The Ctistae or Ktistai ( Greek : κτίσται ) were a group/class among the Mysians .
5-407: The Mysians avoided consuming any living thing, and therefore lived on such foodstuffs as milk and honey. For this reason, they were referred to as "god-fearing" and "capnobatae" ( kapnobatai ) or "smoke-treading". The Ctistae were a class of Mysians who not only observed these dietary restrictions, but abstained from cohabitating with women. They led celibate lives, never marrying. They were held in
10-452: A place of honor by the Thracians, with their lives being dedicated to the gods. They are described by Strabo , sourcing Poseidonius . According to Strabo, whether they took up celibacy or not they were collectively called Hippemolgi (Ἱππημολγοί; "mare-milkers"), Galactophagi (Γαλακτοφάγοι; " living on milk ") or Abii (ἄβιοι, "not living (with women)"). Strabo, in the same section notes that
15-580: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kapnobatai Kapnobatai or capnobatae ( Ancient Greek : καπνοβάται ; Latin : capnobatae ), meaning " those who walk on/in smoke/clouds " was one of the names given to the Mysians of Thrace (geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to
20-900: The Greeks confounded the Mysians with the Getae (or Geto-Dacians ). That the Ctistae described by Strabo might be equivalent to the Polistai among the Dacians mentioned by Josephus in the Antiquities of the Jews Book 18, Chapter 1 paragraph 5 has been noted early on by Scaliger (d. 1609). He conjectured that some of the ascetics lived in groups and lived in buildings, hence the distinction of being called Polistai "City-Dwellers". This Ancient Thrace –related article
25-688: The north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the east) who practiced the dietary restriction of not consuming living things, thus living on milk and honey. The description is given by Strabo who attributes the information to Posidonius . Mysians are understood as a people who originally from Asia Minor, but those living in Thrace have become confounded with the Getae, according to Strabo. As such, some commentators refer to them as Dacian priesthood. This article about anthropology of religion
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