diipolia

DIIPO´LIAor DIPO´LIA(Διιπόλια, Διπόλιαor Διπόλεια), an annual festival celebrated at Athens in honour of Zeus, the protector of the city (Πολιεύς), to whom a bull was sacrificed, whence the festival was also called Buphonia (Aristoph. Pax, 420; Av. 984-5, with the Scholia). It took place on the 14th of Skirophorion, and cannot therefore, as some have believed, be the same as the Diasia, which was held in Anthesterion. It is possible that the θυσία τῷ Διὶ σωτῆρι, mentioned in an inscription (C. I. G. 151), may refer to the Dipolia. (Comp. Antiph. Tetral. 1.4.8; Paus. 1.24, § 4, 28.11; Ael. VH 8.3; Porph. de Abst. 2.29; Creuzer, Symbolik, 1.172, 4.122 ff. ; Hermann, Gottesd. Alterth. § 61, n. 16, 17; A. Mommsen, Heortol. p. 453 ff.)