Thymedia

Thymedia (Greek Θυμηδία, "heart joy") is the supplemented name of a maenad of Greek mythology, which can only be found as an inscription to figures on two Greek vases. The name has not been passed down in literary documents.

A figure can be found on a red-figure Vase found in Vulci, the name vase of the Kraipale painter, which was made at the end of the 5th century BC. BC originated. The picture shows the seated Mainade Kraipale, on the left in front of her is the satyr Sikinnus. Behind her stands the maenad Thymedia in a long chiton with a bowl in hand from which smoke or steam rises. [1] While the inscriptions on Kraipale and Sikinnus have been completely preserved, only ΘΥΜΗ can be seen above their head, which led to various attempts at supplementation such as Thymedia, Euthyme, Ephymnia. It has also been suggested to read her name without any addition as a derivative of Thymíama ("incense") as the personification of the smoke offering; assuming the vessel in her hand is definitely a censer. [2] After a detailed examination of the inscription, John D. Beazley agreed with the opinion, which is still accepted today, that the name should be read as Thymedia. [3] He interprets the vessel in her hand as a specially shaped thymiaterion, but a drinking vessel with a steaming drink cannot be ruled out. The content of the representation is also unclear: Either it is a scene from a myth that has not been handed down in literature or a custom practiced during the Attic Dionysus festival of Anthesteria and transferred to the entourage of Dionysus, since Choes were mainly produced for this and often show the course of the festival.

The second occurrence of this name can be found on the fragment of a bell crater in the style of the Dinos-painter who lived around 420 BC. BC originated. [4] Next to the mainade Paidia is the inscription ΘΥΜΗ, which Beazley also added to Thymedia. The image belonging to the inscription has not survived.
literature

Maria Hauer-Prost: Thymedia. In: Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC). Volume VIII, Zurich / Munich 1997, pp. 23-24.

Remarks
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, inventory number 00.352
For example Karl Preisendanz: Thyme. In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Ed.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology. Volume 5, Leipzig 1924, Sp. 924f. (Digitized version).
John D. Beazley, Lacey D. Caskey: Attic Vase Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Volume 2. Boston, Oxford University Press 1954, pp. 93-95 (online). Here also for other additions.
Agora Museum, Athens, inventory number P 9189.

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