Munychia

• the port of Athens, Nep. Thras. 2, 5.
• —Hence, Mū-nychĭus, a, um, adj., Munychian, poet for Athenian: agri, Ov. M. 2, 709.

MUNY´CHIA(μουνύχια), a festival celebrated in April in honour of Artemis Munychia, as the goddess of the full moon shining alone by night (μουνυχία for μονονυχία). Plutarch (de Glor. Ath. p. 349 F) says that it was instituted to commemorate the victory over the Persians L at Salamis, and that it was held every year on the sixteenth of Munychion, near the port which was named after the goddess. (Cf. πότνια Μουνυχίη λιμενοσκόπε, Callim. Dian. 259.) It was believed that the goddess had helped the Greeks with her light on the night before the battle. (Compare Suidas and Harpocrat. s. v. Μουνυχιών.) The sacrifices which were offered to the goddess on this day consisted of cakes called ἀμφιφῶντες, because these cakes were adorned all round with burning candles. (Athen. 14. p. 645; Suidas, s. v. Ἀνάστατοι: Hesych. and Etym. M. s. v. Ἀμφιφῶν.) Lysander added insult to injury by ordering the long walls to be demolished on the day of the Munychia. (Plut. Lys. 15; Preller, Gr. Myth. 1. p. 236.)

MUNY´CHIA[ATHENAEp. 306.]

(Μουνυχία). A hill in the peninsula of Piraeus, which formed the citadel of the ports of Athens. It was strongly fortified, and is frequently mentioned in Athenian history. At its foot lay the harbour of Munychia, one of the three harbours in the peninsula of Piraeus, fortified by Themistocles. The names of these three harbours were Piraeus, Zea, and Munychia. The entrance to the harbour of Munychia was very narrow, and could be closed by a chain. The hill of Munychia contained several public buildings. Of these the most important were: (1) a temple of Artemis Munychia, in which persons accused of crimes against the State took refuge;

(2) the Bendideum, the sanctuary of the Thracian Artemis Bendis, in whose honour the festival of the Bendidea was celebrated;

(3) the theatre on the northwestern slope of the hill, in which the assemblies of the people were sometimes held (Pausan. i. 1, 4).

(τὰ μουνύχια). A festival celebrated in April, in honour of Artemis Munychia, as goddess of the full moon shining alone by night, and instituted to commemorate the defeat of the Persians at Salamis ( De Gloria Ath. p. 349 F).

• Paus. 1.1.4
• on the Attic coast E. of the Piraeus, the eastern extremity of Xerxes' line before Salamis: Hdt. 8.76
• occupied by Macedonian garrison: Paus. 1.25.5, Paus. 2.8.6