953d
Paus. 10.4.3
Paus. 10.6.4
Paus. 10.19.4
Paus. 10.32
Note Other editions:
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226:
Bourguet 1905: 13
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1:
Pomtow 1912: 91-3
Pappadakis 1920/21: 143-4
SEG 3: 406
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227:
F.Delphes III.1 466[2]
Bousquet 1966: 443-6
SEG 23: 319
Online Resources F.Delphes III.1 466[2]
BCH 20 (1896): 719, no. n2[2]
F.Delphes III.6 2
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
Literary source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226: Honorary inscription
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1: Dedication of dekate
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227: Honorary decree
Homolle 1896: 719, no. 2: Honorary inscription
F.Delphes III.6 2: Thrones or proedria in the Delphic theater
Jannoray 1946: 254-5, no. 8: Honorary inscription
La Coste-Messelière 1925: 83-5, no. 11: Honorary inscription
Soph. Ant. 1146-1152: Thiades are dancing with mania all night.
Plut. Mor. 249: Thyiades in Amphissa during the Third Sacred War
Plut. Mor. 293d-e: The mysteries of Herois and Charilla
Plut. Mor. 364e: Klea archeis of Thyiades in Delphi (ἀρχικλά, archikla in Plutarch's text, corrected to ἀρχηΐς, archeis by Keramopoulos 1911: 167-8)
Plut. Mor. 365a: The mysteries of Liknites
Plut. Mor. 953d: Thyiades in Parnassos during winter
Paus. 10.4.3: Thyiades in Panopeus
Paus. 10.6.4: Thyia daughter of Kastallios and mythical founder of Thyiades
Paus. 10.19.4: Sculptures of Thyiades in the pediment of Apollo's temple in Delphi
Paus. 10.32: Thyiades are raving for Apollo and Dionysos in the summits of Parnassos.

All in Greek.
i.c. Physical format(s) Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226: Statue base (Jacquemin 1999: no. 258)
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1: Rupestral inscription
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227: Part of the orthostate of a limestone base
Homolle 1896: 719, no. 2: Honorary inscription
F.Delphes III.6 2: Names (proedria)
Jannoray 1946: 254-5, no. 8: Statue base
La Coste-Messelière 1925: 83-5, no. 11: Fragment of a statue base
ii. Source(s) provenance Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226: Sanctuary of Apollo
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1: Corycian Cave
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227; Homolle 1896: 719, no. 2; F.Delphes III.6 2; Jannoray 1946: 254-5, no. 8: Sanctuary of Apollo
La Coste-Messelière 1925: 83-5, no. 11: Sanctuary of Apollo-'Portique Ouest'

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i. Archaeological remains Five sculptures of Thyiades in the west pediment of the 4th c. BC temple of Apollo (Croissant 2003: 51-60, 87-93, 122-7, 153-7, nos. 34-48, pl. 42-57, 83-6)
The dancers in the acanthus column in Delphi have been interpreted as Thyiades (Corso 2004: 162).
ii. References to buildings/objects Temple of Apollo in Delphi (Plut. Mor. 365a; Paus. 10.19.4)
Temenos and altar of Thyie (Hdt. 7.178)
Charila's doll (Plut. Mor. 293e)

VII. ORGANIZATION

i. Founder(s) Mythical: Thyia daughter of the Delphian Kastalios. She became the first priestess of Dionysos and organized the orgies (Paus. 10.6.4).
ii. Leadership ἀρχηΐς, archeis. In Roman times members of the Delphic elite (Plut. Mor. 364e; Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226-7; Homolle 1896: 719; F.Delphes III.6 2; Jannoray 1946: 257-9; La Coste-Messelière 1925: 83-5, no. 11).

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

iii. Income Dekate is mentioned (Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1)

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Women
iii. Age Adults
iv. Status Probably free women of Delphic families

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226: Cult of Herois with mystic and public rites. Only the Thyiades were aware of the first ones. The public rites had similarities to Semele's cult (Plut. Mor. 293d).
Empereur 1984: 344-5, no. 8.1: Enneateric festival of Charila associated with the harvest and storage of agricultural products, as well as to the alignment of the lunar and solar calendar. During the rite, the king distributed grains and legumes to foreigners and citizens, then stroke with his sandal the effigy of Charila and handed it over to the Thyiades, who took the doll to a ravine. Thyiades, the worshipers of Dionysos, who supplied Delphi with agricultural products ensured that everyone, especially the most unprotected, like the mythic Charila, would share the prosperity of the city, and restored the social order (Plut. Mor. 293d-e; McInerney 1997: 273-5)
Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 227: Trieteric festival of Dionysos Liknites. Hosioi (an important cast in Delphi) offered a secret sacrifice in the sanctuary of Apollo when the Thyiades awakened Dionysus Liknites. The festival was possibly associated with the agricultural cycle and the role of Thyiades was different from the Oribasia held for wild Dionysos in the mountains. Dionysos Liknites was the god of the cultivation, and the celebration took place in the sanctuary.
Homolle 1896: 719, no. 2: Celebration of Dionysos Bacchos. It included Oribasia in Parnassos, meeting and dancing with the Athenian Thyiades in Panopeus and escorting Dionysos in his triumphant entry into Apollo's sanctuary (Plut. Mor 953d; Paus. 10.4.3; 10.32; McInerney 1997: 276-83).
Deities worshipped Dionysos, Apollo, Herois
iv. Honours/Other activities Archeis has the privilege of proedria in the Theater of Delphi (F.Delphes III.6 2)
P. Memmius Stasimus erected in the sanctuary of Apollo the statue of his benefactor archeis Memmia Loupa, daughter of the priest P. Memmios Soteros, with the agreement of the Council (Jacquemin, Mulliez and Rougemont 2012: no. 226).

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The awakening of Dionysos Liknites by the Thyiades is associated to the sacrifice offered by Hosioi (Plut. Mor. 365a).
ii. Interaction abroad They share a common rite with the Athenian Thyiades in Panopeus (Paus. 10.4.3).

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Bourguet, E. (1905), De rebus delphicis imperatoriae aetatis. Paris: 13.
Bousquet, J. (1966), ‘Inscriptions de Delphes’, BCH 90: 428-6.
Corso, Α. (2004), The Art of Praxiteles. 1 vol. Rome: 162.
de La Coste-Messelière, P. (1925), ‘Inscriptions de Delphes’,BCH 49: 61-103.
Croissant, Fr. (2003), Les Frontons du temple du IVe siècle. Athens.
Empereur, J.-Y. (1984), ‘Inscriptions: L'Antre corycien II’, BCH Suppl. 9: 339-46.
Homolle, Th. (1896), ‘Le temple de Delphes, son histoire, sa ruine’, BCH 20: 702-32.
Jacquemin Α. (1999), ‘Offrandes monumentales à Delphes’, BEFAR 304.
Jacquemin, A., Mulliez, D., and Rougemont, G. (2012), Choix d'inscriptions de Delphes, traduites et commentées. Etudes épigraphiques V. Athens: 411-2, no. 226.
Jannoray, J. (1946), ‘Inscriptions delphiques d'époque tardive. Inscriptions de Lébadée’, BCH 70: 247-62.
Keramopoulos, A.D. (1911), ‘Δελφική λατύπη’, AEph: 159-68.
McInerney, J. (1997), ‘Parnassus, Delphi, and the Thyiades’, GRBS 38: 263-83.
Pappadakis, N. (1920/21), ‘Bʹ ΆρχαιολογικήΠεριφέρεια’, AD 6: 139-53, esp. 143-4.
Pomtow, H. (1912), ‘Die Kultstätten der 'anderen Götter' von Delphi’, Philologus 71: 30-99, esp. 91-3.
Preisendanz, K. (1936), ‘Thyiaden’, RE2 6.1: 684-91.
Ustinova, Y. (2005), ‘Lege et consuetudine : Voluntary cult associations in the Greek law’, Kernos Suppl. 5: 177-90.
Villanueva-Puig, M.C. (1986), ‘À propos des Thyiades de Delphes’, in L'Association Dionysiaque dans les sociétés anciennes, Roma: 31–51.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note Bibliography argues for an association and not just for a cultic group. Also, it has been suggested that it obtained a regular and organized form in the age of Plutarch and Pausanias (Villanueva-Puig 1996: 46). According to Ustinova (2005), Thyiades could be considered as a voluntary private cult association.
ii. Historical authenticity The name of the association is mentioned only in litetary sources. However, the combination of Plut. Mor. 364e with the inscriptions mentioning the leader of Thyiades makes the existence of the association unquestioned.