Ĭomic playwrights had the most fun on the Day of Misrule, a holiday when nothing was sacred. During the Ionian festival honoring Apollo sins were loaded onto a cart and taken out of town. After a hanging in Cos the rope and tree were banished.
During Bouphonia in Athens a sacrifice was held, then the ax used in the sacrifice was tried and condemned to death and thrown in the sea. The Greeks had some strange festivals associated with destroying things and ideas thought to be impure.
#Lambe cult of demeter full
One of the marque events was the apobates, in which contestants in full armor leapt on and off moving chariots. The procession was led by the Athenian cavalry and included priests, sacrificial animals, chariots, athletes, and maidens. The citizens of Athens gathered once a year for the Panathanaic procession in which they dressed in woven robes like the one believed to be worn by Athena and marched through the city to the Acropolis. Many other festivals were celebrated locally, and in the case of mystery cults, such as the one at Eleusis near Athens, only initiates could participate. These Panhellenic festivals were attended by people from all over the Greek-speaking world. Festivals were often financed by the state and were regarded as a reflection on the city's image.Īccording to the Metropolitan Museum of Art: “The four most famous festivals, each with its own procession, athletic competitions, and sacrifices, were held every four years at Olympia, Delphi, Nemea, and Isthmia. As Greece became urbanized more people turned out for these festivals and the activities became more elaborate. Most festivals were harvest festivals or religious festivals.
In Athens alone there were 120 days of festivals a year. Festivals and feasts were held throughout the year.
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