Hymnia (original) (raw)

Hymnia (Ancient Greek: Ὑμνία) was an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis under which she was worshipped throughout Arcadia. She had a temple someplace between Orchomenus and Mantineia. We know from the geographer Pausanias that Orchomenus at least used to hold festivals in her honor. The priests and priestesses of Hymnia were at first always virgins who were to remain celibate in the priesthood. They were also subject to high standards of propriety, such as being forbidden to enter into the home of a private individual. This lifetime celibacy was fairly unusual for ancient Greek priesthoods.