The Procession
The procession of two maidens given in sacrifice by the Locrians is unusual in that it is not confined to a particular region or territory. As James Redfield claims, a typical Greek procession was conducted within a particular territory, and in particular helped to define the territory of the state. There are instances of other overseas procession, like the voyage by the Athenian Delia where celebrants traveled from Athens to Delos in an annual tribute to King Minos who were sent in sacrifice. There was also the Strepherion, a ceremony which occurred every eight years at Delos which required young men to go to the Tempe and back again. Yet, Delos and Delphi were major panhellenic sanctuaries, in distinction to the localized nature of the Locrian's procession. In the procession it was the maidens from Opuntian Locris, attested on the Maidens Inscription who were required to travel to Troy.1
Parallels with Marriage Rites
As it possible that sending maidens began around the seventh century as either an annual activity or evolved over time into one, the Locrians played a significant role in the ceremony of self-sacrifice for the city. Apollodorus states that the maidens entered the precinct of Athena barefoot, with short cropped hair and a single garment to wear while attending the goddess. Similarly, Plutarch claims that the women were sent without headdresses (κρηδέμνοιο), indicating that their hair was loose.2 This attire has been associated with several rituals:
Mourning
The ritual of mourning the dead entailed cutting one's hair short and walking barefoot, described by Strabo as "soles unbound, as was the custom" (plantis e more solutis).3 Mourners also wore a single black garment, which may not have been exchanged throughout the period of mourning.4Witches and Mystery Cults
Bare feet and short cropped hair were also symbolic of witches. Horace, Ovid, and Pliny state that these women wore their hair loose. In the Metamorphoses, Medea is described as running away from her house with unshod feet, her hair unrestrained and flowing loose.5 Certain mystery cults were also associated with bear feet as part of initiation. The cults of Demeter and Dionysus required hair to be worn loose during certain ceremonies like the procession in honor to Demeter at Alexandria. Feet were also to be unshod in certain mystery cults. For instance, the mysteries of Lycosoura required their initiates to walk without shoes.6Marriage
Important from the perspective of self-sacrifice, the cutting of hair and walking barefoot relates to the practice of marriage rituals. Graf states that short cropped hair was a sign of maturity, as cutting one's hair marked the ritual act of initiation into marriage.7 This was performed in honor of the goddess Artemis, who oversaw the practice. In the Hippolytus, Artemis states, "For unmarried girls before their marriage will cut their hair for you, and over the length of ages you will harvest the deep mourning of their tears" (κόραι γὰρ ἄζυγες γάμων πάροςκόμας κεροῦνταί σοι, δι᾽ αἰῶνος μακροῦ πένθη μέγιστα δακρύων καρπουμένῳ).8 This passage indicates that marriage and death were closely associated with each other. For the self-sacrifice of a maiden symbolized the theme of marriage to death. Similarly, the sacrifice of the Locrian maidens can be seen as a marriage not only to death but to the city for whom they are consenting their self-sacrifice.
The first journey of the Locrian Maidens to Troy demonstrates, perhaps most clearly, the initiation of young maidens. The adolescents were adorned before a nighttime procession to a new residence at the Temple of Athena. This parallels the marriage rites depicted on Greek vase-painting from the Archaic through Classical Period. Women are shown taking prenuptial baths or at their toilettes being offered garments and nuptial vessels in preparation for their upcoming nuptial. After a bride's preparation her male relatives escorted her in a nightly procession to the house of her betrothed. The original Locrian Maidens are depicted as performing a similar act, as the first pair were dressed and led by their male relatives to a new home, and potentially permanent residency in the attendance of Athena.9
The First Maidens
The connection of self-sacrifice and marriage to the city also comes from the etymology of the names of the first maidens to enter the service of Athena. Apollodorus states that their names were Periboea and Kleopatra. Periboea means "she for whom many cows are given" while Kleopatra means "fame of the father". Both are names of mythical brides. For instance, the Meleanger's bride in the Iliad is Kleopatra, the daughter of Marpessa and Evenus.10
Initiation Rites
Sending maidens to Troy for a year as attendants to the goddess Athena only to be reincorporated into the community demonstrates a similar initiation structure as the marriage rites of separation. Van Gennep divided marriage into a series of rites where a woman was separated from her family, a stage he termed the "rites of separation", in order to be incorporated into the community with a new social status. This last step he termed the "rites of incorporation" and signified the change of a woman from an adolescent to an adult, or young unmarried girl into a wife (gyne). The act of separation took place before the wedding with a ritual bath and adornment.11 Attic vase-paintings from the fifth-fourth century B.C. show young women at fountain houses fetching water for this event and at their toilettes preparing for the proceeding wedding feast with attendants. In these depictions, the women are shown with typical nuptial vessels, loutrophoroi and gamikoi lebetes, either being offered them as gifts or as surrounding decoration.12 The Locrian Maidens were, similarly, separated from the community, by preparing for their journey by ritual adornment. Their residency at Troy signifies the ritual separation, like the bath, prior to the wedding.
An additional element in this sequence of initiation for the maidens was the diminishing of their status as part of their social transformation. The maidens were given away like brides by their fathers. But, instead of being betrothed they were given as attendants to the goddess. The maidens can be seen then as a sacrifice for the city by their fathers, diminishing their status as servants for their year in isolation. Upon the completion of their service the maidens would have been a valuable asset to the city, as they had performed a noble and selfless act by allowing themselves to be 'sacrificed'.13 In effect, the process of going to Troy elevated the maidens' status, for the women left Locris in all respects as an ordinary citizen and returned with the revered title of Locrian Maiden.
1. [Redfield, 85.]↩
2. [Plut. De Sera 557d.]↩
3. [Strab. Theb. 572]↩
4. [Graf, 258]↩
5. [Ov. Met. 7.182-3.]↩
6. [LSCG 68.6]↩
7. [Graf, 258]↩
8. [Eur. Hipp. 1425-7]↩
9. [Hom. Il. 9.556]↩
10. [Redfield, 90]↩
11. [van Gennep, 116]↩
12. [Sebetai, 192-5]↩
13. [Redfield, 86]↩
The first journey of the Locrian Maidens to Troy demonstrates, perhaps most clearly, the initiation of young maidens. The adolescents were adorned before a nighttime procession to a new residence at the Temple of Athena. This parallels the marriage rites depicted on Greek vase-painting from the Archaic through Classical Period. Women are shown taking prenuptial baths or at their toilettes being offered garments and nuptial vessels in preparation for their upcoming nuptial. After a bride's preparation her male relatives escorted her in a nightly procession to the house of her betrothed. The original Locrian Maidens are depicted as performing a similar act, as the first pair were dressed and led by their male relatives to a new home, and potentially permanent residency in the attendance of Athena.9
The First Maidens
The connection of self-sacrifice and marriage to the city also comes from the etymology of the names of the first maidens to enter the service of Athena. Apollodorus states that their names were Periboea and Kleopatra. Periboea means "she for whom many cows are given" while Kleopatra means "fame of the father". Both are names of mythical brides. For instance, the Meleanger's bride in the Iliad is Kleopatra, the daughter of Marpessa and Evenus.10
Initiation Rites
Sending maidens to Troy for a year as attendants to the goddess Athena only to be reincorporated into the community demonstrates a similar initiation structure as the marriage rites of separation. Van Gennep divided marriage into a series of rites where a woman was separated from her family, a stage he termed the "rites of separation", in order to be incorporated into the community with a new social status. This last step he termed the "rites of incorporation" and signified the change of a woman from an adolescent to an adult, or young unmarried girl into a wife (gyne). The act of separation took place before the wedding with a ritual bath and adornment.11 Attic vase-paintings from the fifth-fourth century B.C. show young women at fountain houses fetching water for this event and at their toilettes preparing for the proceeding wedding feast with attendants. In these depictions, the women are shown with typical nuptial vessels, loutrophoroi and gamikoi lebetes, either being offered them as gifts or as surrounding decoration.12 The Locrian Maidens were, similarly, separated from the community, by preparing for their journey by ritual adornment. Their residency at Troy signifies the ritual separation, like the bath, prior to the wedding.
An additional element in this sequence of initiation for the maidens was the diminishing of their status as part of their social transformation. The maidens were given away like brides by their fathers. But, instead of being betrothed they were given as attendants to the goddess. The maidens can be seen then as a sacrifice for the city by their fathers, diminishing their status as servants for their year in isolation. Upon the completion of their service the maidens would have been a valuable asset to the city, as they had performed a noble and selfless act by allowing themselves to be 'sacrificed'.13 In effect, the process of going to Troy elevated the maidens' status, for the women left Locris in all respects as an ordinary citizen and returned with the revered title of Locrian Maiden.
1. [Redfield, 85.]↩
2. [Plut. De Sera 557d.]↩
3. [Strab. Theb. 572]↩
4. [Graf, 258]↩
5. [Ov. Met. 7.182-3.]↩
6. [LSCG 68.6]↩
7. [Graf, 258]↩
8. [Eur. Hipp. 1425-7]↩
9. [Hom. Il. 9.556]↩
10. [Redfield, 90]↩
11. [van Gennep, 116]↩
12. [Sebetai, 192-5]↩
13. [Redfield, 86]↩
