AGRŎTĔRAS THŬSIA

( ἀγροτέρας θυσία ), a festival celebrated every year at Athens in honour of Artemis, surnamed Agrotera (from ἄγρα , the chase). It was solemnized on the sixth of the month of Boëdromion, and consisted of a sacrifice of 500 goats, which continued to be offered in the time of Xenophon. Its origin is thus related:—When the Persians invaded Attica, the A then i ans made a vow to sacrifice to Artemis Agrotera as many goats as there should be enemies slain at Marathon. But as the number of enemies slain was so great that an equal number of goats could not be found at once, the A then i ans decreed that 500 should be sacrificed every year.