CHAP. XV. THE THESMOPHORIA. 321 



inhabitants of Peloponnesus, tiiey fell into disuse, 

 except amongst the Arcadians ; who, having re- 

 mained in the country, continued to preserve them." 

 He states that they resembled the ceremonies, or, 

 as the Egyptians called them, the mysteries, per- 

 formed on the sacred lake of Sa'is, in allusion to 

 the accidents which had befallen Osiris *, whose 

 tomb was in that city. 



In Athens, the worshippers at the Thesmo- 

 phoria "were free-born women t (it being unlawful 

 for any of servile condition to be present), whose 

 husbands defrayed the charges of the solemnity ; 

 which they were obliged to do, if their wives' 

 portion amounted to three talents. These women 

 were assisted by a priest called (rT£^avo(popog, be- 

 cause his head was adorned with a crown whilst 

 he executed his office ; as also by certain virgins, 

 who were strictly confined, and kept under severe 

 discipline, being maintained at the public charge 

 in a place called S^str/xo^Jops/ov. The women were 

 clad in white apparel, to intimate their spotless 

 innocence, and were obliged to observe the strictest 

 chastity for two or three days before, and during 

 the whole time of the solemnity, which lasted 

 four days. For which end they used to strew 

 upon their beds such herbs as were thought to 

 calm the passions, such as Agnus castus, fleabane, 

 and vine branches.^ It was held unlawful to eat 

 pomegranates, or to adorn themselves with gar- 



* Vide supra, p. 302. ; and Vol. I. (Sd Series) p. 328. 

 f Potter's Antiq. vol. i. p. 463. 

 :j: These last were used by the Milesian women. 

 VOL. II. — Second Series. Y 



