in poetry, a nuptial song or composition. composition in praise of the bride and bridegroom, praying for their prosperity, for a happy offspring, &c.

Epithalamia were sung amongst the Jews, at the door of the bride, by her friends and companions, the evening before the marriage. Psalm xlv. is an epithalamium. Among the Greeks the epithalamium was sung as soon as the married couple were gone to bed, and attended with shouts and stamping of the feet to drown the cries of the bride. They returned in the morning, and with the same song, a little altered, saluted them again. The evening song was called ἐπιθαλαμία, the morning salute was called ἐπισκοπή. This was the practice amongst the Romans also, but their epithalamia were often obscene.