Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Daemones (Spirits) >> Epidotes

EPIDOTES

Greek Name

Επιδωτης

Transliteration

Epidôtês

Latin Spelling

Epidotes

Translation

Bountiful (epidôtês)

EPIDOTES was the spirit (daimon) of purification who assuaged the wrath of Zeus Hikesios (Hicesius), the god of suppliants. He was an attendant of Apollon at Delphoi (Delphi) where he presided over the rites of purification used to remove the stain of pollution from a murderer.

Epidotes was also an epithet of Hypnos, the god of sleep. In this sense he may have been regarded as the purifying spirit which lulled the avenging Erinys plaguing the murderer to sleep.

PARENTS

Nowhere stated

ENCYCLOPEDIA

EPIDO′TES (Epidôtês), a divinity who was worshipped at Lacedaemon, and averted the anger of Zeus Hicesius for the crime committed by Pausanias. (Paus. iii. 17. § 8.) Epidotes, which means the "liberal giver," occurs also as a surname of other divinities, such as Zeus at Mantineia and Sparta (Paus. viii. 9. § 1; Hesych. s. v.), of the god of sleep at Sicyon, who had a statue in the temple of Asclepius there, which represented him in the act of sending a lion to sleep (Paus. ii. 10. § 3), and lastly of the beneficent gods, to whom Antoninus built a sanctuary at Epidaurus. (Paus. ii. 27. § 7.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 17. 9 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"When he [the historical Spartan general Pausanias] was cruising about the Hellespont with the Lakedaimonian (Lacedaemonian) and allied fleets, he fell in love with a Byzantine maiden. And straightway at the beginning of night Kleonike (Cleonice)--that was the girl's name--was brought by those who had been ordered to do so. But Pausanias was asleep at the time and the noise awoke him. For as she came to him she unintentionally dropped her lighted lamp. And Pausanias, conscious of his treason to Greece [he had sold out to the Persians], and therefore always nervous and fearful, jumped up then and struck the girl with his sword. From this defilement Pausanias could not escape, although he underwent all sorts of purifications and became a suppliant of Zeus Phyxios (God of Flight), and finally went to the wizards at Phigalia in Arkadia (Arcadia) but he paid a fitting penalty to Kleonike and to the god. The Lakedaimonians, in fulfillment of a command from Delphoi, had the bronze images made and honor the spirit Epidotes (Bountiful), saying that it was this Bountiful that turns aside the wrath that Hikesios (Hicesius), the God of Suppliants, [i.e. Zeus Hikesios] shows because of Pausanias."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 2. 10. 2 :
"[The sacred enclosure of Asklepios (Asclepius) at Sikyon (Sicyon) :] In the portico lies . . . an image of Oneiros (Dream) and Hypnos (Sleep), surnamed Epidotes (Bountiful), lulling to sleep a lion."