DÆDALA, a mountain and city of Lycia, where, according to Pliny, Dædalus was buried; and also two festivals in Bœotia, so called. One of these was observed by the Plateans at Alalcomenos, in a large grove, where they exposed in the open air pieces of boiled flesh, and carefully noticed whether the crows which came to prey upon these directed their flight. All the trees upon which any of the birds alighted were immediately cut down, and out of them statues were formed, called Dædala, in honour of Dædalus. The other festival was of a more solemn kind. It was celebrated every sixty years throughout all the cities of Bœotia, as a compensation for the intermission of the smaller festivals, during that number of years, on account of the exile of the Plateans. Fourteen of the statues called Dædala were distributed by lot among the Plateans, Lebedæans, Coroneans, Orchomenians, Thespians, Thebans, Tanagreans, and Chæroneans, because they had effected a reconciliation among the Plateans, and caused them to be recalled from exile about the time that Thebes was restored by Cassander the son of Antipater. During this festival a woman in the habit of a brided maid accompanied a statue which was dressed in female garments, to the banks of the Eurotas. This procession was attended to the top of Mount Cithæron by many of the Bœotians, who had places assigned them by lot. Here an altar of square pieces of
wood cemented together like stones was erected, and upon it were thrown large quantities of combustible materials. Afterwards a bull was sacrificed to Jupiter, and an ox or heifer to Juno, by every one of the cities of Bœotia, and by the most opulent who attended. The poorer citizens offered small cattle; and all these oblations, together with the Dædala, were thrown into the common heap, set on fire, and totally reduced to ashes. The origin of the observance was this: When Juno, after a quarrel with Jupiter, had retired to Eubœa, and refused to return to his bed, the god, anxious for her return, went to consult Cithæron, king of Platea, in order to find some effectual measure for breaking her obstinacy. Cithæron advised him to dress a statue in woman's apparel, carry it in a chariot, and publicly report that it was Platea, the daughter of Asopus, whom he was going to marry. The advice was followed; and Juno, informed of her husband's approaching marriage, repaired in haste to meet the chariot, and was easily united to him, when she discovered the artful measures which he made use of to effect a reconciliation.