Wikipedia
Laphria ( Ancient Greek: τὰ Λάφρια) was an ancient Greek religious festival in honour of the goddess Artemis, held every year in Patras. There was a sanctuary of Artemis Laphria on the acropolis of Patras. The sanctuary had an image of Artemis Laphria, that was brought there from Calydon in Aetolia after it was laid waste by Augustus. Every year, the people held a "festival of the Laphria" in the goddess's honour "which was peculiar to their place". They made a barrier of tall logs round the altar, "still green", so that the stockade would not burn. They piled the driest wood on the altar, for kindling, and then smoothed the approaches to the pyre by laying earth on the altar steps. On the first day, the people walked in procession of the "greatest grandeur" for the goddess. A virgin priestess brought up the rear, riding in a chariot which was drawn by tame yoke deer. The next day, living animals are sacrificed, including edible birds, boars, deer, gazelles, wolves and bears, but also fruit from trees. The altar was set on fire. Animals forced out by the first leap of the flames, or escaping at full tilt were thrown back into the fire, to their death, by those who had brought them. There was no record of anyone being injured by the animals.
For a discussion on this festival see 'Ritual Dynamics in Pausanias: The Laphria' by Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge.
Laphria, the bee-like robber flies, is a genus described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1803, belonging to the family Asilidae, subfamily Laphriinae.
This genus has an Holarctic ecozone distribution, occurring from the British Isles, across Europe and Asia, to Japan, as well as across the whole North America.
The adults average sizes reach . These huge robber flies are quite hairy, their body is usually black, while the bee-mimicking abdomen shows black and yellow stripes. They can be encountered from July through September.
They generally prey on insects of various species, including other robber flies, bees, wasps and beetles. Their characteristic mouth allow the species of Laphria to penetrate their sclerotized proboscis in between the elytra of preyed beetles. All the preys are dissolved by special enzymes injected in their bodies, which are then sucked out by the predator.
Laphria may refer to:
- Laphria (fly), a genus of robber flies
- Laphria (festival), an ancient Greek festival for goddess Artemis