Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 583

CHRISTOPHER BARON

University of Notre Dame

Mythical, Hyperborean maidens. Herodotus reports the Delian story that Arge and Opis “arrived with the gods themselves” (presumably APOLLO and ARTEMIS) at DELOS from the far north and were honored by the Delians, worshipped in cult with hymns written by OLEN of LYCIA and with burnt offerings placed on the altar upon their tomb, behind the sanctuary of Artemis (4.35). This tomb, excavated in the early twentieth century, was the ruins of a Bronze Age burial which received cult activity in the ARCHAIC AGE (see Bridgman 2005, 188 n. 11 for bibliography). The whole tale is part of Herodotus’ discussion of the HYPERBOREANS (4.33–36). The relationship of the RITUAL honoring Arge and Opis with that for HYPEROCHE AND LAODICE—also Hyperborean maidens, who arrived later, have a separate tomb, and are associated only with Artemis—is unclear.

In later authors, Arge is called Hecaerge (Callim. Hymn 4.292; [Pl.] Ax. 371a; Paus. 5.7.8). Opis also occurs as an epithet of Artemis (Callim. Hymn 3.204, Oupis); in one version of the MYTH of Orion, Artemis kills him after he attempts to RAPE the maiden Opis (Apollod. Bibl. 1.4.5).

SEE ALSO: Religion, Greek; Source Citations