γενέσια genesia 2x

pr. a day observed in memory of the dead; in NT equivalent to γενέθλια, celebration of one’s birthday, birthday-festival, Mt. 14:6; Mk. 6:21*

* γενέσια, -ων, τά, neut. pl. of adj. -ιος, -ον, relating to birth (< γένεσις);

in Attic Gk., a commemoration of the dead.

In late Gk., a birthday feast (= cl. γενέθλια; so in π., v. MM, Exp., x; cf. also Rutherford, NPhr., 184): Mt 14:6, Mk 6:21.†

γενέσια. The distinction between τὰ γενέσια, the commemoration of the dead, and τὰ γενέθλια, the birthday feast of a living man, disappears in late Greek (cf. Lob. Phryz. p. 103, Rutherford VP, p. 184) ; and in the papyri τὰ γενέσια is always birthday feast. Thus P Fay 11429 (A.D. 100) τὴν εἰκθυὶν (ἡ ἰχθὺν) πέμσις (1 πέμψεις) τῆι κδ εἰ (/. ἢ) KE εἰς TA γενέσια Τεμέλλης, ‘send the fish on the 24th or 25th for Gemella’s birthday feast,” for which other dainties are ordered in 76. 119"ff. P Fay 115%, a year later, says that pigs are going to be sacrificed on the birthday feast (εἰς τὰ γενέσια) of Sabinus. Cf. BGU I. 1% (iii/a.p.) an account of various outlays connected with the γενεσί[οις] τῶν [θεῶ]ν Σεβαστῶν, and Pretsighe 1525 (A.D. 131—dedication of a statue) γενέσια “Αδριανοῦ B ἢ πόλις. So for the birthdays of private persons BGU I. 333° (iii/iv A.p:) (= Chrest. T. 489) ποιήσατε, ἐὰν ἡ δυνατόϊν], κ[αἸτελθεῖν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰ γενέσια τοῦ υἱοῦ ἡϊμῶ]ν Σαραπίωνος. So in accounts of expenditure, as P Oxy IV. 736° (c. A.D. 1) γενεσίοις Τρυφᾶτος στεφά(νων) (ὀβολοὶ δύο), P Giss 1. 318 (ii/A.p.) yeverlors Acoyevi6 (os) δ. For γενεθλία used in the same sense we may cite P Oxy IIT. 49424 (A.D. 156) εἰς εὐωχίαν αὐτῶν ἣν ποιήσονται πλησίον τοῦ τάφου μου Kat ἔτος τῇ γενεθλίᾳ pov, “for a feast which they shall celebrate at my tomb on my birthday every year” (Edd.), BGU I. 14938 (ii/iii A.D.) yelve]0Alo[ts Σοκνοπαίου] θεοῦ μεγάλου peyad[ov, P Oxy I. rr2* (ili/iv A.D.) τοῖς γενεθλίοις τοῦ θεο[ῦ. 73. VIII. 11444 (i/ii A.D.), etc. From the inscriptions note OG/S go** (the Rosetta Stone —B.C. 196) ἐν ἦι τὰ γενέθλια τοῦ βασιλέως ἄγεται, 20. 111*° (after B.C. 163) τὴν γενέθλιον ἡμέραν τὴν Βοή]θου, and Pyvene 105°* (c. B.C. 9) τὴν τοῦ θηοτάτου Καίσαροϊίς γ]ενέθλιον. In the last inscription, 1. 45, if the restoration can be trusted, we have the remarkable statement ἦρξεν δὲ τῶι κόσμωι τῶν δι αὐτὸν εὐανγελίζων ἢ γενέθλιος] τοῦ θεοῦ, “but the birthday of the god [the Emperor Augustus] was for the world the beginning of tidings of joy on his account”: cf. Deissmann LAE, p. 371. For ἥ γενέσιος (sc. ἡμέρα) see OGIS 583} (i/a.D.) τῆι γενεσίῳ, Cagnat IV. 353%% 8 (ii/a.p.), of a monthly celebration, γενεσίῳ Σεβαστοῦ, and ἐνμήνῳ yeveriw. Similarly Michel 544)° (B.C. 114) ἐποιήσατο δὲ kal γε[νεθ]λίας τοῖς τε παισὶν καὶ παιδευταῖ[ς, ofa hospitable Phrygian gymnasiarch. Both these adjectives are replaced by the noun in Gen 40°, where the birthday of Pharaoh is ἡμέρα γενέσεως. We find in P Cairo Preis 312% (a.p. 139-40) the compound, παι]δίου πρωτογενεσίοις.

γενέσια, γενέθλιος (genesia, genethlios) — birthday. Included with: γενέσι-ος, ον, ={γενέθλιος},{θεός} [Refs 1st c.AD+]; epithet of Posidon, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]

II. Γενέσιον, τό, shrine of Posidon Γ., Paus. [prev. cited]

III. γενέσια, τά, day kept in memory of the birthday of the dead, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be distinguished from γενέθλια birthday-feast, though used for it in [NT+5th c.BC+]; so ἡ γ. ἡμέρα, ={ἡ γενέθλιος}, [Refs]; ἡ γ. alone, [Refs]; τῇ τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ ἐμμήνῳ γ. [Refs 2nd c.AD+]