Cynosarges


Cynosarges was a famous temple of Heracles, public gymnasium, and surrounding grove located just outside the walls of Ancient Athens on the southern bank of the Ilissos river and near the Diomeian gate. The modern suburb of Kynosargous is named after it.

Overview

Its exact location is unknown but it is generally located in what is now the southern suburbs of Athens.
Its name was a mystery to the ancients that was explained by a story about a white or swift dog, etymologising the name as Kynos argos, from genitive of kyon and argos. The legend goes that on one occasion when Didymos, an Athenian, was performing a lavish sacrifice, a white dog appeared and snatched the offering; Didymos was alarmed, but received an oracular message saying that he should establish a temple to Heracles in the place where the dog dropped the offering.
Herodotus mentions a shrine there in 490/89 BC, and it became a famous sanctuary of Heracles that was also associated with his mother Alcmene, his wife Hebe and his nephew/helper Iolaus. It appeared that Heracles and Hebe each had a dedicated altar whereas Alcmene and Iolaus shared one. A renowned gymnasium was built there; it was meant especially for nothoi, illegitimate children. The Cynosarges was also where the Cynic Antisthenes was said to have lectured, a fact which was offered as one explanation as to how the sect got the name of Cynics.
A festival was held at Cynosarges in honour of Heracles in the month of Metageitnion, at which twelve nothoi were chosen to be parasitoi, who ate a meal with the cult statue of the god. They returned for smaller meals each month for a year where a priest would perform sacrifices. People who refused to serve as parasitoi were liable to be prosecuted in the Athenian court system. Clement recorded that Phillip II of Macedon was honoured with a cult at the site, who claimed Heracles as an ancestor.