PLYNTĒRĬA

( πλυντήρια , from πλύνειν , to wash), a festival celebrated at Athens every year, on the 25th of Thar gel i on, in honour of Athena, surnamed Aglauros, whose temple stood on the Acropolis. The day of this festival was at Athens among the ἀποφράδες or dies nefast i ; for the temple of the godde was surrounded by a rope to preclude all communication with it; her statue was stripped of its garments and ornaments for the purpose of cleaning them, and was in the meanwhile covered over, to conceal it from the sight of man. The city was therefore, so to speak, on this day without its protecting divinity, and any undertaking commenced on it was believed to be nece arily unsucce ful.