apellai

The word is derived from the Ancient Macedonian word pélla ({{lang|grc|πέλλα}}), "stone", (Heshychius) which appears in some toponyms in Greece like Pella ({{lang|grc|Πέλλα}}), Pellene ({{lang|grc|Πελλήνη}}) Solders (Hesychius) p.204 Schol.Ulp. Demosth. XIX 155 : Nilsson Vol I p.558 [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dpe%2Flla pella], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon Αlso: Pellana, Pella (Thessaly), Pallene etc. Robert Beekes suggests that the word {{lang|grc|πέλλα}} has probably Pre-Greek origin.R. S. P. Beekes Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 1168). The Doric word apella ({{lang|grc|ἀπέλλα}}) originally meant wall, enclosure of stones, and later assembly of people within the limits of the square . The word usually appears in plural.Spartan verb: {{lang|grc|ἀπελλάζειν}}: "to assemble", and the festival {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλαι}}, which surely belonged to Apollo: Nilsson, Vol I, p. 556[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=apella/zw&la=greek#Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=a)pella/zw-contents ἀπελλάζω ] Robert Beekes derives the word from the verb {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλειν}},[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=apei%2Fllw&la=greek#lexicon ἀπείλλω] {{lang|grc|ἀποκλείειν}}[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=apoklei/w&la=greek#Perseus:text:1999.04.0057:entry=a)poklei/w-contents αποκλείω] ("shut off from or out from") therefore apella is the "enclosed space, meeting space".Beekes Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 115.

When a pubescent was received into the body of grown men, as a grown Kouros (male youth) he became {{lang|grc|ἀπελλάξ}} (apellax, "sharer in secret rites") and he could enter the apellai. The apellaia were the offerings made at the initiation of the young men at a meeting of a family group.[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Da%29pellai%3Da ἀπελλαῖα]

Apellaion is the offering of a part of the hair to the god, and corresponds to the Koureion of the Apaturia.Nilsson, Vol I, pp. 137, 556 Apellaios is the month of these rites, and Apellon is the "megistos kouros" (the great Kouros).Jane Ellen Harrison (2010): Themis: A study to the Social origins of Greek Religion. Cambridge University Press. p. 441. {{ISBN|1108009492}}

There is evidence for this festival in Epidauros, Olous, Kalchedon, "Heracleia" at Siris, Tauromenion, Chaleion, Lamia, Oeta ({{lang|grc|Oἳτη}} (Oetē)), A city on the territory of the Malians.{{Cite DGRG|title=Oeta|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0064:id=oeta-geo|first=|last=|volume=I|pages=}} Tolophon, Delphi and also in Ancient Macedonia.Martin Nilsson, Die Geschichte der Griechische Religion, vol. I (C. H. Beck), 1955, pp. 555–556Compare Hesychius: {{lang|grc|ἀπέλλακες ἱερών κοινωνούς}}: Sharers in secret rites Nilsson, Vol I, p. 556 The phratry (‘brotherhood’) controlled the access to civic rights. The three-day family-festival included initiation ceremonies, not concerning the state:

• A father introduced his young child
• A father presented his son again, later, as grown youth (kouros)
• A husband presented his wife after the marriage

The corresponding names for the offerings made were paideia (child), apellaia (kouros) and gamela (marriage, Greek: γάμος gamos).

It is almost sure that the fest belonged originally to Apollo, because his name is used in the oaths only near Poseidon Phratrios and Zeus Patroοs. In Athens a common epithet of Apollo as family-god is "Apollo Patroos".Plato, Euthyd., 302cDemosth. XVIII 141: "To Apollo Pythios, who is the father of the city.": Nilsson, Vol I, p. 556[http://www.greece-athens.com/page.php?page_id=255 Temple of Apollo Patroos]

• Apella
• Apellaia
• Ancient Macedonian calendar

{{Reflist}}

Category:Festivals of Apollo

Category:Ancient Greek festivals by region

Category:Lunisolar calendars