[92\5: At Apollonia in Chalcidice there was a yearly custom to ~ta\ no/mima suntelei=n toi=s teleutê/sasin~ in early times in Elaphebolion, later in Anthesterion: Hegesand. ap. Ath. 334 F.--~eniau/sia~, a yearly festival of the dead (but perhaps rather to be taken as _sacra privata_) in Keos: _SIG._ 878.--There is a month called ~Neku/sios~ in Knossos (and common to the whole of Crete acc. to the ~Hêmerolo/gion~ Flor. [Corsini, _Fast. Att._ ii, 428]). It took its name from a feast of the dead (~neku/sia~ is mentioned along with ~peri/deipna~, as a regular expression by Artemid. {193} iv, 81, p. 249, 9 H.): for this see "Treaties of Kretan cities", _BCH._ 1879, 294, l. 56 f.--There was a month ~Agriô/nios~ or ~Agria/nios~ in Boeotia and even in Byzantium, Kalymna, Kos, Rhodos: Hesych. ~Agria/nia; _neku/sia_ para\ Argei/ois kai\ agô=nes en _Thê/bais_~ (as to the _Agon_ at the A. see the ins. from Thebes, _Ath. Mitt._ vii, 349).--~etelei=to de\ kai\ thusi/a toi=s nekroi=s en Kori/nthô|, di' hê\n tê=s po/leôs en toi=s mnê/masin ou/sês epe/rchetai ho Alê/tês ktl.~ Sch. Pi. _N._ vii, 155.] [93\5: Hesych. ~miarai\ hême/rai~. Phot. ~miara\ hême/ra~.] [94\5: ~sugkleisthê=nai ta\ hiera\~ during the _Choes_: Phanodem. ap. Ath. 437 C.] [95\5: Phot. ~miara\ hême/ra; en toi=s Chousi\n Anthestêriô=nos mêno/s, en hô=|~ (~en hoi=s~?) ~dokou=sin hai psuchai\ tô=n teleutêsa/ntôn anie/nai, rha/mnon he/ôthen emasô=nto, kai\ pi/ttê| ta\s thu/ras e/chrion. Rha/mnos; phuto/n, ho\ en toi=s Chousi\n hôs alexipha/rmakon emasô=nto he/ôthen; kai\ pi/ttê| echri/onto ta\ sô/mata~ (leg. ~dô/mata); ami/antos ga\r hau/tê; dio\ kai\ en **tai=s gene/sesi tô=n paidi/ôn chri/ousi ta\s oiki/as eis ape/lasin tô=n daimo/nôn~.--I do not recollect having read elsewhere of pitch as a protection against malevolent spirits or of its use in Greek superstitious practices. (The _flame_ and _smoke_ of burning pitch--and of ~a/sphaltos~: Diph. _fr._ 126 [ii, p. 577 K.] ap. Clem. Al. _Str._ 7, 4, 26, p. 844 P.--as of sulphur, belong to the region of magic and are ~katharmoi/~: but that is a different matter.--~ta\ katha/rsia; tau=ta de/ esti da=|des kai\ thei=on kai\ a/sphaltos~, Zos. ii, 5, p. 67, 19 Bk.). Better known is the magic protective power of the ~rha/mnos~. It is of use against ~pha/rmaka~ and ~phanta/smata~, and is therefore hung up on the doors ~en toi=s enagi/smasi~: Sch. Nic., _Th._ 860 (Euphorion and Sophnon had also referred to this superstition). Cf. Anon., _de Vir. Herb._ 9-13, 20 ff., and the Scholia (p. 486, ed. Haupt., _Opusc._ 2); also Dioscorides i, 119 fin. (~rha/mnos~ also frightens away poisonous beasts: Diosc. iii, 12. In the same way marjoram and scilla are equally available against daimones and ~iobo/la~.) At Rome the hawthorn (_spina alba_) is specially known for these purificatory properties. Ovid, _F._ vi, 129 (at a wedding procession a torch made of a branch of the _spina alba_ is used [Fest. 245_a_, 3 Mü.], and this is _purgationis causa_: Varro ap.