Heræa

, a town of Arcadia.――Festivals at Argos in honour of Juno, who was the patrone of that city. They were also observed by the colonies of the Argives which had been planted at Samos and Ægin a. There were always two proce ions to the temple of the godde without the city walls. The first was of the men in armour, the second of the women, among whom the prieste , a woman of the first quality, was drawn in a chariot by white oxen. The Argives always reckoned their years from her priesthood, as the A then i ans from their archons, and the Romans from their consuls. When they came to the temple of the godde they offered a hecatomb of oxen. Hence the sacrifice is often called ἑκατομβια , and sometimes λεχερνα , from λεχος , a bed , because Juno presided over marriages, births, . There was a festival of the same name in Elis, celebrated every fifth year, in which 16 matrons wove a garment for the godde .――There were also others instituted by Hippo dam i a, who had received a istance from Juno when she married Pelops. Sixteen matrons, each attended by a maid, presided at the celebration. The contenders were young virgins, who being divided in cla es, according to their age, ran races each in their order, beginning with the youngest. The habit of all was exactly the same; their hair was dishevelled, and their right shoulder bare to the breast, with coats reaching no lower than the knee. She who obtained the victory was rewarded with crowns of olives, and obtained a part of the ox that was offered in sacrifice, and was permitted to dedicate her picture to the godde .――There was also a solemn day of mourning at Corinth which bore the same name, in commemoration of Medea’s children, who were buried in Juno’s temple. They had been slain by the Corinthians; who, as it is reported, to avert the scandal which accompanied so barbarous a murder, presented Euripi des with a large sum of money to write a play, in which Medea is represented as the murderer of her children.――Another festival of the same name at Pallene, with games in which the victor was rewarded with a garment.