Κυθέρεια

Ancient Greek

Etymology

Κύθηρα (Kúthēra, “Kythira”, Aphrodite's place of birth) +‎ -εῖος (-eîos)

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ky.tʰé.reː.aː/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kyˈtʰe.ri.a/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /cyˈθe.ri.a/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /cyˈθe.ri.a/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /ciˈθe.ri.a/

Hyphenation: Κυ‧θέ‧ρει‧α

Proper noun

Κῠθέρειᾱ • (Kŭthéreiā) f (genitive Κῠ́θέρεᾱς); first declension

(Greek mythology) The goddess Aphrodite.
- 750 BCE – 650 BCE, Hesiod, Theogony 934:
  Ἄρηι ῥινοτόρῳ Κυθέρεια Φόβον καὶ Δεῖμον ἔτικτε
  Árēi rhinotórōi Kuthéreia Phóbon kaì Deîmon étikte
  To Ares Aphrodite bore the shield-piercer Panic and Dread
- 800 BCE – 600 BCE, Homer, Odyssey 18.193:
  ἀμβροσίῳ, οἵῳ περ ἐϋστέφανος Κυθέρεια χρίεται
  ambrosíōi, hoíōi per eüstéphanos Kuthéreia khríetai
  with ambrosial, such as that wherewith well-girdled Aphrodite anoints herself

Descendants

Latin: Cytherea
English: Cytherea

References

“Κυθέρεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“Κυθέρεια”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
“Κυθέρεια”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers