Brauron

, a town of Attica, where Diana had a temple. The godde had three festivals called Brauronia , celebrated once every fifth year by 10 men, who were called ἱεροποιοι . They sacrificed a goat to the godde , and it was usual to sing one of the books of Homer’s Iliad. The most remarkable that attended were young virgins in yellow gowns, consecrated to Diana. They were about 10 years of age, and not under five, and therefore their consecration was called δεκατευειν , from δεκα , decem ; and sometimes ἀρκτευειν , as the virgins themselves bore the name of ἀρκτοι , bears , from this circumstance. There was a bear in one of the villages of Attica so tame, that he ate with the inhabitants, and played harmle ly with them. This familiarity lasted long, till a young virgin treated the animal too roughly, and was killed by it. The virgin’s brother killed the bear, and the country was soon after visited by a pestilence. The oracle was consulted, and the plague removed by consecrating virgins to the service of Diana. This was so faithfully observed, that no woman in Athens was ever married before a previous consecration to the godde . The statue of Diana of Tauris, which had been brought into Greece by Iphigenia, was preserved in the town of Brauron. Xerxes carried it away when he invaded Greece. Pausanias , bk. 8 , ch. 46 .— Strabo , bk. 9 .