κρητήρ

κρητήρ, ῆρος, ὁ, Ion. and Ep. for κρατήρ (q.v.). κρητηρίζω, v. κρατηρίζω.

κρητήρ, ion. u. ep. = κρατήρ.

κρητήρ

-ῆρος, ὁ

[κρη-, κεράννυμι.]

• • 1

    A large bowl in which wine was mixed with water for drinking (the drinking being commonly preceded by libation), a mixing-bowl : κρητῆρας ἐπεστέψαντο ποτοῖο Il. 1.470, Il. 9.175. Cf. Il. 4.260, Il. 6.528, Il. 9.202, Il. 23.741, 778 : οἶνον ἔμισγον ἐνὶ κρητῆρσι καὶ ὕδωρ Od. 1.110. Cf. Od. 1.148, Od. 2.330, Od. 4.222, Od. 9.9, Od. 10.356, Od. 11.419, Od. 13.105 (of natural formations in a cave), Od. 20.152, Od. 21.145, etc.

    Libation specially referred to : ἀπὸ κρητῆρος Ἀθήνῃ ἀφυσσόμενοι λεῖβον οἶνον Il. 10.578. Cf. Il. 3.247, 269, 295, Il. 23.219.

    A bowl in which nectar was mixed (cf. Od. 5.93) : νέκταρ ἀπὸ κρητῆρος ἀφύσσων Il. 1.598.

  • 2

    Referring rather to the contents than to the bowl : πίνοντες κρητῆρας οἴνοιο Il. 8.232, ξωρότερον κέραιε [κρητῆρα] Il. 9.203 : ἀνὰ κρητῆρα κέρασσεν οἴνου Od. 3.390. Cf. Od. 3.393, Od. 7.179 = Od. 13.50, Od. 18.423.

κρητήρ , ῆρος (κεράννῡμι): mixingbowl, wassail-bowl, in which wine and water were mingled, to be distributed in cups; two parts of wine to three of water was a common mixture; κρητῆρα μίσγεσθαι, στήσασθαι, ‘set up,’ place at hand. The wassail-bowl was usually placed near the hearth, and often on a tripod (esp. when several κρητῆρες were in use at the banquet); the contents were poured into the cups (δέπαα) by means of a filler (πρόχοος, pitcher), Od. 3.339. Cut No. 8 shows (1) the ἀμφιφορεύς, from which the wine was poured into the upper, smaller mixing-bowl, on which the πρόχοος stands. The second mixing-bowl served to contain the water, and then the contents of both bowls may be imagined as mixed in the largest bowl, which stands upon the tripod, and from which the diluted wine was distributed. (Cf. cut No. 26.)