Lesche
Encyclopedia
Lesche is an Ionic Greek
word, signifying council or conversation, and a place for council or conversation. There is frequent mention of places of public resort, in the Greek cities, by the name of leschai , some set apart for the purpose, and others so called because they were so used by loungers; to the latter class belong the agora
and its portico
es, the gymnasia
, and the shops of various tradesmen, especially those of the smiths
, which were frequented in winter on account of their warmth, and in which, for the same reason, the poor sought shelter for the night. In these passages, however, in which are the earliest examples of the use of the word, it seems to refer to places distinct from the smiths' workshops, though resorted to in the same manner; and we may gather from the grammarians, that there were in the Greek cities numerous small buildings or porticoes, furnished with seats, and exposed to the sun, to which the idle resorted to enjoy conversation, and the poor to obtain warmth and shelter, and which were called leschai: at Athens
alone there were 360 such. The Suda
, referring to a passage in Hesiod
, explains lesche by means of the word kaminos .
By Aeschylus
and Sophocles
the word is used for a solemn council; but elsewhere the same writers, as well as Herodotus
, employ it to signify common conversation.
In the Dorians states the word retained the meaning of a place of meeting for deliberation and intercourse, a council-chamber or club-room. At Sparta
every phyle
had its lesche, in which and in the gymnasium
the elders passed the greater part of the day in serious and sportive conversation, and in which the new-born children were presented for the decision of the elders as to whether they should be brought up or destroyed. Some of these Spartan leschae seem to have been halls of some architectural pretensions: Pausanias
mentions two of them, the lesche krotanon and the lesche poikile . They were also used for other purposes.
There were generally chambers for council and conversation, called by this name, attached to the temples of Apollo
, one of whose epithets was Apollo Leschenorios . Of such leschae the chief was that which was erected at Delphi
by the Cnidians
, and which was celebrated throughout Greece, even less for its own magnificence, than for the paintings with which it was adorned by Polygnotus
.
Ionic Greek
Ionic Greek was a subdialect of the Attic–Ionic dialect group of Ancient Greek .-History:Ionic dialect appears to have spread originally from the Greek mainland across the Aegean at the time of the Dorian invasions, around the 11th Century B.C.By the end of the Greek Dark Ages in the 5th Century...
word, signifying council or conversation, and a place for council or conversation. There is frequent mention of places of public resort, in the Greek cities, by the name of leschai , some set apart for the purpose, and others so called because they were so used by loungers; to the latter class belong the agora
Agora
The Agora was an open "place of assembly" in ancient Greek city-states. Early in Greek history , free-born male land-owners who were citizens would gather in the Agora for military duty or to hear statements of the ruling king or council. Later, the Agora also served as a marketplace where...
and its portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
es, the gymnasia
Gymnasium (ancient Greece)
The gymnasium in ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games. It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual pursuits. The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós meaning "naked". Athletes competed in the nude, a practice said to...
, and the shops of various tradesmen, especially those of the smiths
Smith (metalwork)
A metalsmith, often shortened to smith, is a person involved in making metal objects. In contemporary use a metalsmith is a person who uses metal as a material, uses traditional metalsmithing techniques , whose work thematically relates to the practice or history of the practice, or who engages in...
, which were frequented in winter on account of their warmth, and in which, for the same reason, the poor sought shelter for the night. In these passages, however, in which are the earliest examples of the use of the word, it seems to refer to places distinct from the smiths' workshops, though resorted to in the same manner; and we may gather from the grammarians, that there were in the Greek cities numerous small buildings or porticoes, furnished with seats, and exposed to the sun, to which the idle resorted to enjoy conversation, and the poor to obtain warmth and shelter, and which were called leschai: at Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
alone there were 360 such. The Suda
Suda
The Suda or Souda is a massive 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Suidas. It is an encyclopedic lexicon, written in Greek, with 30,000 entries, many drawing from ancient sources that have since been lost, and often...
, referring to a passage in Hesiod
Hesiod
Hesiod was a Greek oral poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. His is the first European poetry in which the poet regards himself as a topic, an individual with a distinctive role to play. Ancient authors credited him and...
, explains lesche by means of the word kaminos .
By Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
and Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
the word is used for a solemn council; but elsewhere the same writers, as well as Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, employ it to signify common conversation.
In the Dorians states the word retained the meaning of a place of meeting for deliberation and intercourse, a council-chamber or club-room. At Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
every phyle
Phyle
Phyle is an ancient Greek term for clan or tribe. They were usually ruled by a basileus...
had its lesche, in which and in the gymnasium
Gymnasium (ancient Greece)
The gymnasium in ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games. It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual pursuits. The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós meaning "naked". Athletes competed in the nude, a practice said to...
the elders passed the greater part of the day in serious and sportive conversation, and in which the new-born children were presented for the decision of the elders as to whether they should be brought up or destroyed. Some of these Spartan leschae seem to have been halls of some architectural pretensions: Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
mentions two of them, the lesche krotanon and the lesche poikile . They were also used for other purposes.
There were generally chambers for council and conversation, called by this name, attached to the temples of Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, one of whose epithets was Apollo Leschenorios . Of such leschae the chief was that which was erected at Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
by the Cnidians
Knidos
Knidos or Cnidus is an ancient settlement located in Turkey. It was an ancient Greek city of Caria, part of the Dorian Hexapolis. It was situated on the Datça peninsula, which forms the southern side of the Sinus Ceramicus, now known as Gulf of Gökova. By the fourth century BC, Knidos was located...
, and which was celebrated throughout Greece, even less for its own magnificence, than for the paintings with which it was adorned by Polygnotus
Polygnotus
Polygnotus was an ancient Greek painter from the middle of the 5th century BC, son and pupil of Aglaophon. He was a native of Thasos, but was adopted by the Athenians, and admitted to their citizenship....
.