Editing Iacchus (section)

===Eleusinian procession===
Iacchus and his statue played an important part in the Eleusinian procession.<ref>Jiménez San Cristóbal 2012, [https://books.google.com/books?id=zmgXMbOtX9cC&pg=PA125 p. 125]; Versnel, p. 25; Kerényi 1967, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ds1Wg01wzeYC&pg=PA62 pp. 62&ndash;66]; Mylonas, [https://books.google.com/books/princeton?id=syzWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA252 pp. 252&ndash;258].</ref> [[Plutarch]] referred to the procession as ''ἐξαγόντων Ἴακχον'' (“leading out Iacchus”).<ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Themistocles'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg010.perseus-eng1:15.1 15.1]; Graf 2005, "Iacchus". See also Plutarch, ''Camillus'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg011.perseus-eng1:19.6 19.6], ''Alcibiades'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg015.perseus-eng1:34.3 34.3], ''Phocion'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0007.tlg049.perseus-eng1:28.1 28.1].</ref> On 19 [[Boedromion]] (probably), the statue of Iacchus was taken from its temple and carried as part of the procession of the participants in the Mysteries who walked from [[Athens]] to [[Eleusis]], arriving on 20 Boedromion (corresponding to the 28th or 29 September).<ref>Leaving Athens on 19th Boedromion, and arriving in Eleusis on the 20th, are the most likely dates for the procession, see Jiménez San Cristóbal 2012, pp. [https://books.google.com/books?id=zmgXMbOtX9cC&pg=PA125 125], [https://books.google.com/books?id=zmgXMbOtX9cC&pg=PA129 129]; Versnel, p. 25; Kerényi 1967, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ds1Wg01wzeYC&pg=PA62 p. 62]; Mylonas, [https://books.google.com/books/princeton?id=syzWCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA252 p. 252]; Dow, pp. 113&ndash;115; Farnell, [https://archive.org/stream/cultsofgreekstat03farnuoft#page/n167/mode/2up p. 147 n. a].</ref> Along the way, the participants in the procession would cry out the cultic exclamation, ''Iacche!''<ref>Athanassakis and Wolkow, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TTo3r8IHy0wC&pg=PA149 p. 149]; Graf 2005, "Iacchus"; Farnell, [https://archive.org/stream/cultsofgreekstat03farnuoft#page/n167/mode/2up p. 147]; [[Herodotus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.perseus-eng1:8.65 8.65]; [[Arrian]], ''[[Anabasis of Alexander]]'' [http://www.loebclassics.com/view/arrian-anabasis_alexander/1976/pb_LCL236.181.xml?rskey=NlzLtT&result=1&mainRsKey=nBdH9M 2.16.3]. See also [[Aristophanes]], ''[[The Frogs|Frogs]]'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:316-322 316&ndash;336], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:340-353 340&ndash;353], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:396-398 396&ndash;404].</ref>

There was a special official associated with Iacchus and his statue called the ''Ἰακχαγωγός'' ('leader/bearer of Iacchus'), whose function presumably was to carry or accompany the statue of Iacchus during the procession.<ref>Clinton 1974, p. 96; Farnell, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wwyysmmnAUkC&pg=PA147 p. 147].</ref> The ''Ἰακχαγωγός'' is listed as one of the Eleusinian officials receiving an endowment (c. 160&ndash;170 AD),<ref>The "Eleusinian endowment": ''[[Inscriptiones Graecae]]'' [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/3307?&bookid=5&location=1360 ||<sup>2</sup> 1092.31].</ref> appears in a list of Eleusinian priests given by the 2nd-century AD [[Julius Pollux]],<ref>[[Julius Pollux]], ''Onomasticon'' [https://archive.org/stream/onomasticon01polluoft#page/n121/mode/2up I 35].</ref> and had a reserved seat in the ''prohedria'' ("seats in front") of the [[Theater of Dionysus]] at Athens.<ref>''[[Inscriptiones Graecae]]'' [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/7348?&bookid=5&location=1360 II<sup>2</sup> 5044.2].</ref> An incumbent of the office (126/7 AD) is mentioned on four dedications.<ref>''[[Inscriptiones Graecae]]'' ||<sup>2</sup> [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/6017?bookid=5&location=1360 3733.20&ndash;21], [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/6018?&bookid=5&location=1360 3734.1&ndash;3], [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/7069?bookid=5&location=1360 4771.11&ndash;12], [http://epigraphy.packhum.org/text/7070?bookid=5&location=1360 4772.7&ndash;9].</ref>

A parody of the Eleusinian procession appears in Aristophanes' comedy ''[[The Frogs]]'', set in [[Hades]] (the underworld).<ref>Versnel, p. 24;  Kerényi 1967, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ds1Wg01wzeYC&pg=PA9 p. 9]; Harrison, [https://archive.org/stream/prolegomenatostu00harr#page/540/mode/2up pp. 540&ndash;541].</ref> There a chorus of dead mystics, singing and dancing in procession, chant their "hymn to Iacchus": "O Iacchus, Iacchus O!", and sing,
:Iacchus, here abiding in temples most reverend,
:Iacchus, O Iacchus,
:come to dance in this meadow;
:to your holy mystic bands
:Shake the leafy crown
:around your head, brimming
:with myrtle,
:Boldly stomp your feet in time
:to the wild fun-loving rite,
:with full share of the Graces, the holy dance, sacred
:to your mystics.<ref>[http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:323-336 323&ndash;336].</ref>

and,

:Awake, for it has come tossing torches in hand,
:Iacchos, Oh Iacchos,
:the light-bringing star of our nocturnal rite.
:Now the meadow brightly burns
:Old men's knees start to sway.
:They shake away their pains
:and the long cycles of ancient years
:Through your holy rite.
:Beaming with your torch,
:lead forth to the flowering stretch of marsh
:the youth that makes your choruses, o blessed one!<ref>[http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:340-353 340&ndash;353].</ref>

and,

:Now then
:Summon the god of the hour with your songs
:the partner of this dance of ours.
:Iacchus, honored by all, deviser of our festal song
:most sweet, follow us here
:to the goddess and show us how
:you travel a long road with ease.
:Iacchus, lover of the dance, lead me onward,<ref>[http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0019.tlg009.perseus-eng1:396-398 396&ndash;404].</ref>