Inancient Greek religion,Myiagros ("He Who Chases the Flies") orMyacoris was a cult title for a divine figure who warded off flies. It could be used as anepithet for either a divinity or ahero.[1]
Pausanias characterizes Myiagros as adivinized mortal who received an offering preliminary to the main sacrifice forAthene atAlipheira inArcadia.[2] The intention was to ward off flies in advance of ananimal sacrifice, which might be expected to attack them to its detriment.[3]Aelian says the advance offering was made to the flies themselves.[4]
The Alipheiran cult was perhaps influenced by rites inElis atOlympia. The Eleans made sacrifices either to the flies themselves, or to a Zeus Apomyios ("Shoo-FlyZeus")[5] or a god named Myiodes or Myiakores. There was a similar ritual among theAkarnanians.[6] An Eleanmyth told of howHerakles was troubled by flies when he was trying to sacrifice at Olympia, and was instructed in how to sacrifice to the Zeus who shoos away flies (Ἀπόμυιος), so that the flies were at once driven across theAlpheus.[7] In cultivating Apollo atLeucas, a similar preliminary rite was enacted.[7]
Pliny says that when a swarm of flies is causing disease(pestilentia), the Eleans invoke Myacoris, and once the god has approved and accepted the sacrifice, the flies die immediately.[8]
The cult title can sometimes be found in olderexegesis onBeelzebub understood as "Lord of the Flies."[9]