Greek Myths XS: The Dog Days of Summer

On coinage from the island of Keos, now Kea (one of the Cyclades),  pictures of both Sirius, the “Dog-Star” and Aristaios, god of honey-making, appear. Sirius would be responsible for the hottest days of summer, known as “dog-days”. It was meant as a tribute to the love of his life, the goddess Opora, but the islanders suffered under the scorching heat. Every year, right before his first appearance at the night sky in early july, they honoured him with plees and sacrifices, in the hope of seeing his star shining bright. But year after year, it appeared faint, and brought drought and bad harvests. Enter Aristaios (whose name means “the best”), who was sent to the island by the oracle of Delphi. He discovered that an unsolved crime had been committed and ordered the culprits to be found and executed. Then, he founded a double ritual, a sacrifice to Sirius pre-dawn and to “Zeus-rainmaker” at sunrise. From that moment, the cooling Etesian winds started to blow, and in the Aegean Sea-region, they’re still going strong today.

Aristaios, coin, Herakles Numismatics

Sirius, coin, Numismatics Paris

Did you know?

• Sirius, meaning “scorcher”, is the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major. Cfr. “The Fox and the Hound”.

• Opora would have been a goddess of harvest and viticulture.

• The unsolved crime that had been committed, was the murder of Dionysos’ friend Ikarios. Cfr. “The Drunken Sheperd”.

• About Aristaios: “A Bad Review” and “Ghost from the Past”.

• Kea island is also known as Tzia.

• The Etesian winds – or Meltemi – are strong, dry, northerly winds that blow across the Aegean Sea from May to September.