Praxidice

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In Greek mythology, Praxidice (Ancient Greek: Πραξιδίκη, [praksidíkɛː]) may refer to the following characters:

  • Praxidice, goddess of judicial punishment and the exactor of vengeance, which were two closely allied concepts in the classical Greek world-view.
  • Praxidice, according to the Orphic hymn to Persephone, an epithet of Persephone: "Praxidike, subterranean queen. The Eumenides' source [mother], fair-haired, whose frame proceeds from Zeus' ineffable and secret seeds."[1] As praxis "practice, application" of dike "justice", she is sometimes identified with Dike, goddess of justice.
  • Praxidice, according to Stephanus of Byzantium, a daughter of Ogygus named Praxidike, married to Tremiles (after whom Lycia had been previously named Tremile) and had by him four sons: Tlos, Xanthus, Pinarus and Cragus.[2] Of them, Tlos had a Lycian city named Tlos after himself.[3] Cragus may be identical with the figure of the same name mentioned as the husband of Milye, sister of Solymus.[4]

The plural Praxidicae (Praxidikai) refers to the following groups of mythological figures who presided over exacting of justice:

  • Arete and Homonoia, daughters of Praxidice and Soter, sisters to Ktesios.[5]
  • Haliartos in Boeotia, Pausanias saw the open-air "sanctuary of the goddesses whom they call Praxidikae. Here the Haliartians swear, but the oath is not one they take lightly".[6] Their images only portrayed their heads, and only heads of animals were sacrificed to them.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Orphic Hymns to Persephone 29
  2. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Tremilē (quoting a poem by Panyassis)
  3. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Tlōs
  4. ^ Stephanus of Byzantium, s.v. Milyai
  5. ^ a b Suda s.v. Praxidike
  6. ^ Pausanias, 9.33.3.
  7. ^ William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, v. 3, page 517 Archived 2011-09-04 at the Wayback Machine

References